My Approach to Designing a Logo

Your logo is the face of your brand. It’s the visual representation of everything your business stands for. A well-designed logo can make a significant impact on your brand’s identity and recognition. Whether you’re launching a startup or looking to refresh your existing brand, the process of creating a logo is a critical step. In this comprehensive guide, I will explore how I go about designing a logo in detail.

The foundation of any logo design project is a deep understanding of the clients brand identity. To design a logo that accurately represents their business, they must have a clear grasp of who they are and what they and their business stand for. Therefore I start by asking the client essential questions:

– Is there a unique story to your business and name?

– What values does your business embody?

– What makes your business unique and different from competitors?

– Who is your ideal target audience (age, gender, likes, dislikes)?

– What is the big vision for your brand?

These questions will serve as a compass throughout the rest of the design process. The logo should encapsulate the brand’s personality and convey a message consistent with their core values.

Logo design doesn’t exist in a vacuum; it’s influenced by industry trends and the logos of the client’s competitors. The main focus of research goes into studying  the logos of businesses within the respective industry. Looking for common design elements, colour palettes, and visual styles I pay attention to what works and what doesn’t.

However, while industry research is valuable, it’s equally important to find their brand’s own unique voice. The logo should stand out and represent the clients business’s  individuality. The main consideration being – what sets their business apart and how the logo can reflect that distinctiveness.

The outcome of this effort results in ‘Mood boards’ that reflect the collected data in a visual form, that helps drive the ‘Creative direction’ for the design itself.

Example: “Spontaneous” Logo design process

Transforming the research and insights into actionable ideas is a vital aspect of strategic thinking. So I invest time into crafting a positioning statement and conducting scenario analysis to articulate the strategy behind the solutions, that can guide the client towards both short-term and long-term success.

Selecting appropriate channels should be based on the behaviours and preferences of the target audience, aligned with the client’s marketing objectives.

The identity, tone, and values of a brand play a crucial role in its recognisability. Also I take  into account the stages of the purchase funnel or customer journey to effectively engage your target audience. This way I ensure that their positioning statement incorporates a distinct point of difference, tangible end benefit, and credible reason to believe, all substantiated by research rather than personal opinion.

Since the logo will likely be used across a variety of mediums, from digital platforms like websites and social media to physical materials such as business cards, signage, and merchandise, each of these applications may require slightly different versions of the logo to ensure it looks its best.

I put quite a bit of consideration into where and how the logo will be used. Versatility is key, so I need to ensure the logo remains recognisable and appealing across all applications by creating different versions and variations.

Finally at this point in the process I begin brainstorming and sketching. With just a pen and paper, and I let my creativity flow. I try to generate as many ideas as possible, no matter how rough or imperfect they may be. This is the ideation phase, where I explore different concepts, symbols, fonts, and layouts.

These initial sketches should serve as a visual brainstorm, as I experiment with various elements to see what resonates with your brand’s identity. It’s a stage where I allow ideas to run wild without worrying about perfection. This is my playground for creativity, where I am most myself.