Dissecting the Logo Design Creation Process

I really enjoyed seeing the whole process from start to finish. Thanks for a creative and fun post!

Hay Angela, Thanks for the guide… really helpful for New comers who can save some bucks by using it.

These steps can be applied to anything you make, not just logos. Thank you for your insight Angela.

Standard design process. I always like looking at what other people’s design processes are. It gets me very worried when I see a process that starts: i talk to the client, then i sit down at the computer. You NEED to sketch… it’s the one most important thing you can do!

ah! i really like the pink logo, very chic

Incredibly detailed and interesting post.

I have to say though, I get tired of people saying ‘this is standard process’. What I mean is that everyone states that you ‘must’ sketch ideas before hitting the computer. Some people are so vocal about it that it almost sounds like a crime to do anything other than the ‘manual sketch process’.

I don’t sketch. Never have done and probably never will. The ideas I have in my head and created in Illustrator. I find this a quick, painless and flexible process. My Illustrator page will contain many many graphics from ideas I have edited and created. People generally say, like you have here, that it’s a waste of time to jump straight to the computer. I would argue that it can be the reverse, but its subjective and it may suit some people or not.

Jumping straight onto the computer works for me, and more importantly, my clients. Business is booming, so I think that people need to relax a bit about sketching being the ‘only’ way as it is wrong to say this with so much certainty when new budding logo designer might be in the same mindset as myself, yet they will take on board what ‘the majority of experts are saying, which is not to go straight to the computer’. And I think this is a shame. In a tutorial, you can advise, but don’t make steadfast claims when infact other methods can and do work equally well.

This may be what is taught at college, or mentioned in the many logo design books, or even posts like this. But it is not the only way. I developed my way and I would strongly advise that you create a logo or design according to what feels best for you, not feeling pressured to do what may not be right for you.

But saying all that, this is a awesome post, one of the best I have seen generally on the whole concept. Just feel strongly about preaching about methods that in my humble opinion are not the only choices.

I’m interested to know what happened next and feel that it’s important for people starting out to know what happened next.

We’ve seen the design process and we know that the client rejected the designs but you didn’t specify whether the work was done on a speculative basis and you lost the job or whether you came up with a design that the client accepted.

I like the article and I think that there’s a lot to be learnt from it but if the end result is that the process didn’t get you the job, surely the article also fails?

I’m sorry that my post sounds overly negative, it isn’t meant that way…but do you see my point?

Thanks for the info. Quite useful. I’m glad that I have a similar process to yours.

I think those logos are great and although the client didn’t particularly like them, I do.

“With The Modern Woman’s Divorce Guide, I designed about 45 different logos….”

And yet we still get clients that want a logo designed for $100

Very insightful. Thanks for taking something abstract and making it concrete to those of us not in the logo-design business. Thought it might be of help to authors developing their own logo/branding ideas, so I shared with my blog readers.

Keep up the great work!

I actualy sketch directly onto the computer. I actualy find it faster to draw on-screen than on a sketch, also this allows me to save time and I wont have to re-create the design from a sketch.

But the process is the same, I dont begin to do any final designs, I just use brush tools to draw out rough outlines or shapes where needed to get me an impression. I even make text notes next to to each one and have the keywords (from the client) on the page at all times. Also I have a layer of inspirational designs/logos or competitive logos in the same industry (so to avoid them). I find a single file with layers can contain all my notes and progress.

Great post.

i love seeing how other people generate their logos.

Fun to read.

QUOTE: I like the article and I think that there’s a lot to be learnt from it but if the end result is that the process didn’t get you the job, surely the article also fails?

I don’t think a process fails or not. A process is a process. It helps us get from idea A, to idea B, to idea C and so on. To pretend that an article fails because someone does not get a contract is not relevant at all.
Much of the work I do is just that, finding ideas and developping them.
Do they all come to terms : NO
Is that bad: No
Is it interesting: Yes
Great article.

Very nice process example.

I’ve never been much of a sketcher myself. Much more of a doodler – on scraps of paper, envelopes, cash register receipts, Post-It notes, newspapers, meeting notes, etc. I’m more likely to doodle an idea when it comes to me – rather than sitting down with pencil and paper to force an appropriate concept to appear and evolve.

I really enjoyed reading your process. I think having a creative brief to start with is a great way to go and it really helps the client nail down what direction they are heading in. I also like to ask about their competition and companies they admire (success, values, strengths).

I think it would be important to finish the story. So the client didn’t care for the logos in the 1st round. This happens … but how to you react. Do you pull logo #4 out of you pocket in that meeting and try to save the meeting. Do you go back to the drawing board? How to you sell the next meeting?

I think process, design & technique are very important, but please don’t forget salesmanship. You always need to present the ideas so that the client feels a part of the process and in the end, feel like the results were as much their ideas as yours. Use the creative brief to your advantage and explain what you did relates to the comments you received from them in the brief.

I love logo design and this is a great post to help get the juices flowing. Nice work.

Great process guide Angela!

Pretty standard steps, but great to see it presented in such a visual way!

Thanks!

Very nice. This process nearly mirrors mine. One other thing I do that I find invaluable. I have some one I trust a great deal (non-artist) look at my work before presenting it to the client. She tends to give me great insight.

Great presentation of the logo design process. I strongly agree that many designers now rely on the computer too much and forget the traditional aspects of the creative process.

I think every designer should have a preview of their design process in their website, and now have something to add to mine.

Great post!

Very nice logos. I can’t believe your client didn’t like any of them! Actually, I can. Clients can be frustrating to deal with sometimes but your attitude is very professional.

As others have said, your process is ‘textbook’ but its presentation is top-notch and written intelligently. Nice work!

Thanks for explaining some simple steps in creating a logo. I also like to sketch out ideas on paper first before touching the keyboard.

In college I made these thumbnail grid sheets I use when I sketch out ideas for logos and even websites. I still use them. They come in handy and make everything nice and neat.

By the way, I took a look at your website and I like the feel of the colors. Nice use of typography and it’s great that you’re a green designer!

Interesting, I love seeing behind the scenes processes like this. I actually just published a post on my own blog about the process I went through to settle on the logo for my consulting company. I didn’t realize so much work went into the design process!

Oww thats what I do for all my designs! so thats good confirmation lol

nicely documented

This was really helpful. I’m on the other side of the design coin at the moment – trying to figure out a a brand identity and design for one of my own personal pet projects – and it’s been so much harder than working for someone else. It’s nice to be reminded of the whole picture.

Nice read, I enjoyed that thoroughly. But what became of the logo for the company? Did you ever find out? The one you settled with was very good too, I don’t know why they didn’t pick it…

Nice article. Thanks for sharing your own process.
Every clients and projects are unique and so we are.
That style might not work to everyone and might not fit in every situation. That could be the basic pattern but the phrase “One of the biggest mistakes a designer can make is to go straight to the computer…” could be controversial. First, how can that be a mistake? Some designers and illustrators I know seldom use pencil and paper anymore. They draw or doodle directly on the screen or tablet. I myself sometimes do that, and sometimes also draw on any paper available while waiting for someone in the park, in the restaurant or anyplace that far away from my desk. I guess it depends on every designers how to gather their ideas as efficient and comfortable as possible. After talking to the client, the best way to do is research, read and understand. So sitting in front of the computer is maybe one of the easiest way to do that. – just my 2 cents

Thanks for the post.

I love reading and learning about other designer’s creative process. Thanks for the tips re writing things down (reinforcing this often forgotten step) and the logo presentation. As a person who has plenty of ideas after a client’s meeting, I usually hit the computer and start working. Although i use Notepad to write my thoughts or keywords. But actually drawing your ideas on paper helps a lot rather than on the computer. I now do the same when designing my accessories and jewellery line.

very interesting and useful article! thank you!

The sketch process is so important, very nice thank you.

Great post. I enjoyed the focus on PROCESS rather than actual design skills / talents, which are of course harder to teach and require practice. At least knowing the process means my practising will be more productive.

Thanks so much for the post! It was very inspiring.

What annoys me the most is the reaction of your client. I took a look at your website, and found that the logo comps you created fit very well with your design style. If a client doesn’t like the general look and feel of your work, why would they choose you in the first place?

On a side note, I’m curious if the client compensated you for your time and effort. Did you request a deposit to start the project?

Thanks for sharing your process. It’s always great to see how other people work. I find that it can be helpful to present each logo concept in a couple of different treatments (monochromatic and colored, on a rough business card/letterhead layout). It can really help the client see the potential of the logo, as well as feel a bit of ownership over it.

I like the post, that was very detailed, and rich supprted with sketches and the likes. Thanks.

But I feel that I miss the ending? Did you design the logo, they use on their website today? How did you get to that result?

How do you continue designing after being satisfied with the first logos you designed, and the client doesn’t like them… THAT is the real challenge, if you ask me… The “Kill Your Darlings”-process..

Please enlighten us in that designing-aspect as well…

I found this really interesting and reassuring, especially the part about taking some thinking time before getting started at the computer/sketch pad. I often feel guilty about that, when really I should just accept it’s part of the process.

Thought your design was great too, I’m very surprised they didn’t go for it.

I really enjoyed your post. The details of your logo design process is great to see. I think it helps any designer to see how fellow designer’s work. Not that one way is any better then another.

If there is one thing I wish would have been in this post that would have been more detail on what happened in the end. The client did not select one of your ideas so what happened? Was there a contracted signed or some kind of agreement made to insure you got paid for the work you did?

Thanks again for the great post.

The article left out what happened after they said they didn’t like any that you submitted. Did they pay according to the contract?

I also noticed that on their web site they emphasized “modern women’s” instead of your logos which emphasized “divorce guide.” That’s a big difference. Was that intentional?

Nice process and good job of breaking it out to us.

Creepy example. You couldn’t have thought of anything else?

Thanks for explaining your process! I’m a writer but interested in the design process too and this is very informative. I find it reassuring that you take the time to explore many ideas and sketch them out. I liked the brown/blue logos best because I found the colors more modern and the I like compact, aligned text Great work.

Really good post. Loved seeing your ideas and how they progressed.

I find that ‘brainstorming’ or mindmapping or whatever you want to call it helps a great deal. This way you can list keywords as well as developing ideas from each of those.

Thanks for this article. I am in the beginning stages of creating a logo for a personal project I am working on. I agree that you should not jump right to the computer. I like to start as you did by creating a list of words…brainstorming or mind-mapping. I also like to take time to look for inspirational designs. I try to store or bookmark examples of designs I like whether it’s online or from a magazine or some other printed collateral piece. Anyway, I love to hear and learn the process that other designers use.

I enjoyed seeing your design process. I noticed that you presented your concepts in color… is that standard practice for you? I (nearly) always start in black and white, in order to avoid having the client get sidetracked by colors. I prefer to focus on the shape and contrast and concept until that is approved, at which time I use color as a supporting element. (There are exceptions to this rule, when color IS the logo, but 95% of the time, it’s about form.)

I think that those people who live by the motto of sketching first tend to see the computer as the final production tool more than the brainstorming tool. For me, Illustrator is a very efficient brainstorming tool. For me, it’s all about getting an idea out of your head using whatever tools are easiest. I will sometimes sketch in my Moleskine, but more often than not, I will go straight to Illustrator where I can more efficiently do an “idea dump.” Often, sketching by hand feels very slow and inefficient, since I can’t reuse an element without redrawing it. I can easily sketch shapes in Illustrator with my Wacom and then have them flexible to twist around or reuse– far more efficient than paper in most cases (which really amounts to an analog version of Photoshop).

Also, I tend to think about typefaces early on in a project, and I sometimes start the creative ball rolling by tossing down in Illustrator the fonts that spring to mind. When I want the logo to be centered around a typeface, there’s no substitute for using the computer to brainstorm. It allows you see and play off the actual letter shapes, something you can’t easily do on paper.

Awesome tips! Logo Design is always the hardest part to being a graphic design in my opinion. It’s the only type of design where you have to come up with something from nothing.

I’m new in the internet business field. I’m skilled in the graphics side, but I need info to learn about this business. I was going through your post and got a few pointers.

Phew…the logos you came up with are 100 times better than their current one. Well, to each-their own, right? GREAT WORK!

Awesome post !

Great designs you crafted, much better than the one in their website, which is really lame.

Thanks for the hints.

I too often go straight to the computer – not to start designing but to do my brainstorming and thumbnails. I suck at drawing and my hand-drawn sketches are so far from the ideas in my head, they hardly serve a purpose.

The computer is a tool as are the pen, pencil or brush. What’s important is that one does the preliminary exploratory ideas.

That said, this is a super post and it’s great to see the creative process. Thanks!

This is a great post Angela.I must say though one should not make their seem as though it was written in stone, as there are other processes that individuals have that suites them perfectly and happens to be very fruitful… I happen to be one such individual, offer advise not law. I find your posts refreshing and insightful, keep up the good work.

below is a general course my process takes:

[client briefing > mental conceptualizing > materialize ideas on an Illustrator Artboard > present shortlisted concepts > polishing final piece...] q(^_^)p

Great work. Thanks for sharing your process. It’s always great to see how other designer work. Over the years I’ve come up with a process that works well for me. You can check it out if you like

http://ocondesign.com/?p=796