In the design community you often hear jokes about clients requesting size changes to their logo, “Make the logo bigger! It needs more impact! Make it pop!” Well, I have news for you: just make the logo. I don’t care if it’s big, small, long or tall– just make it.

It doesn’t make sense for today’s companies to shy away from having a logo as a major part of their corporate identity. It’s a quick world we live in, and you need to make an impact within a short amount of time to effectively grab anyone’s attention. Enter the logo. It should be the essence of your brand; a boiled-down, well-constructed and thoughtful piece of your brand.

Your logo is not only an integral part of your brand, it is your brand ambassador. It tells a story about who you are, where you are going and how you are going to get there, all in one little icon. Don’t believe me? When I say the word Nike, what springs to mind? Shoes? Maybe. Chances are that you saw the logo first, and then your mind went to a specific item or even an athlete. Don’t get me wrong, Nike has spent years marketing, refining, experimenting and pushing their brand. But all you need to see is that swoosh at the bottom of an ad, scrap of paper or t-shirt and you know that it is Nike without any linguistic help. That is powerful.

To achieve that sort of impact, an online service or a logo will not cut it; it’s more of a translation service than anything else. For example if you have a logistics company that delivers quickly across the world, your design might end up being a globe with a flying box circling around it. There is nothing memorable, insightful or clever in the design. It’s just a picture that depicts what you do, and it will be forgotten instantly. Even if you spent $100 on the design, it’s a waste of money. You would have been better off taking a client out for lunch.

To properly capture a brand or company, you need to go to a creative agency and spend some time talking about your brand and your passion. Let them work with you to develop something that captures your vision and that can grow with your company.

After all, who is going to tell the world about how great you and your business are when you’re not there to sell the story?