The Logo Design Process
Mercedes. Red Bull. Apple. Nike. Pepsi. Recycling. FedEx. The Olympics.
An iconic logo is distinctly-unique, easily recognizable, and stands out from the millions of other logos in the universe ~ making the brand it represents memorable. Great logos don’t just suddenly appear in mainstream out of nowhere. There’s lots of thought, brainstorming, time, and creativity put into the very-structured process of exceptional logo design. While inexperienced logo designers might simply ask for the name of the company before they start coming up with ideas for the logo, established, talented, top-notch design agencies steadfastly adhere to a specific process to bring those brainstormed ideas to fruition.
Here’s a look at the steps leading to the creation of world-class, awesome logos:
Step #1: Conversations with the client.
It’s impossible to create a truly effective logo without first having an insightful conversation with the client. The logo design process always commences with a meaningful, insightful meeting to learn about and understand the client’s corporate culture, people, philosophy, values, and the way they do business with their customers. This all-important and necessary discovery session will enable the graphic designer to take that information and carefully consider it while moving forward with the logo’s design.
Step #2: Identify your client’s customers.
While a great logo will be recognizable to everyone, what matters most is that it appeals to its intended audience. Before the logo is sketched, you need to know not only the ideal personas of the business, but also the client’s competition in their industry.
Step #3: Know where it’s going.
Where’s the logo going to be used? To utilize time wisely, it’s necessary to know in advance where the client plans to apply the logo. Is it simply going to be used on a website or will it go on golf shirts, on the tail of a plane, or on the side of a truck? This information will save the designer from creating sketches that may not be appropriate for the needed size and scope of the logo.
Step #4: Put it in a sketch.
One idea is never enough. Brainstorming through sketching helps the designer get closer to the desired outcome. The more sketches, the easier it will be to see the diamond in the rough.
Step #5: Transform the top sketches into drafted designs.
Next in the logo design process is pick about 7 of those exceptional sketches and creating initial designs from them. It’s not necessary to have them in color or with a great deal of details because that will be time wasted. Keep them simple, sharp, and professional and present them to the client for feedback and responses.
Step #6: Refine, refine, and refine again.
Of the 7 designs presented to the client, one (or sometimes two) of them will truly speak to the client and be chosen by the client. This step involves tweaking, detailing, and refining those one or two chosen sketches. This step often takes a long time because several different proofing opportunities are typically presented to the client until one beautiful, engaging, ad perfect logo is born.
Step #7: Voila! The birth of a brand’s identity.
Once the logo is designed and accepted, the beginning of the client’s brand identify is born. From signage and business stationery to clothes, vehicles, tchotchkes, websites, videos, and commercials – that one perfect logo will represent the client wherever it’s displayed.
The professional logo design process is a fun, challenging, and rigorous creative process that encompasses distinctly different steps. When adhered to, the end result will be an iconic representation of a company that is both beautiful and symbolic.
