Logo Design Process: Step-By-Step Explanation

Different businesses require unique logo designs. However, the basic structure or process of creating a logo design remains unchanged. The process of doing multiple steps or actions to create a custom logo is called the logo design process.

Despite being a very common job for a graphic designer, logo creation requires a series of repetitive methods. Some find it to be systematic and disciplined.

It can be challenging to outline the logo design process entirely because each graphic designer has their unique method of developing a logo.

Before delving into the logo designing process, let’s first understand what makes a logo excellent and effective in all meanings.

What Makes A Logo Effective?

Designing a logo takes a lot of brainstorming, imagination, and expertise. Creating one doesn’t have to be difficult despite the value of a strong logo.

Here are a few common characteristics of effective logo design to get you started on your creative process.

It’s Straightforward

It’s crucial to prioritize simplicity because having too many details can become a problem.

A logo that appears to be extremely simple but has a clear concept since the designer has stripped away all but the essentials.

That is typically a hallmark of an excellent logo and an excellent logo designer.

It Expresses A Specific Emotion Or Theme

Most companies may specify brand values they want customers to associate with them, such as professional, affordable, welcoming, luxurious, and enjoyable.

That alignment is what makes a good logo. This does not, however, imply that the business’s activities or products must be represented in the logo.

The Starbucks and Apple logos lack a computer or a cup of coffee, respectively. The more distinctive and captivating the logo, the more interest it will spark and the more unforgettable it will be.

The Choice Of Font Fits The Brand’s Identity

For a logo to be effective, the typeface must be chosen to reflect the brand’s values. If the brand and the typeface are out of sync, it communicates a lack of consistency and reduces market confidence in the brand.

Selecting a font that will effectively convey your brand’s identity takes skill.

The Use of Graphics Is Not Universal

A graphic is not necessarily required for a successful logo. It is sometimes unnecessary to use a specific graphic if a brand does not support it.

Even more successful than a graphic logo can be a Word-mark (consisting only of the letters). To make it stand out, tweak the font you choose.

No Matter The Scale, It Looks Fantastic

The finest logo should appear flawless in every hue and at any size.

Remember that the logo will be applied on different surfaces and promotional items in addition to a website and business card.

Anywhere you use it, your logo should look amazing.

It’s One-Of-A-Kind

Using the same free fonts as everyone else in design takes away the originality that a logo is trying to achieve in the first place. A font that stands out and is memorable is a good and effective one.

These suggestions and high-quality markers will help you produce beautiful designs as you take on your next logo design challenge. Now let’s get into the process-

What Are The Design Steps To Take From Start to Finish?

Although creating a fantastic logo often appears to be creative magic, there is a method to it. We’re here to provide you with a brief overview of the logo design process so you can get started.

We’ll discuss using in-depth research, reflective concepts, and creativity to produce a spectacular logo.

1s Step- Evaluating the brand

The first stage in the logo design process is finding out what the brand stands for and what the key goals are. This stage is referred to as Client Discovery.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to logo design because a logo is only as good as how it represents a company.

Therefore, it won’t work unless you first comprehend the kind of impression the business wishes to make.

A Sneak-Peak Into the Client Discovery Phase

The design brief should contain most of the details you want. The designer must collect this information from clients who cannot express their ideas or are unsure of what they want.

Designers should delve deeper beyond the official corporate statement and discover how the client truly feels about their business and the amazing work they perform, even in the case of the most intricate, well-written specifications.

The success of your design will ultimately depend on how much info you can gain about the company and the individuals who work in it.

To begin your client research, consider asking the following simple generic questions:

What is the purpose of your logo design?
What issue are you looking to resolve?
What adverbs would you prefer to use to describe your brand from a personal point of view?
What tone does your brand use? (funny with slang, poetic and professional, etc.)
What are your brand’s core principles and values?
What makes you different from other companies?
What unique features does your business provide over its competitors?
What words do you want to set as a benchmark for your company?

The Purpose of Client Discovery

Understanding the brand’s characteristics with an interactive sliding scale is the first stage in logo creation. Of course, these aren’t design-related queries; branding is more relevant here.

However, because logos are one of the most powerful branding tools, posing these questions is a starting point.

One of the first tasks in logo design is evaluating a brand. So that designers can start with a solid understanding of the brand identity, you need to ask clients to define their characteristics in a few key areas.
Even taking 15 to 30 minutes to explore where a brand ranks on these metrics will help you create more detailed brand queries later.
After completing this stage, you should have a knowledgeable opinion of the brand (supported by plenty of notes).
The next step is brainstorming keywords and phrases to express this information. Design professionals often use mind mapping as a method of brainstorming, broadening their initial impressions about a brand into key topics. Save your favorites; these will help you later with your logo concepts. But you haven’t finished your research yet!

2nd Step- Industry Research

There is no such thing as a brand in a vacuum. Even if a business goes to a great extent to differentiate itself from the competition, this should still deal with the industry standards.

Designing a logo then moves on to researching the types of logos used by competitor companies and industry giants. This is known as the Industry Discovery Phase, which can be the difference between a generic logo and one highly revolutionary one.

You can learn the following from other logos in your sector:

What logo strategies work for your sectors, such as brand colors or certain shapes?
What the overused logo concepts that have lost their uniqueness
What logo strategies are overlooked that can provide insights on how to stand out
what types of clients predominate in your sector (or which demographic do your competitors usually target)

To find out what trends are popular in the sector, start by researching your competitors. Find strategies to make your design stand out while still being identifiable.

The Parabola logo blends in with other tech sector logos while still standing out because of the blue tones and geometric features.

3rd Step- Make a List of All the Places Where the Logo Will Be Utilized.

Like the brand strategy, your design decisions should be shaped by the physical or digital area that the logo will cover. The Application Discovery step involves investigating potential uses for the logo.

Even if you don’t yet have a complete list, it will help you in the logo designing process if you can forecast how your logo will be used. The color scheme, style, and even the design software used for your logo may depend on where you need them.

Application Discovery Phase

You can create more intricate, expansive logo designs if you want your brand to appear on big billboards. You should choose something straightforward and scaled down if it is placed in a mobile app’s corner.

If social media are a significant part of the campaign, the logo should fit both round and square avatars well and be versatile enough to fit larger cover photos. You can even have a catchy animated logo if you want to stand out on video or digital channels.

A designer will frequently wish to account for each of these options. Some common use cases for the logo design:

Web page icons
Banners and signs
Merchandise packaging
Advertisements
Banners and accounts on social media
Visiting cards
business letterhead (invoices, internal documents)
campaigns for email marketing
promotional items

Why Is This Crucial?

You must also consider the logo’s shape and how it fits into its surroundings. Some areas call for a big, boxy logo, like letterheads; others call for something subtle and modest, like a watermark on shared content. Fortunately, you can have multiple versions in your lineup.

You don’t have to go with just one type of design, especially with responsive logos being so popular. Furthermore, you will always have the best logo for each circumstance. The idea is to ensure that all of these versions of your logo have the same sense of aesthetics.

Instead of designing the core logo and tailoring it to diverse situations as they arise, it is better to plan ahead and create these versions all at once. If having a flexible logo appeals to you, start with four versions, increasing the logo’s dimension and richness.

4th Step- Create a Number of Logo Concepts.

You could be tempted to start using logo design software as soon as you have some logo ideas.

But spend some time drawing a number of options before you start focusing on your ultimate design. Drawing is cheap, quick, and simple, but it also works well as a brainstorming tool.

There were numerous sketches made for the new Atlassian logo.

Sketch out various logo designs to see how they appear outside your thoughts. One benefit of sketching is that it might spark your imagination just by itself.

Drawing a variety of concepts allows you to see what works and what doesn’t, which is more important. You’ll begin to notice certain threads or themes that appeal to you, and you can mix up different parts until you find the right one.

Draw other ideas, even if you’re super optimistic that you have one you like. If nothing else, this will give you some fallbacks in case the client ultimately doesn’t like the approach of your initial concept.

When you have chosen your preferred concept, experiment with other variations by sketching them, adjusting little aspects, adding or removing pieces, and starting typographic explorations.

5th Step- Using Vector Software, Create Digital Draughts

By this point, you need to have a jumbled collection of logo sketches and a clearer idea of what you expect the final logo to be like.

Choose about three of your best sketches from the rest, and then reproduce them in your design software. Your ultimate logo really starts to take shape at this point.

Some features, such as color, type modifications, and previews on various branding resources, are only visible after you digitize your logo designs.
You can now pick on all the key design choices you have been unable to make during the drafting stage. You can test out different logo colors and typography in your digital draft.
This stage of the logo design process does demand technical expertise in design software. However, you can always try a simple DIY editor. Although they lack the features and depth required to create a comprehensive logo, they do provide the basic needs.
If you prefer to leave this process to someone with more expertise, you can hire a designer. A terrific result is pretty much guaranteed when working with a professional.
Go above and beyond to make a presentation that features your brand once you have a strong draft.
This includes presenting the flat logo as well as any alterations, an overlay with the brand image, and prototypes of the logo in action. A compelling, eye-catching logo design must convey your brand’s vision.

6th Step- Refine Your Logo Design with Feedback

In fact, without particular expertise, it is true that: everyone’s a critic! No matter how flawless you think your logo is, there’s always a chance that someone, somewhere, will ask for revisions.

That isn’t always awful. When you spend hours, days, weeks, or even months working on the same image, you can start to see the forest rather than the trees.
The final output may benefit from the second set of eyes to spot some areas where it could be refined.
Your logo will eventually become something spectacular through feedback and enhancement.
Your logo design should be shown to a wide range of people in order to encourage feedback.
First and foremost, show your clients or coworkers, but don’t stop there! Display it to your partner, friends, neighbors, and even the pizza delivery boy!
New, creative ideas can arise from the most unexpected places, and you can, at the very least, measure people’s reactions to the logo to confirm it has the right effect.
Getting feedback on your design is way too simple, but understanding and reacting to client feedback is the true challenge.
Identify the most relevant feedback by asking follow-up questions and using your professional judgment.
The purpose of your logo is to represent a company, so you should consider whether the feedback is making the logo more effective in fulfilling this role.

If not, you might have to explain the thought process behind your design decisions in a polite manner.

You don’t want to be too adamant or fully committed to your logo, though, to the point where you refuse to notice any potential flaws.

7th Step- Finalize and Submit the Logo Files

Now that your logo is complete, it’s time to provide your final files! In this process, the first step should be identifying the design files your client requires (in case they have any special requirements). But generally, it’s best to mention the following:

Source vector files with layers, such as AI Layered EPS/PDF files (for clients using different vector programs)
High-resolution raster files for the web, including PNGs with opaque backgrounds

Ensure that the logo is represented in its most basic forms, including full color, black, white, and monochrome. You should outline the text if you’re using a conventional font rather than custom lettering.

The customer should also be informed of any fonts used in the logo in case they need them for upcoming branding tasks.

The brand style guide should definitely contain all of this information. This guarantees that your logo will be appropriately used long after you have left creates a beautiful farewell gift for the client and boosts their conviction in the brand vision you have created for them.

What Are Ingenious Logo Design Brings Brands To Life?

Excellent design requires skill, but you never know what it means or if you have it. Perfect logos don’t appear by chance; that much is sure.

Each aspect of your logo—colors, fonts, sizes, forms, and so on—can influence the impression it leaves on viewers. Although your logo may not touch every viewer, a meticulous logo design process is your best chance to bring your branding concept to life.

These are the products of serious evaluation, questioning, working together, exploring, making errors, and trying again. In brief, the process involves-

Design briefing — The design brief contains the initial client engagement.
Brainstorming or Mind Mapping – Creating a list of prerequisites to begin the process.
Researching – Investigating and assessing competition.
Sketching – transferring thoughts from the head to the page or artboard through digital or raw sketching.
Grid, color, and typeface selection – Putting the necessary stages into practice.
Presentation setup – Setting up the chosen logo presentation for the client to approve.
Concept presentation – An explanation of a concept to a client for feedback.
Revision – Making the last changes to the Presentation.
Final Delivery