Logo

Your logo (and the different variations of the design) should be showcased and recognizable in everything you produce. That includes website headers, postcards, banners, signs, motion graphics, commercials, ebooks, brochures, etc.

Even further, the design of your logo (especially the colors and fonts) will extend into how you present all other graphical elements of your business in order to reinforce it.

LOGO TYPES

There are a million different ways to make your logo, but when it comes to fitness, I put the different design types into three primary categories: Abstract, Obvious, and Acronym. The one you use will depend on the type of business you have and your long term objective.

ABSTRACT

Abstract Logos don’t need to spell anything or represent anything; they just need to look distinctive. This type of logo is best for companies looking to build large brands. The best example of a successful abstract logo is the Nike “swoosh” (my logo is technically an abstract logo, but you can easily see that it is a letter “M” combined with a word bubble).

OBVIOUS

Obvious logos are pretty easy to make and do a good job of explaining your business visually. All you have to do is find a picture that represents your primary offering and plop it down. If you’re a kettlebell trainer, put a kettlebell. If you do a lot of deadlifting, do a silhouette of yourself performing a deadlift. There is nothing wrong with this type of logo, but understand that it will be hard to get away from your primary offering if your logo is really specific to a certain aspect of your business.

ACRONYM

Acronym logos are just what they sound like: they take the acronym of your company name and stylistically display it in a logo. If your company name is “West Coast Kettlebells,” your logo would feature a prominent WCK.

LOGO VARIATIONS

Here are the basic variations of a logo (as represented by my brand):

Full Logo

The Full Logo features the graphic design, business name, and slogan all in one shot. It should be able to stand alone so people can recognize who you are and what your company does at a glance.

Partial Logo

The Partial Logo features everything except for your slogan. This is what you will use on most online/offline graphics.

Icon

If you do everything right, your icon can be the entire representation of your business (like the Nike swoosh logo). You are not there yet! But, you still need an icon to use on small graphics, products, and website elements (like your favicon).

LOGO STINGER

A logo stinger is the motion graphic version of your logo that will go at the beginning of all your videos. Like your logo, this needs to stay consistent throughout your branding.