10 Tips To Create A Good Non-Profit Organisation Logo Design

Created by The AAJ Branding | https://www.behance.net/gallery/124088607/Modern-Charity-Branding-Logo-design

Humans are increasingly concerned with the environment and the people around them. Seeing that there are so many conflicts and problems that arise in the world in daily life, there are also various non-profit organizations that can help overcome these problems. Even though they are both in the form of institutions, these non-profit organizations cannot be equated with regular organizations or business entities. Non-profit organizations arise because of concern for others and the environment. Therefore their branding must show this as well.

These organizations can carry out their agenda if they get help from their volunteers, whether it's assistance in the form of energy or money. To be able to attract people who want to help the organization and join their movement, non-profit organizations must be able to present a trusted impression in their branding. A trusted and professional impression will help this organization to be able to convince the public to want to help with their actions.

One of the best ways to produce that impression is not only from the tangible form but also through the branding design used by the organization. Elements such as logos are one of the main branding elements that organizations must pay attention to if they want to present the desired impression.

Created by Lucy Price | https://www.behance.net/gallery/123789707/Nationalities-Service-Center-Brand-Concept

If you want to design a logo for your non-profit organization to make it better and more engaging for the public, then this discussion is the right one for you. We've rounded up some of the best and most popular tips that professional designers use right away when they design a logo for a non-profit organization. Here are some of these tips that have been curated specially for you:

10 Tips To Create A Good Non-Profit Organisation Logo Design

1. Understand The Organization Value and Story
2. Seek Inspiration from The Best Sources
3. List Words, Objects, or Elements That Can Represent Your Organization
4. Create Moodboard To Organise Your Ideas
5. Create Plenty Of Rough Sketches
6. Use The Right Digital Design Tools
7. Pick A Suitable Color Representation
8. Use The Right Font
9. Balancing All The Elements
10. Listen To Feedback & Finalise

Created by Travis Ladue | https://www.behance.net/gallery/101955935/Bridges-to-Prosperity

1. Understand The Organization Value and Story

When designing a logo for a non-profit organization, the story and values ​​of the organization must be the basis on which you will cooperate in the design later. Unlike other institutions or types of organizations, non-profit organizations typically have a deeper story about why the organization was created and what values ​​it wants to raise. These values ​​and stories can be valuable assets that you can use to create a better logo design.

You can extract these values ​​and stories from the history or context of the organization itself. Start with the question: why was this organization founded? Who will benefit from this organization? Who are the target volunteers? What actions are we taking? And so much more.

You have to understand this story to make a design that is relatable and authentic for your organization. If this organization is an organization that you founded, of course, it will be much easier for you to know the value or background story that you want to display. But if not, you can ask some questions or learn this story from a trusted source first.

Created by Sascha Welt | https://www.behance.net/gallery/144958327/Brand-identity-for-the-charity-organisation

2. Seek Inspiration from The Best Sources

There are many non-profit organizations that have great logos, which can be an inspiration for you to design a great logo too. Therefore, you can first search for the logo design concept that you like from various other profit organizations. Collect several logos that you think are interesting, analyze yourself, according to you from a public perspective, what factors made you choose this logo compared to other logos to serve as inspiration.

List of factors that you think is potential ideas or wow factors that you can add to your organization's logo design later. You also don't have to always look for inspiration from non-profit organizations; you can also look for some inspiration from business logos, organizations, or other institutions.

But it's always easier to see references to logos that have the same aspect and sector as yours. Because this way, you can see the characteristics of the logo display that distinguish non-profit organizations from other organizations.

Created by Studio Carreras | https://www.behance.net/gallery/102994683/Earth-Charter-rebrand

3. List Words, Objects, or Elements That Can Represent Your Organization

A long background story and too many values ​​that we want to highlight might make us confused later on to determine what we can cooperate with in designing the organization's logo. The easiest way to deal with this is to list a few words, elements, or objects that can best describe the branding of your organization. For example, if your organization operates in the social sector intending to help farmers in rural areas, you can list words such as farmer, rural area, welfare, and many others.

With this list of words, the concept will be simpler and easier to chop up to be included in the design later. The number of things listed can also depend on your wishes. If you find lots of ideas and values ​​that you feel you can explore later, then it's okay to have a long list.

Likewise, if you want a more solid and mature concept, which can help you design more effectively and quickly, you can keep the list short and only list values ​​or important elements. The most important thing is to create a list that can act as a framework for your future logo design process. If you want a long list, you can always sort and shorten it later to get a more concrete concept.

Created by Bence Bilekov | https://www.behance.net/gallery/28250493/GivingWays-Branding-Programme

4. Create Moodboard To Organise Your Ideas

If looking at references to logos from other organizations doesn't give you a source of ideas and instead makes you think in a box, then you can look for inspiration organically from a variety of other sources. You can take inspiration from the objects or elements that you have listed earlier. Create a mood board that contains various things that have the potential to show the uniqueness of your organization in the logo design later.

Moodboards have indeed become one of the things that professional designers make when they want to find inspiration and create a framework for a logo design. By making a mood board, there is no limit to the ideas that you can explore and develop. Various ideas that catch your attention you can immediately enter into the mood board and see if there is a harmonization between one element with another.

You can also adjust this mood board according to your wishes. Either it is solid, colored, or contains objects, contains text, and many others. The point is to continue to explore the widest possible range of ideas to produce the best logo display for your non-profit organization.

Created by Moniker SF | https://www.behance.net/gallery/16521057/Up-Global-Visual-Identity-System

5. Create Plenty Of Rough Sketches

Although the depiction and execution of the logo design will use various digital tools, it is important for you to roughly sketch various ideas that you can explore. Make as many rough logo designs as you can. These sketches also don't need to be detailed, as the name suggests; these rough sketches are only a reference and spill ideas that appear in your brain.

It's always best to use paper and pencil to make sketches first. Using paper and pencil is highly recommended by various professional designers, as it is fast and effective, so you can channel your ideas faster and in a more relaxed way.

Created by Gabriel B Fagundes | https://www.behance.net/gallery/115090783/Audentia

For some people who are more comfortable sketching with digital fields such as the iPad, this is also an alright thing to do. Sketching using a tablet or iPad might be more efficient and fast for some people, as it has many features such as undo or various types of brushes that you can't find with conventional sketches.

You can create as many sketches as you like. It can be only five, ten, or even tens of them; it's up to your own needs. You also don't need to worry too much about the details in each of the sketches you make. Just pay attention to the details and values ​​that are clear to you so that later at the design selection stage, you don't forget what design you have drawn.

Created by Agency S/R | https://www.behance.net/gallery/144378659/Modern-Cooking-Facility-for-Arica

6. Use The Right Digital Design Tools

After getting the best and most satisfying sketch for you, then we will translate the sketch into a more detailed digital form. This can be done with the best tracing sketch that you have chosen before. If at the sketching stage you have not added clear shapes or details, then at this stage, you can refine the sketch and make a more detailed picture in digital form so that it can be used directly as a logo.

To create a good logo design, it is not required to use the most sophisticated or expensive software or tools. But of course, you need various tools that can support your design needs and not hinder them. With the help of the best tools, your design process will become much faster and more effective, so you don't waste your time and energy on unnecessary things.

In this context, the best tool is not always an expensive tool, and cheap tools are not always bad. Adjust the tools based on your abilities, budget, and design needs. Various professionals will certainly prefer to use Adobe Illustrator or various other professional platforms, but for ordinary people, this platform is not only expensive but also quite difficult when first used. So, you can research and try first the tools you have and find which ones do the best job in helping you create designs for your non-profit organization.

Created by Chris Provins | https://www.behance.net/gallery/136531101/Bissell-Edmonton-Charity

7. Pick A Suitable Color Representation

If you have planned to make a logo that is monochromatic in black and white, then you can skip this step, but if you want to make the logo look more striking and eye-catching, you must really pay attention to the use of the colors you choose. The choice of colors you use in your logo design will greatly determine the overall appearance of your non-profit organization later. The color you choose not only affects the appearance of the logo but also affects the image and brand positioning of your organization later.

You must be quite familiar with the color philosophy, even if you are not a professional designer. For example, yellow symbolizes a more cheerful energy, blue represents a more calm and trustworthy impression, and so on. This color philosophy should be one of your considerations when determining the right color for your design.

Not only a single color selection when creating a logo design, then, of course, but you will also use two or more colors to complete the appearance of your logo. Each color that you enter into your logo palette should be able to create a harmonious appearance with one another. You can use complementary or contrasting colors to create the logo you desire.

Created by Ochodias Studio | https://www.behance.net/gallery/123978731/Creators-Society

8. Use The Right Font

Non-profit organizations do have to appear professional and trustworthy so that many people trust the credibility of the organization. However, as a brand, it is also important to pay attention to whether the logo can stand out when compared with other logos or not. Your non-profit logo can appear professional and credible, but at the same time, it must also be able to steal the attention of the public who sees it.

There are several striking factors that you can add to your design as well. Starting from the use of elements or illustrations with unusual styles, the use of creative whitespace elements, and the use of unique taglines, there is still a lot. Use a display that can make people curious to want to see more about your non-profit organization.

This is, of course, very important, especially in a not-for-profit organization that is just starting and doesn't yet have a well-known reputation for attracting public attention. Having an attractive logo can be one of the leverages that you must use to be able to compete with other non-profit organizations.

Created by Sean Paul Kinnear | https://www.behance.net/gallery/141602527/The-Kids-Charity-Visual-Identity

9. Balancing All The Elements

Balance and proportion in logo design are one of the things that can determine the appearance of a good, whether it looks professionally designed or not. Using too many or too few elements is one of the main mistakes that beginners make when designing a logo concept.

A well-made logo, of course, has a balanced appearance between the elements, objects, colors, and typefaces that are in it. The harmony of all the elements in this logo design you must prioritize is one of the things that you continue to pay attention to throughout the process. If you use elements that are already bold and crowded, you can balance it out by reducing the size, using slightly muted colors, or accompanying it with a much simpler typeface.

There are many tutorials that you can see for free on the internet about how to keep the balance for the design. Sometimes, if you are confused about how to keep the proportions in harmony, there are several formulas and frameworks that you can use to keep your logo looking even better.

Created by Kanella Arapoglou | https://www.behance.net/gallery/63811255/MEDINA-NON-PROFIT-ORGANIZATION

10. Listen To Feedback & Finalise

After you finish making the final design for the logo, you will feel satisfied and feel that the logo has met the criteria for a good logo. However, sometimes you are not a good judge and will have a biased opinion about the logo. This will cause you not to see some things that can be improved or errors in your logo design.

The best way to deal with this is to ask for an opinion or consult someone else on the final look of the logo design. It would be better if you ask for opinions from those who do know about design, especially logo design. But even if you don't have acquaintances who meet these criteria, you can also ask the opinions of people around you. Ask them to be objective and analyze the appearance of your logo from all aspects.

Created by Travis Ladue | https://www.behance.net/gallery/101959451/Founders-Pledge

If they can't provide a sufficiently comprehensive and detailed comment, you can provoke the ajuga brand by pointing out some aspects that you think could be improved. For example, you can ask about the color selection, the use of the logo, the use of typefaces, overall vibes, and various other detailed aspects.

Consulting other people will also be very useful to avoid mistakes in the logo design that you have created. Of course, it will be fatal if you have finalized the logo design and printed it on various branding products of your organization, but it turns out that there is a typo or error.

Created by Aco Hsu | https://www.behance.net/gallery/115384793/Heart-Parcel-Rebrand

Final Words

That was a pretty in-depth discussion of some useful tips that you can pay attention to when you want to design a logo for a non-profit organization. Use these tips not as a limitation but as your reference in the design process. Each of the tips that we have provided above you can do with a method that suits your comfort and needs.

The tips above are also some inputs from professional designers that we have summarized for you to make it easier for you to create logo designs for non-profit organizations that are not only professional but also attractive. Don't forget to always reflect on the values ​​and personality branding to make the logo more relevant to your organization.