Riddle us this.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a brand? We bet the majority of you will answer “the logo.” But, having experts in the house, we know a brand is much more than a logo.
There are no replacements for a logo in branding. So how do you get the perfect logo? This article will include all about making logos and how you can get the ideal logo designed for your business!
So, without any further ado, let’s get going!
What Exactly is a Logo?
Before we go any further and tell how you can get a perfect logo, we must develop a basic understanding of what the word “logo” means.
The majority believe that the word “logo” means a visual stamp of a brand. It might be some symbol, some word, or in some cases, a combination. A logo is your chance to let your audience know the type of work you do and to get creative so that you can attract people to your business!
Designing your logo is your ticket to ensuring that your business stands out from other businesses and that you can seize all the opportunities for attracting clientele. According to us, a logo is your chance to choose something that represents your business or the values of your business.
Designing a Logo
Although logo designing seems easy, the process is demanding and must be left to the professionals for the best experience. However, there are some steps on your end through which you can ensure that your business ends up with a stunning logo.
We have decided to break the whole process into steps so the process doesn’t seem so overwhelming. So, here are a few steps to making your logo!
1. You must know who to involve and who you can do without:
Since a logo is a visual identity of one’s business, it serves as an important tool that one would need to communicate their brand. Hence, you must involve brand stewards or decision-makers who call the shots about the brand’s actions. You should also decide if you will be designing the logo in-house or if you will hire the experts. If you lack adequate skills or feel that an expert would serve you best, that’s your cue.
You can find some great experts as you search for logo designers on search engines. Try using keywords such as “logo design Houston” to ensure the best results. (note that your location will replace Houston).
However, your teammates will not need to develop their designs. Their inclusion is necessary since two heads are better than one, and choosing a logo is crucial, so involving them will improve team chemistry.
Once identified, you must ensure approval from your stakeholder before proceeding. This way, you can ensure everyone is on the same page, and you will not have to start from square one if someone doesn’t sign off.
2. Conducting a Brand Audit:
Whether asking for an expert’s help designing a logo or going DIY, conducting a Brand Audit is a necessary footstep in designing an impactful logo. According to Tailor Brands, a logo is an important aspect of your business since it grabs attention and helps make a positive first impression.
Conducting a brand audit helps you gain an intimate understanding of your brand. It allows you to fully explore what your business offers at its core, i.e., the purpose, vision, mission, values, goals, personas, and visual identity.
Conducting a brand audit will help you articulate your business’ true identity and whatever things it requires to evolve. Brand Auditing can also be of significant help if you are considering rebranding. In conclusion, doing an audit is a great way to get everything you need to know about your business.
3. Writing a Creative brief:
In logo designing, having a team consensus is very important. Things can go drastically wrong if your members are not on the same page as you on the idea of logo design or if you are unable to express or justify why your idea of logo is functional. Hence, the best way to do so is to write a creative brief.
A creative brief is necessary to help your and your team’s objectives align on the same page. Think of a brief as a distillation of a previously conducted brand audit. The brief helps you translate the answers into functional designs that you can consider.
Assuming you are the project manager, you must develop a brief. First, however, you will need to ensure everyone you have chosen partakes so they are familiar with your aims regarding the logo.
4. Let the ideas fly by hosting a Free Association Brainstorming session!
Although brainstorming sessions can be the best steps in the entire process, they can take a huge toll on the people involved and are one of the most brutal necessities of logo design.
But, when there is a will, there is a way. As we have broken down the logo designing process into several steps, you can break down this step in several brainstorming sessions, each inclined with a specific purpose!
However, you must have the apt deliverable by the end of each brainstorm so that you can proceed to have the next one and eventually complete this step. Once you have completed a brainstorming session, as a project manager, you will be able to identify the words that agree with the majority and give the most inspiring visualization.
5. Go for a Free Sketch Brainstorm!
At this point, you will know how effective the brainstorming sessions you were conducting were. However, we are not out of the woods yet!
By now, you must also have a curated list of influential words you can provide to the designers you have chosen to design your logo. After that, consider this your step towards sketching a logomark.
As a general practice, a good logo is considered to be a visual mark that reflects your business and its ideals. While there is no apt way for you to design one, some research shows that different shapes can invoke a different way people perceive your brand. For example, organic or circular shapes indicate softness, kindness, caring, and friendliness. On the other hand, choosing geometric shapes often represents power, durability, innovation, and respect.
6. Turning the Sketches to the Vectors:
Once you start converting your sketches to vectors, you will grasp a realistic idea about what your logo will look like and work like in the real world. Regardless of your design choices, you must always keep it simple and transparent enough so that people can identify the logo even when printed at a lower resolution or in smaller sizes, i.e., a profile picture set on a social media platform.
At this point, don’t fret about the color. However, it would be best if you considered working in black and white for these two reasons:
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- Your logo must have a strong design foundation, meaning it should work without adding colors.
- In the next steps, you will need feedback from the team. And since everyone has different color preferences, it’s possible that choosing a color sways their opinion. Reach a consensus about the colors later.
7. Shortlist some ideas for feedback
As you near the end of the logo designing process, you will find this step rather fun but tough. Try to shortlist a few possible ideas for your feedback, as you can risk overwhelming people with too many choices.
Once you see the most positive response to a design, that’s your cue.
8. Review and Finalize:
After you have chosen some ideas, you can finally move towards reaching the end of this journey. First, however, you must ensure that you have tested the logo beforehand and all the internal discussion leads to an agreed choice. It will also give you a good idea if you have included everything your logo needs.
After carrying out all these steps, choose the final design, and create a draft explaining how you will apply it most effectively. However, if you still find yourself stuck with indecisiveness, you can try seeing some examples of logos developed by others in the field. Don’t worry about how time-consuming it might be, as it is necessary and is your way to carry your business in the right direction.
Final Words
Here goes everything that goes into making a good logo through some of the best experts. While the experts are good at their job, following these steps will ensure that they provide them with an opportunity to do their best.
In the end, we suggest you should not fret if you find yourself stuck in the process, as that is what experts are for. Instead, discuss any issues with the experts you have just hired to make a logo for your company, and we are sure you will end up with a rather iconic logo.
Nevertheless, if you have any prior experience in logo designing that you would want to share or want to ask our experts any questions, feel free to converse with us through the comments section!
