10 Reasons Why You Should Not Center & Right Align a Logo
Here are some easy reasons you shouldn't center & right-align a logo design!
Created by Abdullah Mubin | https://dribbble.com/shots/17281532-Calsa-Logo-Branding
The right side and center of the material were assumed to be the best place for a logo. But some studies have shown that these positions can make the business sign less memorable. Several reasons make sense to explain why you should not center & right-align a logo.
Designing a visual identity of a brand can cost a fortune. But the fact that an attractive logo will not work effectively without good placement, it becomes essential to find the best position for every product. This is the only way to optimize the function of the brand sign and improve viewers’ appreciation.
The Nielsen Norman group conducted a study and found that logos placed on the left are more memorable than ones on the right. This is simply because eyes naturally go to the left side, which makes this layout position provides more impact to the audience.
Created by Abdullah Mubin | https://dribbble.com/shots/19113865-DoxPay-Logo-Branding-Identity
Logo placement also affects brand recall. The study in question also showed that a sign placed on the right-hand corner of a website is less likely to remember. Besides, it tends to make visitors get around before finding the correct way.
The left-alignment practice of brand sign positioning can be applied to most materials such as websites, documents and letters, posters, billboards, and emails. Apparel, office supplies, and merchandise do not have to follow this pattern.
However, some popular companies and brands do not follow the rules for some reason. They opt for the other corner to place a brand icon or initial to set them apart from competitors. Of course, this is a personal preference that allows brands to decide the best logo placement for their product items.
Created by Agam Setiawan | https://dribbble.com/shots/19523369-Voxels-Finance-Company-Logo-Branding
But if you cannot decide between a logo on the right or left, take a closer look at the following reasons why you should not center & right align a logo, especially if you are working with websites, emails, or posters.
1. Right-Sided Logos Reduce Brand Recall
As aforementioned, the Nielsen Norman group found that logos are easier to remember when they are located on the left side than on the right. This is based on the nature of the human eyes, which tend to be drawn toward the left, allowing the viewers to easily notice things on this side.
They even found an average lift in brand recall of up to 89 percent for the left-aligned logo compared to the right-aligned one. This means the visitors are more likely to remember your brand when it is placed on the left of the websites, documents, or emails.
This also means a brand sign positioned on the right side tends to receive fewer visual gazes, resulting in a reduced brand recall. The weakened brand recall directly affects your sales, and this is not something you expect from the logo. This is why you should not center & right-align a logo.
Many websites of top brands and companies practice this technique, allowing them to build stronger brand recall. It also provides the visitors with a smooth experience when accessing the website, which is effective in improving the rate of purchase through the site.
Right-sided logos, on the other hand, is not familiar among visitors. It will lead to confusion that can make your visitors leave the page sooner.
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2. Centered Logos Hinder Users from Easy Homepage Navigation
Another reason why you should not center & right-align a logo is that it can impede navigation to the website’s homepage. According to a study conducted by the Nielsen Norman group on center-aligned logos, it is found that centered logos do not show a stronger brand recall than left-aligned logos.
The study also showed that centered logos hinder the ability of visitors to navigate through pages, especially the homepage. The rate is about six times of navigation failure compared to the left-sided symbols. It is due to a habit of clicking elements on the left to find the homepage.
Instead, brand recall is mostly affected by several factors, such as legibility and logo contrast. Even if the website does not come with a logo, users will click any link included. This will create a navigation error that brings them to the wrong pages before finding the homepage.
In order to prevent navigation errors, you can put a Home link on the left side of the navigation bar. It will allow users to easily find the link and click it without hassle, at the same time promoting user friendliness to improve their experience when accessing the website.
It is interesting to know that some brands, companies, and organizations use their logos to navigate to the homepage. When placed on the top left corner, users can easily find and click it to go to the homepage without adding a Home option. This is why you should not center & right-align a logo.
Created by Abdullah Mubin | https://dribbble.com/shots/17986908-Tech-Branding-Identity
3. Left-Aligned Logos Work Optimally
If you are concerned about homepage navigation and brand recall, following the convention of a left-align logo is the safest way to meet the goals. Left-aligned signs allow users to scan pages from the top left corner going to the right down.
With the visitors focusing on the left side first before going to the center and the right side, it benefits this side because it will receive more visual gaze. The more gazes it gets, the easier the visitors to remember your brand.
Compared to the right-aligned or centered visual identity, this alignment works best to help users experience smooth navigation when accessing the website. Not only does it improve visual gazes, but it also helps visitors stay longer on the page.
Why you should not center & right-align a logo is also associated with an effort to reduce the habit of random clicking. When you place the symbol on the left, it helps reinforces the habit of clicking the left elements to visit the homepage.
In addition, it is a convention that every designer uses when building a website. With so many websites using it, users get accustomed to this pattern and find it easier to access a site with a left-aligned sign.
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4. Right-Aligned Signs Thwart Conventions
As mentioned previously, a visual identity that is placed based on the convention is comfortable for visitors because it is a standard and longstanding tradition in web design. It may seem tempting to break the rule and appear unique to stand out from competitors, but this decision is not without risks.
Since it thwarts convention, users may need some time to scan the page and identify the content, which probably leaves a confusing first impression. If the design is not eye-catching, the visitors are more likely to leave the page as soon as they land.
Besides, users hardly revisit a site that leaves a bad first impression or if it is not memorable. This is why you should not center & right-align a logo on a website because users tend to be comfortable with ones that follow conventions.
Keeping your brand sign on the left is the best way to make sure the visitors do not go anywhere. It is the most familiar alignment among website users, so they can easily catch the content and recall the brand. Straying away from this convention makes your brand less memorable.
For the best result, you can learn how to align logos on a website. There are many ways to position and align business signs perfectly so you can create an attractive design.
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5. Left-Alignment for a Quick Identification
One reason why you should not center & right-align a logo is that these places do not offer quick and easy identification. The top left side, on the other hand, allows users to quickly identify on what page they are landing.
When visitors come to a website, the very first thing they do is gaze their visual to the top left corner for a quick scan. Once they find a brand, they can continue browsing through the page for products or content they want.
Eye tracking research showed that people quickly scan webpages and screens in a variety of patterns, but the most common is the letter F. Visitors start from the top left corner, move to the right, and slightly go down before moving aside. This means the top gets more gazes than the subsequent.
This pattern encourages companies and brands to place their signs in the top left corner since it is the first place that users pay attention to. When you put the symbol on the right or the center, the visitors may take some time to identify the website. So, this is why you should not center & right-align a logo.
Created by Muhammad Sohail | https://dribbble.com/shots/14676057-Sohail-Brand-Guideline
6. Right-Aligned Sign Causes a Weird Reading Way
Basically, this alignment pushes the users to read in a weird way. You may have the urge to create a unique and special design, but it is not recommended to alienate your visitors, especially if your logo contains a long slogan.
Users will not feel comfortable when finding symbols with slogans that are placed on the right side of the website. Not to mention it reduces usability and slows down your users to identify the brand on the page.
If you want to focus on providing a nice experience for every user, this is a reason that makes sense why you should not center & right align a logo. A visual identity that goes leftward, as a comparison, provides better usability and visibility to the viewers.
Created by Mohammad Nayon | https://dribbble.com/shots/19025441-Agriausi-Logo-Design
7. Right and Center Aligns Are Less Intuitive
An aesthetic website boosts users’ experience. Creating an easy and intuitive layout design is essential when it comes to building a website. According to the Nielsen Norman group, putting the symbol anywhere but the top corner might confuse visitors while getting around.
In order to provide the viewers with an intuitive and user-friendly layout design, placing the identity on the top left is the best. It is less likely to confuse the readers because they naturally gaze to this side, allowing them to figure out the brand effortlessly.
On the other hand, right and-center alignment is not as easy and intuitive as the left-aligned one, which explains why you should not center & right-align a logo. You should take the risk of losing attention when trying right-aligned or centered symbols on the website, though some brands already do it.
To provide the best visual for your viewers, try to combine this alignment with the proper scale. Since your visitors may access your website from any device—smartphone, tablet, and laptop, it is essential to make sure the logo is scalable for optimized quality.
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8. People Do Not Perceive Nontraditional Placements to Be Stylish
Some brands consider that sign positions that stray away from conventions seem unique and stylish. Unfortunately, this assumption is not completely correct. Users do not perceive nontraditional logo placement on the website to be one of a kind.
The Nielsen Norman Group has conducted research using a two-sample test in which participants rate the hotels with left-aligned and right-aligned (unconventional) logos. It showed that traditional left-align design does not make people bored.
Instead, respondents tend to rate the conventional logo placement to be stylish and unique. This is why you should not center & right-align a logo even if you have the urge to stand out from your rivals. All you have to do is to maintain a memorable experience when accessing the website.
Created by Abdullah Mubin | https://dribbble.com/shots/17017283-ural-Logo-Guidelines
9. Left Align Is Suitable for Business Branding
If you are nurturing a business, creating a comprehensive message for your product and service becomes essential. Known as business branding, this is an effective way to make your brand recognized by the public.
Business branding is closely associated with brand recall. When people remember your business, they are more likely to identify it when they need the product or service. The more you are recognized, the better your brand recall and the better your value among potential customers.
Placing your business sign on the left creates a better brand recall with an average rate of 89 percent. It helps the users feel familiar with the brand, not to mention this digital marketing strategy can lead to more sales. So, this is why you should not center & right-align a logo.
Choosing places other than the top-left corner of the website can lead to weakened brand recall, which means you put your business branding at risk.
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10. Cultural Differences
The current population on Earth is approximately 7.98 billion. These people come from different countries and have different cultures, too. The same is true for the communication languages that help them understand each other.
Most languages use left-to-right scripts where you start writing from the left and go to the other side. But when it comes to cultural differences, some languages, such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian, use right-to-left scripts.
When a script goes right to the left, it means you start writing from the right, and it goes to the left. In this case, logos in this pattern are better than a left-aligned script. People who use these languages are familiar with the right alignment, so you can break convention.
Similar to left-aligned symbols for people with left-to-right scripts, placing logos on the right for these visitors can help achieve better brand recall. Additionally, it improves users’ navigation to the homepage as their gazes naturally go the right way.
According to this, further research must be conducted to test the theory and result in valid information. Regardless of the absence of research in recent years, it is a good practice to place the business logos on the side where the visitors gaze.
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Final Words
A study conducted by the Nielsen Norman Group found that left-aligned signs provide better brand recall by 89 percent than right-aligned or centered ones. This research explains why you should not center & right-align a logo.
Several other reasons make sense to avoid the center or right side of the website. First, it can be a potent impedance to homepage navigation which can cause a poor first impression to the visitors. Second, these two alignments violate conventions that may come with some risks.
In addition, a left-aligned symbol is considered more suitable for business branding as it provides better brand recall. Not to mention it makes the website user-friendly, intuitive, and attractive, which will leave a nice impression on the first visit.
Created by Agam Setiawan | https://dribbble.com/shots/19789219-Zecont-Brand-Guideline
However, cultural differences create an exception for the convention. Languages that use right-to-left scripts welcome right-aligned symbol because it works in a similar way to left alignment for people who read from the left to the other side.
In conclusion, a good practice to align a business symbol highly depends on the users. If the readers use the right-to-left script, the alignment that violates convention is suitable to practice. But if the users lean gaze leftward, left alignment offers a lot of benefits.
Now that you know the reason why you should not center & right-align a logo, it should be easier to make a decision for brand sign placement on the website. Unless you are working on websites with Arabic, Persian, or Hebrew, sticking to the left alignment is the safest way to make your sign work best.
