3 rules for great logo design according to Sagi Haviv

One of the most important traits of a logo is its appropriateness for the brand. That means the logo has to reflect the company’s activity, values, and audience. But ‘appropriate’ doesn’t mean the logo has to literally depict what the company does. Haviv emphasizes that overly literal design can look outdated or limit a brand’s room to grow. Example: Nike The ‘Nike’ logo (the so-called ‘Swoosh’) doesn’t directly say anything about athletic footwear, yet it conveys a feeling of motion, speed, and energy — exactly what ‘Nike’ wants to communicate to its customers. This shows that appropriateness isn’t about literal depiction, but about the right emotion. Before designing a logo, it’s important to clearly understand what impression it should leave, who the target audience is, and what message the brand wants to convey.

Another important aspect is the logo’s distinctiveness. The design world is full of generic logos that don’t leave an impression or are easily confused with other brands. Haviv argues that the best logos are the ones that can be drawn from memory — that’s a sign of how strongly the audience remembers them. Example: Apple The ‘Apple’ logo is a simple but iconic apple silhouette with a bite. It isn’t complex, yet it’s instantly recognizable around the world. The contrast with competitors’ tech logos helped ‘Apple’ build a unique brand image. A good way to test a logo’s memorability is to ask several people to draw it from memory. If people can recreate at least its rough shape, it means the logo is memorable enough.

Simplicity is one of the most important traits of a good logo. Haviv asserts that a good logo should be understandable and effective in just a few seconds. Overly complex logos are often hard to recognize at smaller sizes or become illegible across different media. Example: McDonald’s The ‘McDonald’s’ ‘Golden Arches’ — the golden M — is one of the simplest and most recognizable logos in the world. It has no extra details, but it’s easy to understand and recognizable from any angle. Haviv advises designers to drop excessive details and focus on a clear, minimalist form that can be easily applied in any environment.

Logo longevity and investment Haviv also emphasizes that a good logo shouldn’t be designed based on short-term design trends. Instead, it should be resistant to time and adaptable to future changes. Haviv often talks about how logo design should be seen as a long-term investment. Many companies, in trying to look modern, choose complex and trendy logos — but such designs often become dated within just a few years. Haviv’s advice: ‘If a logo is effective, you won’t need to change it every few years.’