14/10/2026
Your logo lives at thumbnail size, not on a pitch deck.
Here’s the trap: a designer presents your logo big, centred, and on a clean slate. It looks brilliant, so you sign off. Then it goes out into the real world, and the real world is tiny.
It needs to work as:
• A profile picture circle
• A favicon in a browser tab
• A notification icon on a lock screen
• A stitched patch on a polo
If it falls apart at any of those, the version you approved isn't the one your customers actually see.
Before you sign off your next design, run the shrink test:
1. Drop it to 40 x 40 pixels — can you still tell what it is?
2. Crop it into a circle — does anything important get cut off?
3. Print it the size of a stamp — does the fine detail disappear?
4. Try one solid colour — does it still hold together without gradients?
5. Put it on a dark background — is it still easily readable?
At Nine3 Designs, thoughtful and purposeful design means building logos that work seamlessly everywhere you’ll actually use them — not just on a pitch slide.
🔖 Save this post so you have it ready when your design concepts come in!
Are you working on a new logo or refresh? Drop us a DM with the word "BRAND" and we'll help you pressure-test it before you sign off.
