It’s funny how important a seemingly simple little thing like a logo is. Your logo is the first thing people see. They form an instant impression when they see that graphic. Unless you’re in the business of laughter, you don’t want people to take one look at your logo and burst out laughing. You also don’t want them to raise their eyebrows and smirk.

Unfortunately, logo fails happen all too often. In fact, even large corporations that pay graphic artists big bucks find themselves in logo limbo sometimes. Remember the furor over the Gap logo change in 2010? If you’re thinking about creating a logo for a new product line or you’re a startup that needs a logo, try these five tips for a killer design.…