Basic Logo Design Process From Start To Finish
Let's find out how to complete the process efficiently, get the deal, and finalize!
Created by Ramotion | https://www.behance.net/gallery/35613259/Ramotion-Branding
Creating a compiling logo is not as easy as one two three. The process takes time, from creating the logo on the computer to the creation itself. While it goes back to the project itself, it is safe to say that the basic logo design process is still not an easy matter. At the same time, the designer cannot stray away from the route.
How so? The idea of following a design process will help designers to get the proper product or final product that suits the client's needs. Following the thorough procedure not only gives a guarantee for both parties to work in line but also as guidance. So, how is the designing course? Here are some of the details that will lead you through the process.
1. Get The Deal
As a designer, you will need to start the work by getting the proper job. In this phase, you will most likely get the client into your contact to secure the design deal. What makes this part important for designers is the sense of understanding the client's needs and individuality. What do they want you to do? And how do they want you to make the logo?
In this part of the process, you can also say that you need to know the purpose of the job. Do they want you to design a logo for a rebrand, creating a new one, or what? Is it to makeover the already built or old business identity with the logo? Or do they want you to do more? While you can get more detail in brief, but you need to know the grounding.
After you know the job, you can send some initial emails to clarify the client's needs. The designer can send some questionnaires that are promptly filled out before the deal. If you are looking for a questionnaire for the design logo process, you can check some PDF or online forms. It will help you get the grounding of the project that helps the practice.
Another vital portion of the process is sending the proposal and agreement. Most people call it a contract, but you can lessen the formality with the proposal and agreement document. A designer can also ask for DP or a down payment of about 50% before starting the deal. The number of the DP itself can range based on the designer and client agreement.
Created by Ramotion | https://www.behance.net/gallery/65891347/JusTalk-Brand-Identity
2. Gather The Design Brief
After some talking and contact, the designer can continue the basic logo design process to gather the design brief. In this part, the main purpose is to conduct interviews or give questionnaires to get the logo project details. Most of the time, the designer comes up with their brief, but the client can also work with its brief to work with.
The design brief is pretty much the key to the design project. To make the most suitable and correct logo, designers need every single detail about the client's mind. It can be the preferences, the idea, the model, identity, to the background information. It is also beneficial for both designer and client if they can discuss the design brief.
Most of the designers and clients come to a deal through an interview. But when the two parties are both busy, they are bound to throw some questionnaires at each other. In this case, there are some queries every designer needs to get answered. The first one is the goal and the objective of the logo design project.
After that, there are also questions about the budget and schedule, target audience, scope, materials, style, and the don'ts mentioned. Those are the most basic information about the design that needs to be followed by the designer. It can take quite some time to answer the questionnaire, especially if the designer gives a very detailed logo brief.
But the point is to get enough grounding to lead the course. So, a designer does not need a complicated brief. After the client answers the questionnaire, the designer needs to pull all of the details and make a conclusion. Find out what kind of design helps portray the business model. Is it strong, young, luxurious, bold, soft, or anything?
At this basic logo design process, designers might also find out some of the client preferences regarding the color choice and the available material. It helps a lot if the client can provide all of the details that eventually fit with the brand identity. You can say this process will become integral for a branding project.
Created by Ramotion | https://www.behance.net/gallery/65891347/JusTalk-Brand-Identity
3. Doing Research And Reference
Research and looking for references will be another critical process in the design. Most of the designers do the process after receiving the initial 50% deposit and handle the signed agreement. There are also times that the designer does not yet get the design brief, which helps to understand the initial impression of the brand product.
In this part, designers need to do deep or light research about the brand. It helps a lot when the client has not yet completed the design questionnaire. The basic logo design process can tell the designer all the necessary temporary information. It includes details regarding the company, the industry, the competitors, and other details.
If you already get the questionnaire, the process will lead to finding more detailed information. It also makes more sense to get details in the destined industry, logo references, and model. At some point, the logo design process will eventually bring you to gather more references for the project.
Why is it so important to do research and reference? Researching focused industry, history, and competitors can help develop a grounding understanding of the logo design project. Every designer needs to do the process to ensure the finalized product fits with the client's proposal and needs.
Meanwhile, the references refer to the research of the logo design itself. No company wants to appear with similar branding. A successful product also needs to be in the right market, style, and trend. The idea is to make a design with the right benchmarks. Thus it will not look similar to the competitor and set your product stand out in the crowd.
Created by Helvetiphant | https://www.behance.net/gallery/121130873/Logo-Concepts-13
4. Sketching & Development
The fourth part is where creativity comes into play. The designer is already stocked up with background, references, and details. Thus, it is time for them to do their job as a logo designer. As part of the basic logo design process, you are bound to let the idea run wild to brainstorm and sketch down many models.
The idea is that the designer needs to play around with the concept in this process. You can create many experimental ideas with different shapes, models, and ideas. However, all of them need to be based on the brief. The idea of this process is to find out the best idea that reflects and represents the logo brief from the client.
In this particular creative process, designers are bound to find the challenge between applying the clients' needs and logo design. At some point, the problem goes to the aesthetic or identity point that restricts the designer's imaginative thinking. Is it a bad thing? While it makes the process harder, designers need to comply with the brief.
Getting creative, doing a lot of research, and references are the point. Designers got a chance to play around with graphics, color, shapes, or typefaces. Sometimes, the brainstorming process can take a lot of time. You can feel free to make designs under the brief details. Slowly but surely, you will eventually pass this basic logo design process.
Created by jay_elkhath | https://www.instagram.com/p/CRn9EDXLXo5/
5. Reflecting & Selecting Ideas
At some point of sketching, the designer also needs some time to have breaks between the sections. This process is called reflection, in which the designer takes a brief moment to rest throughout the progress. The idea is pretty simple, which helps you refresh the mind and get some other ideas flowing. At the same time, this process also lets the idea mature.
A designer is also a human that can feel bored and stuck. In creative fieldwork, people can have a block that refers to blank inspiration or ideas. It can hinder the creating logo process. That is why one needs to take a break and reflect on the project. It also will help designers to have a fresh perspective and continue to design the perfect product.
In this process, you will find a lot of consideration regarding sketching. The brainstorming phase gives you a lot of logo design and model, which can make a lot of possible options. It is where the reflection time comes in support of making a decision. Hold dear the philosophy that there is no bad design. It is just a bad decision. So, choose carefully.
Created by bratus_agency | https://www.instagram.com/p/CQYtf6HqQJu/
6. Convert To Digital Version
After choosing the best out of the designs, the designer will eventually transfer it to the computer. The computer generation process will bring you to modernize the logo. Underline the fact that you need to decide the best design before moving into the computer generation. So, designers can cut some times and directly go to the next process.
In this computer generation process, you can work with many programs. Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw are mostly used to make signs. Both give ranges of functions and features, which help enrich the logo creating process. As you do this basic logo design process, take the chance to research different types of graphics, layout, icons, fonts, etc.
Created by bratus_agency | https://www.instagram.com/p/CIC9WDAncOU/
7. Choosing the Typeface
The typeface or font is part of the design element that can make or destroy the whole model. How so? Underline that there are a lot of typefaces on the internet, which come with specific uses, impressions, features, and details. Designers need to make sure they can generate the proper font to complement the design.
In this process, you got to experiment with many typefaces for your logo. Underline that certain fonts come with different uses and impressions. You need to understand the logo purpose and the target market to shorten out the varying options. Designers can choose serif for a more formal and luxurious-looking logo.
Choose the sans serif design to fit a casual and modern logo. Designers can also use script font to make a more high-end or prestigious concept. Again, in this process, you need to learn and understand fonts better. Make sure you got the right font, either from the type, the weight, hierarchy, styling, or every aspect.
Created by yozdesigner | https://www.instagram.com/p/CRlGsjNDdwQ/
8. Playing with Color
If you are already set with the concept, font, and styling, you can continue the coloring process. The idea of this basic logo design process holds the sense of experimentation. You can play around with color swatches while still holding on to the color theory and the brief details. So, what kind of impression does the client want from the logo?
Do you need to make a young and fun logo? Or is it something that is targeted for royal and luxurious nature? Each impression mostly comes with unalike pigeonhole color choices. The fun and bold nature mostly come with vibrant colors. A prestigious brand can nail navy or purple. There are also some other imprints of soft or striking palette color.
In this particular process, you will need to check the grounding and the brief again. It helps a lot if the designer and the client can come up with a hue that fits with the brand identity. At some projects, designers can also use the available material or references given by the client as a benchmark. Thus, they can create the correct impression as well as the color choice.
Created by Sam Profeta | https://www.behance.net/gallery/3755732/LOGOS
9. Concept Development & Finalise
The next process after choosing the font is to finalise concept development. Most of the designers did not set in stone the typeface; thus, they got a chance to make changes in the future. Again, in this logo design process, you will need to experiment with the concept and layout. There are many considerations about how the overall logo looks with the font and concept.
The best example is choosing the minimalistic concept. It relies on a small number of details to help highlight some points. With this concept, you will need to ensure that the font and the graphic fit each other. In many cases, designers love to use simplicity as the point in logo design. It is a key that makes the logo look simple but memorable.
Another good point of using simplistic intake is memorability and adaptability. You can combine ranges of shapes or fonts to fit the simplistic concept. It is also easier to implement in many media, which helps the basic logo design process become easier and easier to do. However, the concept development also relates to the layout.
How do you arrange the font and graphics? Are you going for the classic vertical alignment or modern horizontal one? The logo design consideration will lead the designer to get creative with the elements. There is one point that every logo designer needs to consider about concept development, monochromatic color.
In this process, designers need to experiment and brainstorm with minimal color. Thus, they can focus on the layout, shaping, style, and model. Make sure to use one color only, so you can see the basic detailing. It is also worth mentioning that you will need to change the model a lot. Thus, having a black logo can cut some printing budget during the process.
While you are crushing all the design logo process, make sure you can put yourself as a client. The idea is to build a strong relationship between the designer and the patron. It is also a great way to remember all of the dos and don'ts have given by the client. Underline the fact that you do the project to satisfy the client. Thus, make sure you know how they feel about your project.
Created by yozdesigner | https://www.instagram.com/p/CN4KgAOANRe/
10. Presentation
Presentation is the last thing you need to do. It demands the designer to make the final decision regarding their design options. So, you have to choose to deliver only one or a few logos that present the best recommendation. In this process, you can also do some fine-tuning to make the best out of the best logo design.
To make the process work, make sure you can tell the story of your project. Why did you choose the concept of color, etc.? Tell everything to the client and wait for feedback. If they agree and approve, make sure they pay the rest of the payment. After that, the final basic logo design process is sending the final files in JPG, PNG, EPS, or TIFF format. You can also ask to check the implementation.
Created by Luiz Matera | https://www.behance.net/gallery/92318985/Meu-Burguer-Brand-Identity
Final Words
When it comes to design, the process can differ for every project. However, logo design is pretty much holding the same course. One should start by getting the job and creating the brief. Doing proper research and reference also helps the process. After that, the designer will start sketching and conceptualizing, get a reflection, and deliver the job.
