Logos should be accurate, practical and functional. Logos have to match the ideas of a business with the external reality in some measurable way. A functional logo represents the ideology the organization.

Logos are the most essential marketing pieces for a company and must be a symbol of that company's message. A logo may be seen on the company's website, in a brochure or on clothing. It can be used on a variety of backgrounds in a variety of sizes. A poorly designed logo will use graphic effects that can be added in a program like Photoshop (3D embossing, shadows, glares or photo imagery). It is important to realize that simplicity does not mean that the logo has something missing; to support functionality the logo must be simple.

A great functional logo must have the capability to be printed or be used on various media efficiently. Functionality demands that the logo be simple, scalable, insightful and have minimal color. It is important that it is not too complicated and does not incorporate photographic traits, like shadows, as essential parts of the design. When the logo is reduced in size or placed on any type of background it should retain its authenticity. In addition, it should allow for different color presentations, black and white or color.