Logo

Logo design is one of the main components of your tangible assets. It can make your brand more recognisable in the minds of Etsy shoppers.

‍

A logo design can be used in many areas of your Etsy shop:

• Shop banner
• Business card
• Packaging
• Shop icon/social media profile pic
• Other promotional assets

‍

A good logo should be:

• Simplicity - It is best to have a logo that is not overly complicated in details and colours. I would recommend in general to use only one colour in your logo, instead of multiple colours, and steer away from designs with too many details. This makes the logo easier to remember and recognise
• Legible and Scalable - Make sure the logo can be scaled down and still readable. There will be situations where you need to make the logo smaller, for example, when printing on your product packaging. This also goes with the previous point: if the logo is simpler, it will tend to be clear even in small sizes.

Here are the two main group of logos:

Graphical Logos

These include logo types like pictorial mark, abstract mark and emblem. All of these logos have a central graphic element. 

They can be very recognisable if done correctly. However, making a unique one that fits your brand perfectly can be very expensive and time consuming.

Here are a few examples:

Brand like Twitter uses a pictorial mark, which is a logo made with a recognisable image associated with the brand. In this case, a bird:

Abstract mark, on the other hand, uses a unique, tailor-made symbol. Spotify is an example:

NFL has an emblem logo, which has text and a graphic inside a geometric shape. Emblem logo is used widely for sports teams and schools. It often gives a more traditional feeling, but it could feel dated if used incorrectly.

‍

Word-Based Logos

This is the type that I would recommend for most Etsy sellers. A lot of times, it is a brand name written in a stylised font.

Wordmark logo writes the name of the brand in a specific font. Google is an example:

Letterform logo is made with initials, usually the initials of the brand name. Like our logo, which is made with a stylised letter G:

Some other examples of a word-based logo includes Facebook, Lush, Coca-Cola, Fedex and Calvin Klein.

So how can you create your logo? There are a few ways but each with their pros and cons.

You may have seen some logo maker websites. They give you choices of graphic elements and fonts to customise your own logo. Although they are cheap and quick, the result is mostly very amateur and generic. I wouldn’t recommend this choice.

Another option is to hire logo designers. A good designer will be able to take your brand concept and positioning and turn it into a unique logo. However, a custom-made logo can cost a lot of money. Usually you will be looking at $500 or more.

The option that I recommend for most Etsy sellers is to find a unique font that represents the feeling of your brand, and create a simple wordmark logo from that font. Creative Market and Envato are my go-to’s. They are usually quite affordable, and it can make your logo stand out.

‍

‍

After you have your font, you can upload that font file to Canva to design your logo. This function is available to Canva Pro users and they have a generous 30-day free trial.

Growing Your Craft Etsy shop also has some editable logo designs that you can try it out for your brand. They are free for members of GYC Etsy Academy.

Brand Colours

Your brand colours are one of the strongest differentiators from your competition.

Colours can be emotional. When used correctly, it can elicit the desired emotions from your target customers, which makes them connect more with your brand. Some examples include red is the colour of passion, green gives the impression of nature and environment, and purple is a royal colour.

Think about what your brand positioning is and it can help you choose your brand colour.

Another thing to keep in mind is to look at your competitors. You want to stand out from the crowd. For example, if every other makeup seller is using pink, it’s worth considering other colours like green if you have an emphasis on natural vegan cosmetics.

After choosing your main brand colour, you can now consider a secondary colour. Consider a colour that contrast with the main brand colour.

A website that I use for colour inspiration is Colorhunt. They have beautiful colour palettes that you can consider incorporating in your brand.

Mark down the hex code of your colours. Your brand colours can be used in your logo design, shop banner, social media posts, etc.

Fonts

Choosing fonts for your brand is useful when creating product photos text overlay, product packaging, social media posts and future website/blog.

In most cases, Google fonts are a good choice as they are free and easy to use. Otherwise you can buy fonts from Creative Market if you want something more unique.

Here are an introduction to different types of font with some of my recommendations:

Serif: classy, traditional, respectable. Example: Playfair display, Merriweather

‍

Sans serif: modern, clean. Example: Roboto, Source Sans Pro, Poppins

‍

Slab serif: bold, confident. Example: Abril Fatface, Roboto Slab

‍

Script, Cursive: elegant, distinct. Example: Pacifico, Licorice

‍

Handwritten: Playful, artistic. Example: Shadows Into Light, Permanent Marker

‍

Decorative: dramatic, distinct. Example: Fredoka One, Bangers

Choose one main font which will be used mostly for titles and headings, and one secondary font used for main text. Keep your brand personality in mind when choosing. Make sure the font is legible and versatile.

This article is useful to get some great inspirations for pairing your main font and secondary font.

Graphical Elements

You can add extra graphics to your brand for that extra oomph. However, don’t overthink it as it’s not necessary. Go to Dribbble and Pinterest for inspirations, and go to Creative Market and Envato if you decide to use graphical elements.

Etsy Listing Graphics

Your listing image is usually what Etsy buyers first see when they are browsing. It’s important to catch their attention so that they will click and hopefully purchase.

‍

It could also be a good place to showcase your brand personality.

‍

In general, you want to have a clean background that doesn’t distract from your product. Avoid a busy background.

‍

Checking your competition is also important. If everyone in your niche is doing product photos with a white background, it may be a good idea to change it up and use a coloured background. So that you can stand out amongst your competitors.

‍

This photo from MarrakechshopDesign gives an outdoor, beach-going vibe. This lifestyle photo stands out in the sea of other product photos using white background. The product is the clear focus of this product photo. The blue color of the ocean complements the product without distracting the attention.

‍

Sometimes it’s a good idea to add some important information to your product image. This listing image includes some info that shoppers are looking for. You should also keep in mind your brand colours and font when making these.

‍

‍

Etsy Branding Kit

Although you can’t customise your entire Etsy shop, there are a few things you can change to showcase your brand:

‍

Shop Banner & Cover Image

This is the larger header image when you enter an Etsy shop. There are 2 sizes: a smaller Etsy banner (Minimum image size: 1200 x 160 pixels) and a bigger cover image (Minimum image size: 1200 x 300 pixels).

This is a good place to showcase your popular products. Make sure to keep your brand’s font and colours in mind when designing.

‍

‍

‍

‍

Shop Icon & Profile Picture

They are used in places like shop home page, messages, order receipts, etc. Having a shop icon is part of being a professional and reputable Etsy seller. One good idea is to use your brand logo for your shop icon. Here is an example from HabitationBoheme:

‍

‍

‍

Packaging

Custom packaging boxes could be quite expensive to manufacture, and not every shop needs that.

‍

A more affordable solution is to get a branding stamp or iron. So that you can stamp you logo on your packaging bags and envelops. There are a lot of affordable options on Etsy at around US$20.

‍

Another idea is to get wrapping paper that shows your brand's personality, or washi tape that fits your brand's style.

‍

‍

Business Card

A business card is useful even for an online handmade business. It can be a great way to introduce your brand to friends and family, and handing it out at events to potential customers. Also, Including one with your order alongside a thank you card can be a nice touch.

‍

A simple and effective business card design is having your logo on one side, and your contact information on the other side. Be sure to use your brand fonts and colours.

‍

Download one here from our Etsy shop

‍

‍

Social Media

Many handmade businesses use social media to promotes their Etsy shops. There are many branding opportunities in social media.

‍

The basic elements include your profile picture, Facebook page banner, Instagram story highlights, etc.

‍

When creating content for your social media, keep your brand’s personality and audience in mind. Use colours and fonts that are consistent to your brand’s ones.

‍

I recommend using Canva to create social media posts as they have a good selection of free and easy to use templates.

‍