Now that you have your shop name, you will need to design a logo and shop banner with your name being the building blocks. (If you haven’t selected a shop name yet, have no fear, view my previous entry, Name that Store…) You might be thinking, I am a crafter, not a designer, however with these few easy steps hopefully you will realize you have a designer in you after all!

The same principals you utilized to find the perfect name for your business will help guide finding the right graphics to represent your online store. I also recommend doing some research. Find inspiration from other stores, blogs, greeting cards, interior design, anything really. Look for patterns, colors, fonts, textures, etc.

I recommend using a professional design software, such as Adobe Photoshop or InDesign or CorelDraw, however there are several free programs you can use. Read about your options here.  Adobe does offer 30-day trial periods for all of their products, visit the website for more information.

Ok, now it’s time to get your design on! I recommend taking these steps to help capture the character of your store.

Color Palette

Finding the right colors can often set the stage for creating your identity. When I was trying to find the perfect color combinations, I thought long and hard about what colors I like or wear for that matter. I used Pantone to help me find a color palette.  I knew I wanted rich colors that had a “sassy” vibrancy to them. The color palette I decided on is pictured below. Look at fashion trends, colors you love and colors from some of the stores (online or offline) that you really like to find inspiration for your own color palette.

Remember that you want to work with RGB color values because you will be using your logo and banner online. The RGB color model is based on three colors (Red, Green, Blue) being added together in different intensities to create an array of colors and is primarily used on electronic systems (i.e. websites, television, etc.).

Here are two resources that can help you find your color palette: ColorLovers and Pantone.

Font

An easy way to add personality into your new logo is to find a font with voice. What does that mean right?! Well voice is best defined as a distinct, unique attribute that helps your audience identify you as well as the products/service you are selling. When I was determining the fontography I wanted to use, I knew I wanted to represent both sides of our name “simple” and “sassy”. After trying what seemed like hundreds of combinations, I found one that worked! The two fonts I selected were:

An important thing to keep in mind when selecting a font is readability. Make sure your font is legible and used at a large enough size to be read quickly and easily. The goal is for your customers to instantly be able to see your name and read it without squinting, having to re-read it or needing to call a translator (only joking – kind of)!

Here are some resources that you can use to find the perfect font for your store: Dafont,  1001 Free Fonts, and Font Squirrel.

Remember, each font has its own personality. Using too many fonts can be visually overwhelming. If you’re not sure about mixing different fonts, choose just one that is clean and easy to read. You want your customers to know who you are!

Imagery

This can be the most challenging part of the entire design process. Feel free to design your own graphics. For example, I used a combination of circles, ovals and curved lines to create the flowers in our logo as well as a whole mesh of shapes grouped together to create the yellow marquee. I have demonstrated the elements below to show how basic shapes can be grouped together to make images.

However, there are fabulous options available using stock illustrations. I highly recommend purchasing these illustrations from iStockphoto or ShutterStock to ensure you get a high enough quality for a crisp appearance.

Browse the image libraries until you find something that strikes you. These images will cost you some money, however the cost is pretty minimal in most cases.

Logo and Banner Specifications

Your logo should be sized to 135 pixels by 135 pixels.

Your banner should be sized to 887 pixels by 150 pixels.

Use RGB color values and make sure your resolution is at least 72 dpi, although I recommend 96 dpi for a little more crispness.

Design is a trial and error process, so don’t get frustrated if it takes several (and I mean several) tries before you find the winner!

If you are thinking designing your own logo and banner seems like too much of an undertaking, there are plenty of vendors that will sell custom or premade design packages for online retailers.

Questions? Let me know and I’d be happy to help!

Kelli- Kelli@Goodsmiths.com