My logo design process

A good logo conveys the core principles of a business and what that business does. Even though they’re often just small images, logos carry a whole lot of meaning and designing one comes with a whole lot of responsibility.

Logos are usually the most recognisable representation of a company and with more information available to the average consumer today, logos also have to quickly and effectively communicate on behalf of their brand.

As a designer it can be hard to express what really goes into creating a logo so I thought it might be interesting to share with you how I go about creating a logo from scratch.

 

 

Step 1: Getting to know you

When I first take on a new logo project, I spend a lot of time trying to understand both the business, it’s founder and its audience. I like to get to know my client’s, what makes them tick, their likes and dislikes not to mention digging deep about why they started their business and what they want to achieve. This is done in one of three ways depending on schedules it can be either a face to face meeting, Skype call or I send out my in-depth client homework.

Step 2: Research the field/industry

Before I even thinks about putting pen to paper, I do my research. Researching the industry helps me to get a sense of the environment the logo’s going to live in, knowing the trends and what’s appropriate.

The appropriate look and feel of an accountant’s logo, for example, is going to be different than a florist or a tractor dealerships logo. Seeing what’s out there helps you decide which conventions are worth keeping and how you’re going to differentiate the new logo from the competition.

Step 3: Sketch, present, and iterate on initial ideas

I usually try to present my clients with between three and six possibilities but before I even get to the presentation stage I have done multiple ideas on paper, sketching little icons, text layout ideas and annotated all this with little notes. This is a quick process and I often find myself coming back time after time over the course of a week to jot down more ideas. Once i’m happy my head is empty I take to my trust MacBook Pro and start translating my chaotic sketches to the screen revising and experimenting as I go. I then select the three to six ideas that best represent the client and meet the brief.

Step 4: Revise

Sometimes, this step is only one little tweak. Other times, it’s a series of longer revisions but as a rule I include two sets of revisions as this helps the client make more thoughtful amendments.

Step 5: Organise the final logo deliverables

Once the logo’s finished, I start to create it in various file formats and other iterations that my client may need.

 

“Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”

Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon

Designing a logo from scratch is a difficult creative process that takes a lot of research, knowledge of a business and its audience, and a deep consideration for the principles of logo design. But if you partner with the right designer who has a solid process in place, you should end up with something you love.

If you would like help with your branding why not take a look at my packages and services?