We’ve at Adept Creative have been designing logos for small businesses since 2006. We’ve had a lot of experience and have seen the challenges that businesses face when it comes to their branding. We have worked in a variety of sectors and have refined our logo design process
That’s why we’ve put together this guide on our process for logo design. We’ll cover everything from the initial stages of sketching out ideas to how we make decisions on color and typography. By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of how we approach logo design and what goes into creating a successful brand identity.
Before talking about our logo design process, there are a few basic questions we need to talk about
What is a Logo?
A logo is a graphical representation that is used to identify a company or product. It is usually displayed on products, advertisements, and packaging. The purpose of a logo is to create a visual association between the company or product and the consumer.
What is a logo’s purpose?
A well-designed logo can help customers remember your company or product, and it can also convey important messages about your company or product. When designing a logo, it’s important to keep in mind the type of message you want to send to customers. You should also make sure that your logo is easy to reproduce in different formats (such as on websites, business cards, and signage). Also think about the application of the logo.
Read designing a logo application for flow basketball.
The adept creative process to designing a logo
Discovery
During the early stages of a logo design we spend time researching the existing brand, its business model and its competitors. We want to know what your company does, who your target market is, and what kind of message you want to communicate with your logo.
Developing a brand strategy is essential to creating a successful logo. Your logo needs to be aligned with your company’s overall branding, and it should express the unique qualities that make your business stand out from the competition. We’ll work with you to develop a brand strategy that captures the essence of your company and sets you apart from the rest.
Learn more about our strategy first agency.
Brainstorming
Next, we begin collecting visual elements that will be used to develop style boards which we will later use as guides for further development of the brands identity. This helps us get a feel for the overall tone and style of the logo.
The different elements that contribute to a great logo include: colors, fonts, images and shapes. We always listen closely to what our clients have to say about their companies’ needs and wants before we start sketching out ideas on paper.
Design Thinking
What problem are we trying to solve?
We must keep the business and marketing goals of an organization in mind when designing any element to the brand’s identity. This includes the logo. We choose the colors, typefaces, shapes and images to be used in a logo based on how they will help execute strategies for an organization’s goals.
A successful logo design process starts with a strong concept. Our team of designers work with clients to develop a concept that captures the essence of your brand and communicates it effectively to your target audience. We’ll then create a variety of sketches, which we’ll refine using iterative thinking until we have a final design.
Quality Assurance through iterative thinking
What is iterative design? Iteration is a way of designing that is centered around a process of building, testing and re-building based on feedback. This method requires a tight relationship between the designer and clients so that everyone is on the same page throughout a project. We believe in iterating through several designs before beginning to refine any one logo design.
We test early concepts by measuring response to color schemes, typography and general composition. We might even involve people who are not involved with the project so we can ensure that the design is easy to understand.
Sketching
One of the best mediums for iterative design thinking is through sketching. Drawing out multiple designs allows you to quickly explore ideas. Sketches are quick, allow us to make changes easily, can be used in many types of media, and are great for collaboration with the client. Drawings work well when communicating complex concepts.
Some other benefits of sketching before designing include:
- Sketches are quick and easy to produce, so you can explore a variety of ideas before settling on one.
- They are easy to change if you need to make adjustments, unlike a design that’s already been executed in a software program.
- Sketches can be used in a variety of mediums, from digital to hand-drawn, so you can communicate your ideas in the way that makes the most sense for your project.
- They’re great for collaboration because they can be easily shared and edited by multiple people.
A sketch also works well because when the type comes you can easily scan it to vector format.
Learn more about how we use sketching within our design process.
Refining the Logo
After we have settled on a design path with the client we begin refining the logo. This involves using design tools such as Adobe Illustrator to refine your logo lockups. Developing mockups so the client can see its new brand identity applied at various customer touch points.
A well-refined logo is one that is both aesthetically pleasing, legible and functional. Our team of designers goes through great lengths to refine logos until they are perfect for our clients. We make sure that all elements of the logo – from the colors to the typography – work together to create a harmonious design.
Learn more about developing a brand ecosystem
Refinement, Adjustments and Revisions.
We evaluate all the important design decisions made throughout the creative process to ensure that they are considered, thoughtful and appropriate. We want to make sure that the client has weighed in on all logo related items so there are no surprises later down the line.
Some minor adjustments might be needed to finalize a logo design. Adjustments could include positioning, sizing and color corrections.
We will work with you directly throughout the entire creative process! Our designers are available via phone or email for any questions or concerns you might have during each stage.
Finalizing the Design and delivery.
A final step to the logo design process. We provide our clients with all of the files for their new logo system. We will deliver the logo in various file types depending on how you would like to use them. We can provide full color and black and white files as well as several different formats such as EPS, JPEG, PNG and Adobe Illustrator Ai.
After we have finalized the logo, we’ll work on developing a style guide. This guide will include information on how to use the logo, what colors can be used with it, what fonts should be used for different applications, and other important brand identity items.
Adept Creative, A logo Design Company
A well-designed logo is an important part of any company’s branding efforts. It can help customers remember your company or product, and it can also convey important messages about your company or product.
At Adept Creative, we’ve been designing logos for small businesses since 2006.If you need a new logo for your business, contact us today to get started!
