4 Approaches to Dental Logo Design
Leave the Extracted Tooth Behind & Give Your Brand Substance
Logos aren’t just logos. A logo is the front-man-for-your-boyband of a brand – and he’s here to make a statement. But he’s not the only one gettin’ the Grammys, so to speak.
If you know, you know.
Anyway.
Your logo is important, but ultimately, it’s part of an overall brand strategy that portrays to patients who you are, what you do, and why you do it. Your brand isn’t just colors and fonts, it’s a feeling, an environment, a confirmation that your patient made a great choice by choosing you.
As one of dentistry’s top branding agencies, we know a thing or two (because we’ve seen a thing or two). You can rest assured our experience has influenced not only how we work on brand projects but even how we get to know you before we start one. All that experience, all of those processes, all of those questions help us build the brand you’ve dreamed of that will represent your practice for years to come.
There are a few directions you can go with a logo, as we’re sure you know. It can feel playful, modern, classy, contemporary, professional, welcoming, foreboding, or any number of adjectives. But our goals are your goals, so once we find out what you’re all about, we narrow down a direction and start designing.
You may have noticed a lack of teeth around here when we share our favorite logo projects. Why? Because we want to look a little deeper. Go a little further. And find what makes you unique. If you can be a feeling, why be a tooth? #amiright We love teeth as much as the next guy, but your practice can be represented by more than a tooth.
...Technically, an extracted tooth.
Which, really, we don't want. Right?
There are a few typical directions we run in, let’s break them down, shall we?
STORY-BASED LOGOS
We want your logo to be about your story - your passion, your life, your community. And while it can start with a really great mood board, it usually starts with your “why.” Why did you become a dentist? Why is fixing teeth important to you? Why your city? Why this team? Why these services? What do you stand for? What do you want patients to feel? Chances are, your story is hiding within those questions and our team can create a logo that represents part of who you are.
A solid icon or curated font can convey more than words, they can show so much more of who you are.
LOCATION-BASED LOGOS
Sounds simple, but a location-based logo has a few possible avenues. A practice named after a town, city, or even a landmark can be great for SEO purposes. Patients are typing in “Smallville Dentist” already, so why not call your practice “Smallville Dentistry” right? Or if there’s an important landmark nearby, that’s a great way to incorporate your location into your brand. How about a major city? All great options.
Whether it be your zip code, address, or something memorable nearby, location-based logos can hit the mark.
MONOGRAM LOGOS
Classic. Cool. Timeless. A great monogram makes for unique signage, a recognizable icon, and offers our designers a chance to get really creative. Think about the letter combinations out there and tell me that it wouldn’t be fun to play around and see how they can get together. You can use negative space, intersecting lines, optical illusions, or graphic typography to help bring a mood to your logo.
Whether you’re being abstract or straightforward, a monogram logo is a classy way to go.
WORDMARK LOGOS
Let’s not forget K.I.S.S. - keep it simple…Sally. A wordmark is a logo without an icon. Wordmarks are strong, clear, and stand alone in your branding suite to focus on the name of the practice. Maybe there are unique characters, perhaps a fun way to break up the letters, a shape, or personalized colors to help drive the personality of your practice home. If you get one of our designers to talk, they would tell you that typography itself has stories to tell and meaning woven throughout the curves and lines. Wordmarks hold a sense of timelessness and flexibility. They're strong and foundational to a brand.
Whatever the method, a simple wordmark logo might be just the ticket.
Once you’ve got your official practice name and style direction, you’re ready for the design process and while your dental logo doesn’t need to be the end-all of building your business, it can also spark joy, ya know?
Great logos represent stories.
Great logos start conversations.
Great logos communicate an experience.
And your story, conversations, and experience are about more than a tooth.
Your story is worth it, we want to help bring it to life. If you’re thinkin’ your branding or logo may need a refresh, hit us up.