Whether it's a client website, business cards, products, or packaging,
there's no visual asset more important to a business than a logo.
Let's start designing one.
Logos start well before any design work.
It's all about research, research, and more research.
Understanding what makes the clients unique is critical.
Zero in on this point of difference.
Often referred to as a USP or unique selling proposition,
this is what sets them apart from others
and appeals to their customers.
Start with questions that help identify their USP like:
What does your brand do better than anyone else?
What's the best compliment you've gotten from customers?
What three words best define your offering?
What does your team like best about working here?
What brand accomplishment are you most proud of?
Understanding the client means understanding their audience.
They might have existing research and data
about their demographics and interests.
Getting access to this will be important.
Otherwise, you'll need to find it yourself.
The clearer you get on who and what makes the business unique,
the more equipped you'll be to deliver a logo
that is relevant, original, and useful to your client.
Scrutinize the competition.
What's already on the audience's radar?
What are the others doing?
Then look at the broader industry and similar industries.
Note which logos work and which ones don't.
Are there trends worth mimicking or ones to steer clear of?
This research and the questions raised
are great conversations to have with your client
as they will have existing insights and opinions.
Try to remain objective and use the information gathered
to help drive your design decisions and process.
A great logo is all about substance over style.
And substance comes from research.
Equipped with research, it's time to start working on the logo.
First things first, step away from the computer.
Working on screen can be slow.
They are also distracting, tempting us to start perfecting our work
before our ideas are truly ready.
Hand sketching is a much more effective way
to tap into thoughts and ideas and work quickly and fluidly.
Thumbnail sketches are common in the early stages of ideation.
Why are they called thumbnails? Because they are small.
Draw your ideas small, fast, and loose.
This will enable you to put a bunch of ideas
down together on a single page.
Iterate each sketch from the last.
Injecting something new or a refinement
once you've sketched all the ideas in your head.
Challenge yourself and try different things.
Have you focused on a pictogram logo?
Try sketching a typographic option.
Maybe a monogram works better.
Work through Gestalt principles like proximity, figure ground, and continuity.
Looking for new and unique treatments of the idea?
How can the shape be simplified and simplified again?
There is no bad idea. Sketch, refine, and sketch some more.
When you have a handful of strong sketches,
it's time to jump on the computer.
Scan and trace your ideas.
Shaping and molding the forms.
Designing in black and white will help you decide
if the forms are working well together.
Keep working quickly and iteratively refining ideas.
Some sketches will be easy to reproduce.
Others might be more time consuming.
Some concepts will click together perfectly.
Others might just not work.
Don't worry, this is what we call process.
Don't be surprised if you work through dozens and dozens of options.
Keep going.
In the end, the goal is to produce a handful of unique concepts
that can be proudly presented to your client.
The way you present can be designed, so prepare strategically.
Include your research and explain your thinking.
Show the development.
Taking your client on a journey will help them understand your decision making.
Involving your clients in the process will help them feel invested.
Encourage the client to make small specific decisions.
For example, you might initially present the logo in black and white.
So the client focuses on the logo shape and form.
If you have color ideas, show them later in the presentation.
Step-by-step presentations lead to organized and logical decisions.
Try presenting your logo design in use.
Mockups of stationary, signage, products or digital media
will help the client see the logo come to life.
Feedback is inevitable and should be welcomed.
The client needs to feel very comfortable and excited to move forward.
Editing and refining the logo with the client is a necessary part of the process.
They might love a single concept or they might love all of your concepts.
They might love a single detail and ask you to develop on that.
Or they may send you back to the drawing board.
Your job is to design something great and create something
that your client loves.