First things first, let’s get it out of the way that I decided to write this thanks to the news about Persona 5 Royal, an upcoming enhanced edition of the 2017 hit video game Persona 5. In both games, you control the ringleader of a high-school vigilante group, nicknamed the Phantom Thieves, that tries to change the hearts of corrupted adults by invading their subconscious realm known in-game as the ‘Metaverse’ and stealing their ‘Treasure’. I know, it’s quite a lot to process, but what I would like to draw your attention to is how the Phantom Thieves operate.
Before each heist, the Phantom Thieves sent out a calling card emblazoned with their logo of a party mask wearing a top hat and the words ‘Take your heart’ written on the card. Persona 5 is a uniquely stylish game and this calling card and the Phantom Thieves logo is a huge part of that style. The visual styling of the game and the dominant color scheme of black and red used in the game is reflected in the logo, which practically represents the identity of the overall game. This reason is what makes the logo so important and why, in terms of web design, it’s important for a business to have a logo.
The purpose of a logo
A logo isn’t exactly a piece of art nor is logo a bland mark of identity the way barcode is; it’s a combination of both. A logo has to be visually distinctive and representative while still being visually appealing. The uncultured probably has no idea why the Starbucks logo is that of a mermaid but anyone who’s ever read Melville’s seminal book, Moby Dick, knows that Starbuck is the name of the first made aboard the Pequod, the whaler captained by Ahab in his pursuit of the titular whale. The mermaid is just a natural extension of the nautical theme carried by the name.
The name and the logo don’t really have anything to do with coffee but it was unique and distinctive enough that even a mere glimpse of the logo would lead your brain to connect it with Starbucks. It’s not the coffee or the pumpkin spice latte that makes Starbucks, Starbucks. It’s that mermaid staring at you from the side of the cup, which is exactly what the logo was designed for. Your logo is the leading protagonist when it comes to your brand identity and this one fact results in 4 different reasons why your logo is essential to your website
Your logo dictates the overall styling of your website
Just how the dominant color scheme displayed in Persona 5’s calling card reflects the entire video game; the aesthetic of your company’s logo forms the aesthetic foundation of your web design. The Starbucks website for example features the color green in a dominant role and the website for the sandwich chain Subway also features a highly visible green and yellow color scheme. Color is just one easy example of how a logo could affect the overall design of your website but other factors could also be affected.
For example, it is possible that the typeface your website is going to use relies on your logo. In the website for Persona 5, the typeface used for the headings is identical to the one used in the calling card, which is similar to the cut-and-paste letters typically seen in ransom notes. The logo represents the core identity of your company so it only makes sense for your web design, which forms the digital representation of your company, to take after the identity of your logo.
The logo act as the compass in your website
In pretty much every website I could name, clicking on the logo would take me to the homepage of said website. A logo isn’t there just for simple eye candy, it can also perform specific functions; as a mark of consistency in your web design and to provide users with a specific navigation tool. Just as how a compass would always point to the magnetic, not geographic, North Pole of this planet, the logo should always lead to the homepage of your website. It’s also important to make sure that the logo stays on the same position in every single page of your website to ensure consistency.
For the purpose of branding
The Ferrari is commonly referred to as ‘the prancing horse’ thanks to their logo, taken from the emblem of Italian WW1 ace pilot Francesco Baracca. The Italians are particularly smart when it comes to branding as Lamborghini typically names their car based on Spanish fighting bulls, which also happens to be their logo. When used intelligently and in conjunction with other parts of your business, your logo could be used as a unique branding opportunity since your logo is unique to your company.
It’s what the audience expects and sometimes demands
As of now, whenever I’m looking for a new pair of jeans, I always try to look for brands with a signature back pockets. Other than the fact that these back pocket stitching could help imbue a pair of jeans with a semblance of life, I also like it when a brand has their own mark of identity they use on their products. This is why it’s important for a business to have their own logo proudly displayed on their website as it’s a visual identifier that is now pretty much expected by the audience and in my case, demanded.