My Logo Design Process

My Logo Design Process

Every designer’s design process is different. The purpose of a process is to guarantee the client’s satisfaction and project timeliness. I like to take the logo design process through 5 steps to ensure I design a client’s logo beautifully, efficiently, and without any confusion!

Below I’ve laid out my step by step process and the importance of each step to the overall logo design process.

1. Logo Questionnaire

The very first step involves the client completing a logo questionnaire. This is the client’s chance to express everything they want in a logo. Which of the three logotypes they want (typography, symbol, or a combination of both), what they want the logo to say exactly, what kind of type style they’d like to see, if they want a black & white logo or colored logo, etc.

This is probably the most essential piece to the process as it gives me a complete outline of what the client would like their logo to look like and all the elements that should be included.

2. Pinterest Pinning

The second step in the process gives me, the designer, visual inspiration to use throughout my logo designing.

Words, especially adjectives, can only provide me with so much design inspiration. You’d be surprised how many logo designs there are on Pinterest, so it’s important to not get carried away! I typically suggest 5 to 7 pins to keep things straight forward.

It’s also necessary that the client comment on each pin to express what they specifically like about each design. From there, I can take an overall look of the logo designs and use them as inspiration for the next step in the process!

3. Logo Concept Design

At this phase of the process, it’s time for me to put in work! 😉 From the two previous steps, I gather all the information to create a logo design concept. Once I provide the concept, I ask the client three important questions.

• Do you like this logo concept as is?
• If no, what do you like about it?
• What do you not like about it?

Once I have answers to these questions it will be made clear what needs to be changed in the first revision round.

4. Logo Concept Revision

With the first round revision we should definitely be more on the mark. I do everything I can to take the client’s comments on what we might have missed before and implement in this round.

One thing I’ve learned through trial and error throughout designing logos, is it’s best to only offer one logo throughout the entire process. Previously, I would provide three options for clients to select from.

However, I noticed offering that many options created overwhelm and indecisiveness for my clients. I feel providing one logo option at the beginning and making tweaks to it throughout the process keep us more on track and eliminates any overwhelmed feelings for the client, making this a more concise and pleasing process for the both of us! 😉

Once the first revision of the logo is provided, I ask the same three questions to either keep the logo as is, or make final changes.

5. Final Logo Concept Revision

By now the logo should be exactly how the client likes it. As long as the client is specific and clear about the changes they want throughout the entire process, I can understand exactly what I need to change to get to this final stage in the process.

And there you have it! My exact logo process! From here I take the logo and place on to the next phase of the branding project: the brand board.

The logo is the first and most important part to the branding project as it creates inspiration for the other elements included in a branding package. As I hope we all know our brands are more than just a logo but completing this piece of the brand board and taking more time to finesse it can help formulate the entire brand’s look and feel.

So what do you think?! Have you ever worked with a designer on a logo that took you through their entire process before beginning? I’d love to hear more about your experiences in the comments below!