Arguably, logos are the most challenging of graphic design work. Most clients are unaware of the time and effort it takes, especially since the cost of designing a logo may be the most elastic of any service on the planet. After all, you could get a logo for as little as five dollars. Or, you could save that $5 for a plate of tacos – which is a much better investment. Hereʼs why.
A professional logo’s cost and quality rely upon an extensive creative process that I’ll break down in this article (each step also includes its range of hours). A graphic designer will make thousands of decisions during the creative process while also taking into consideration the 7 design principles of a great logo. With care, the result will be a polished, professional logo that identifies your business, product, or service for its lifetime.
step
1
Design Brief:
A summary of the completed questionnaire and project’s scope, including:
- Deliverables
- Time frame
- Resources
- Estimated cost
Step
2
Research & Inspiration:
I research your business, product, industry, and competitors, then create a Pinterest board of relevant reference imagery, which later helps to build the mood board for your brand guide.
Step
3
Sketching & Concepts:
With pen and paper, I sketch out concepts. I also rely on a word web, which fosters interesting visual associations.
Step
4
Ruminate:
This is where brilliant ideas are produced. With adequate time, I plant the seeds from Step 3, typically during dog walks or before falling asleep.
Step
5
Presentation:
I present polished sketches of my top concepts within a series of 4-5 themed pitches. This is a differnt approach than most designers who take their sketches into the computer and present fleshed out designs. I find well drawn sketches with supportive reference imagery, saves me time and saves you money.
Step
6
Design:
I take the approved concept into the computer and draw several vector versions.
Step
7
Font Study & Typography:
This is extremely important, difficult, and time-consuming. With millions of fonts available, it should be no surprise that it will take time to discover a font that can complement the logo’s tone. I look for fonts that mirror the logo’s style and characteristics plus communicate appropriately (i.e., your values, status, industry). I study a font’s letterforms and their relationship to the new logo’s elements through typography. I then lay out these elements in a visually pleasing and cohesive way.
Step
8
Color Study:
Color is powerful and deserves care. I study color theory and the psychological effects of color. For logos, I generate color palettes based on research and the Pinterest board created in Step 2.
Step
9
Refine:
I tie together all the elements above, leading to options that need to be refined.
Step
10
Revise:
Logo design is subjective. Revisions are a part of the process. With trust, there are few revisions throughout the creative process as I keep clients up to date on my progress, so there are no surprises.
Step
11
Variations:
A logo’s usage and placement will dictate the need for several layout variants and color variations (i.e., vertical or horizontal layout or solid black or solid white version).
Step
12
Finalize:
I finalize the logo and its variants by cleaning up the shapes, tweaking the scale, outlining fonts, and defining color swatches.
Step
13
Formatting:
I create and deliver all the necessary logo versions in the following formats for print and web: pdf, png, jpg, svg.
Step
14
Brand Guide:
After the creative process is complete; after the approval of the primary and/or secondary logo, color palette, and fonts; a montage to the work, effort, and care is created. I display all the new elements along with a mood board into a deliverable called a Brand Guide. It serves as a guide for those who follow in the building of your brand's content.
DO YOU CONSIDER A PROFESSIONALLY DESIGNED LOGO VALUABLE?
Professional graphic design, particularly logo design is vital to successful branding. Contrary to popular belief, a logo’s value can not be calculated by the amount of time invested in creating the logo; it lies within your company’s potential to profit from the what the logo represents about your business. Do you desire to present yourself and your company in the best possible manner?
In other words: if the logo I create helps you earn more customers at a higher price point, this translates directly into profit for you. How do we quantify this value? We can’t. At least not immediately.
