Do’s and Don’ts of Destination Logo Design

"A great destination logo matters—but it’s not your whole brand."

Designing a destination logo is fun, challenging, and usually more complicated than people expect. But often times a logo gets too much attention. Yes, it’s important. But the logo, by itself, is not your brand. Its main job is to identify who is talking or providing a service. It’s just one ingredient in a much bigger recipe. There are things a destination logo can do and things it can’t.

What a Logo Can Do:

✅ Be a graphic tool

✅ Serve as a visual identifier for your destination or organization

✅ Give staff and vendors a tool to use your brand consistently

What a Logo Can’t Do:

❌ Tell your organization’s full story

❌ Be your entire brand

❌ Make everyone happy

So, while we absolutely believe in great logo design, we also know its limitations. Don’t let it carry more weight than it should.

Do’s

A great logo begins with research and community engagement. We want the direction of what we create to be built on a solid foundation that can stand the test of time. At any part of the branding process if questions arise, we should always be able to point back to the research to substantiate and understand our direction. Furthermore, when people feel heard, they’re more likely to embrace the final product. This creates ownership and allows for better adoption of the final logo.

The world has changed, and it’s important to keep in mind that your logo will need to work as well in a digital environment as it does in a more traditional one. It’s important to keep this in mind and realize that a logo will live in a lot of sizes and environments. Simplicity and thoughtful design can be your friend.

Your logo will never tell your whole story, but it can reflect your community in a way that is true to who you are. This is the reason we are so focused on looking back at the research during the process. Your logo must be authentic but not asked to tell your whole story, or it will ALWAYS fail at this.

Don’ts

A destination logo isn’t about what one person likes — it’s about what works across the board. The quickest way to an ineffective logo is to allow it to be developed by a large committee. Again, the research will reveal insights that are applicable to the community as a whole. Avoid personal ego-driven decisions, and instead focus on broad buy-in and functionality. There will always be individuals who don’t like the look of a logo, but if you consistently return to the research and measure how well the logo is doing the job it was designed to do, you’ll find that in almost every case it proves successful.

A logo alone won’t fix community morale or solve all your branding needs. Yes, a strong logo and graphic brand matter. It’s a critical piece of your brand system that should be used with consistency. That’s why we create full brand strategies, voice, messaging, and implementation plans. Without those, even the best logo falls flat.

Want to build a brand that goes beyond the logo? Let’s talk.

Contact Kevin Hinson: Kevin@chandlerthinks.com

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