A few weeks ago, I shared a post on LinkedIn titled “7 Logo Sins to Avoid” — a carousel that broke down small, often-overlooked design mistakes that quietly ruin logos.
It gained more traction than I expected — tons of designers saved, shared, and DM’d saying, That engagement inspired me to take it a step further — to make a complete guide by combining Part 1 and Part 2 into one full piece. Here’s everything — the optical, structural, and perception-based principles that separate good logos from great ones.
Here’s everything — the optical, structural, and perception-based principles that separate good logos from great ones.
📎 (You can check the original LinkedIn posts here → LINKED IN )
⚠️ Logo Sin #1 — Overshoot
Rounded or angular shapes often appear smaller than straight ones of equal height.
This visual illusion makes circles, curves, and diagonals seem off-balance unless they slightly overshoot the x-height or baseline for optical harmony.
💡 Solution:
To adjust this, rounded letters should extend slightly above and below the standard height.
Overshoot ensures the logo looks visually aligned — not just mathematically perfect.
⚫ Logo Sin #2 — Black vs White
White shapes on dark backgrounds appear larger than the same black forms on light ones.
Our eyes perceive brightness as weight, so designers must tweak stroke thickness or scale to balance both.
💡 Solution:
Experiment with the stroke width until both black and white versions feel visually identical.
Simply scale down the white mark or outline it, expand, and subtract.
👁️ Logo Sin #3 — Eye over Math
Mathematical precision doesn’t always look right.
Human vision prefers optical correction — small tweaks to spacing, alignment, and proportion that make a logo feel balanced even when geometry says it’s not.
💡 Solution:
Train your eyes, not just your grids.
Zoom out, step back, and sense the balance.
Design for perception, not perfection.
🎯 Logo Sin #4 — Misaligned Flow
When the logo’s rhythm or direction doesn’t match the brand’s message, it feels off — even if it looks clean on the grid.
A “forward” brand shouldn’t lean backward, and a calm brand shouldn’t look aggressive.
💡 Solution:
Find the brand’s energy — bold, steady, or calm — and match the logo’s movement to that emotion.
Good logos don’t just look right, they move right.
🌫️ Logo Sin #5 — Visual Noise
Too many details can kill a great logo.
Extra lines, cuts, or gradients make it harder to read, scale, or remember.
When every part shouts for attention, the logo loses its voice.
💡 Solution:
Simplicity doesn’t mean empty — it means purpose.
Refine your mark until every shape earns its place.
Test your logo blurred or far away; if it still reads clearly, it’s right.
⚡ Logo Sin #6 — Scale Distortion
A logo that looks perfect on your screen might collapse at 24px or overpower on a billboard.
Designers forget that scale changes perception — proportions, contrast, and spacing behave differently at each size.
💡 Solution:
Always test at micro and macro scale.
Simplify for small use, refine for large.
Build adaptive systems that scale — not static marks.
⚡ Logo Sin #7 — Contrast Crash
Logos don’t fail in design files — they fail in real life.
Weak contrast makes a mark disappear in grayscale, blur, or dark mode.
💡 Solution:
Test your logo under stress — blur it, shrink it, invert it.
If it still holds up, it’s ready.
Design marks that survive imperfection, not just mockups.
✍️ Closing Thoughts
Design isn’t about chasing mathematical precision — it’s about crafting visual perception.
Every curve, gap, and angle sends a message long before the logo is even read.
If you want to see the original carousels and conversations that started this whole series —
📎 Find both Part 1 & Part 2 on LinkedIn here
💾 Save this for your next logo project.
Let’s build logos that don’t just look good — but feel right.
—
Surya Pratap (@suryadzn)
VZNRY® Creative Agency
