The following questions will help you examine your logo for technical specifications and effectiveness.

I've also created a PDF with these questions. You will be able to download it here shortly.

Naturally, this checklist is not applicable for every logo or every client. Some questions may have to be thematically modified.

In general: The more questions of this checklist can be answered with "Yes" (and these questions, as mentioned, have to make sense in conjunction with the concerned logo), the better is your logo.

Checklist for the examination of a logo:

  • Is the logo well-readable even when in a very small (2 cm) version?

    Is the logo visually the same, even at a high magnification?

    Can the logo be used black-and-white?

    Can the logo be illustrated three-dimensionally?

    Can the logo be inverted? (This often opens up additional opportunities)

    Was the logo designed using as few colours as possible? (A question of cost)

    Is the logo memorable even when it's only looked at for a short time?

    If a font is used, does it go in line with the fonts generally used in the industry sector?

    Can the colours of the logo be used for a complete corporate design?

    Is the logo readily identifiable even from a short distance?

    Is the logo easily recognizable, attributable and memorable?

    Can the logo be used in all fields of advertisement?

    Can the logo be used on all kinds of advertising media?

    Does the logo stand out from the competition?

    Is the offered service identifiable from the logo?

    If there is an image part and a text part: Can the image part also be used by itself?

    Can the logo be diversified (e.g. for other business segments)?

    Is the logo avoiding elements that are currently considered especially modern? Can it be used in the long run?

    Is the logo's statement in line with the corporate image that the client wants to convey?

    Can the logo be reproduced using all prevalent printing methods?

    Are there possible typographical problems when the logo is heavily downsized? If so, is there a second version for these fields of application?

As mentioned before, not every question can be used for every logo. Some logos don't need to meet certain criteria - the corresponding questions may be skipped.