If your logo looks like someone else's, that's really fine. Here are 5 reasons why

Thousands of companies around the world use similar logos. But company owners usually shy away from using a logo which resembles that of another company, and are even ready to choose something ugly, instead — just as long as it’s unique.

Read on to find out why you shouldn’t be afraid to use a logo that looks like someone else’s.

1. If your logo has a simple image, similarities with another logo cannot be avoided

There are a finite number of simple images in the world. An apple, a circle, a square, a heart, an arrow, a tick and other often-used graphic symbols have an instantly recognisable shape. Despite the best efforts of designers to try to interpret these symbols in their own unique way, a circle drawn by five different people is still just a circle. It will look like any other circle — and that’s nothing to be worried about. 

The more simple the shape, the higher the chance that someone has already used it in a logo. And this is fine.

2. There are thousands of companies around the world with similar logos

The Pepsi logo is similar to the Korean Air logo.

Ford’s logo is similar to Carrier’s logo.
 
There’s no shortage of logos around the world that are similar to each other.

The companies that own these logos are all successful and recognisable in their markets — and the fact that the logo looks like someone else’s doesn’t detract from that.

3. The way a logo’s perceived depends on the context

A graphic image does not exist in a vacuum. It’s defined by its context. Where do people encounter it? How often? Under what circumstances? In which places? In what medium? The answer to all of these questions help us to understand the context — and each brand has its own.

When a passenger walks toward a Korean Air plane, they are unlikely to change their mind about boarding it just because they see something resembling the Pepsi logo plastered over the wing of the plane. In the same way, the thought of «wow, there’s a sign like Pepsi, I guess this plane is carrying soda» just doesn’t cross their mind. And why? Because people know — Pepsi is in the thirst-quenching business, and Korean Air sends people hurtling through the air to their final destinations. Any similarity in the graphic images used to identify these companies in no way affects how we interpret them.

4. The law does not prohibit the use of a logo similar to another

It is not against the law to use a logo which is similar to that of another brand if the two companies involved operate in different industries. Problems only arise if businesses operate in the same field and sell similar products, leading to a chance that customers may confuse them.

So, if you have a lingerie brand and your logo looks like a steel mill’s logo, don't start hunting around frantically for a redesign. You’re not breaking the law.

5. Similar logos have different meanings

The Versace and Starbucks logos are similar.

The Versace logo features the head of the Gorgon Medusa. She was chosen to represent the brand as Versace’s clothes can hypnotise anyone, just like her. The Starbucks logo, on the other hand, features a siren. She was chosen because the first coffee shop Starbuck’s ever opened was in Seattle, and the siren was the symbol of the city and its local port.

Now, these two similar logos carry very different meanings. The Versace logo is about the sophistication of the brand, and the Starbucks logo is about their enduring love for their hometown.

Shorn of context, a graphic image doesn’t mean anything. In order for a sign to have content, it must be imbued with meaning — and that’s where business comes in. Similar symbols will be perceived differently by people, depending on their context. A square drawn in the logo of the construction company will be interpreted as a brick and, potentially, as a symbol of the brand's reliability. A square drawn in the logo of a printer manufacturer is more likely to be perceived as a sheet of paper.

Conclusion: Don't be afraid to use an image that someone else is using. Put your content into it and everything will be fine.

P.S. If you still need your logo to look like no other logo in the world, buy a subscription to Nikolay Ironov. This neural network generates a completely unique design that no living person could ever come up with. And, yes, he can do standard logos, too.