The Logo Design Process

When I work on a logo, I follow what I consider to be a predictable process. There is a series of steps I go through to ensure success every time. Perhaps you will find these steps useful, and maybe you will even have some of your own processes you’d be interested in sharing. To make it a little easier, I’ll number the steps.

1. I always have a candid discussion with the client prior to any logo design. I explain our process and discuss what should be expected throughout the course of development.

2. There are three forms that we use at Holy Cow that help with this segment of designing corporate identity, a client brief, and attributes worksheet and a color worksheet. The client brief gives us background about the client; the attributes worksheet defines how they would like their brand to be perceived; and the color worksheet (which is really cool) we created based on a color book by Pantone. The color worksheet uses adjectives that pair up with specific color families and palettes. After the client makes their selection of adjectives, we review the information and coordinate each word with its color.

3. After we’ve collected this information, we research other business that are in the industry, especially direct competitors. It’s always good practice to see what others are doing so you can make your design distinctive. Once the research is conducted, we move into the sketching phase. Personally, I like doing word associations at this time. This enables me to come up with a variety of concepts before making sketches.

4. After doing a variety of sketches, we pick the strongest concepts and the best logo sketches, then go to the computer.

5. Here’s the important part. We design in black and white at this stage. We do this for several reasons: logos should be able to work in one color; the client will need a black and white logo for forms, advertising, faxes, etc; and, (this is where you need to pay close attention) it is important that the client selects a concept they truly like – without being influenced by color.

6. Once a concept is selected – remember, a concept is just an idea – unless the client loves it EXACTLY as it is, it’s time to move into the development phase. This is when you provide the client with several font and layout options that go with the concept they selected. These should have completely different iconography, fonts and positions. In a perfect world, the client will approve their logo after you make this presentation, but you may have to go through several rounds of development. The logos are still in black and white.

7. Now that the final design has been approved by the client, I move on to colors. I like to provide color options at the same time as business card concepts. This allows the client to see the colors in an application, which is very helpful when working with a client that isn’t very visual. I’ve also found that clients like to see both their logo and the card together. The process can take longer than they initially expected, so it’s like getting a bonus when they see two complete pieces at the same time. This is also helpful to segue right into the corporate identity package.

8. After the logo is completed, I create a disk for the client that has all of the files they will need. This empowers them to do some things on their own, if they need to. Or, to give others access to their logo when it is requested.

That is the entire process. One key think I have learned, though, is that you have to be flexible. For example, I have worked with clients that just can’t decide on a black and white logo. Sometimes it’s easier to adapt to fit the “learning style” of the client. This keeps both of you from getting frustrated, and keeps the process flowing, too.

If you have some processes that work for you, please feel free to share them. Or, if you have a logo design story, I’d love to hear it.

Happy designing.