Creating a strong, powerful logo is the first step in creating a brand's identity. A powerful logo will allow people to instantly recognize your brand. I believe in strong, clear, minimal design that works in a variety of different mediums and contexts. I believe it should work in black and white as well as various colorways.

The principal role of a logo is to identify, and simplicity is its means... Its effectiveness depends on distinctiveness, visibility, adaptability, memorability, universality, and timelessness. Paul Randl

I see a lot of logos that use generic and over simplified imagery. One example is a commercial realty logo that uses a generic skyline. If you create a logo that is generic and unoriginal, you will be sending the same message about your company to your customers. Strive for something simple, but unique. Again, when I think of logos that are powerful and stand the test of time, their simplicity and instant recognizability is what stands out. Sometimes, less is more.

Resources:

Please check out the following two articles regarding logo design from Creativbloq.com and 99designs.com. One article address 50 methods of designing a logo, while the second addresses current logo trends. Although, I think it can be ironic to speak of logo trends when we are trying to create something original that will last years, the reality is designers and companies will look to follow trends when creating a logo so that it is fresh and current. You see similar approaches in music, film and art. Maybe it's more beneficial to think of trends as movements. This may all be a moot point, because in the end we live in a post-modernist world where we value authenticity, not complete originality.