How to approach logo design projects

Today I would like to discuss a few tips on becoming a good logo designer. Being a good logo designer is not simply being good with logo design software such as Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw. It is about being good at understanding what branding is about and how it affects advertising and marketing.

When companies come looking for a logo design, the logo designer should be in a position to analyze the company, the industry, the competitors and brand principles, in general, to come up with concepts that work on the attributes of these factors. An effective logo should have an impact on its target audience. It should be able to deliver the intended message instantly. As they so often say, you have 4 seconds to grab your customers attention and when one sees your logo design they should be affected at some level almost immediately.

The problem with the current online logo design industry is that due to cut-throat competition and price wars due to fly-by-night companies mushrooming, genuine corporate identity companies are not in a position to get good logo designers and to invest the time it takes to create a good company logo. Sacrifices have to be made in order to pay the bills and keep the business afloat.

However, even in such situations, designers can follow some simple steps to ensure that they produce quality logo designs. These steps are by no means exhaustive nor are they intended to be the best possible advice.

They are just a collection of ideas that I and other logo designers in SpellBrand employ to be effective in creating logos.

1) Always ensure you understand what the client wants
It is very important to understand completely what the client is looking for. Some times clients do not have a clue as to how their logo should look. In such situations, you will have more room to experiment and try out new ideas. But when a client has put some thought into their corporate identity, then it pays to listen to the client and not be shy about asking questions.

If the client says they want to see some sort of a “pyramid” in the logo design, then it is your job to understand why and what of that request. Why does the client want to see the pyramid? What kind of pyramid would he/she like to see? 2D, 3D logo design?

2) Always research a little on the industry in general
Before starting to put anything on paper or on the screen, always spend at least 30 minutes researching the industry the client belongs to. What kind of companies are out there? A simple search on Google will reveal a bunch of companies in the same industry. Looking at their logos and their branding efforts will tell you about the current trends in that industry.

Check this case study of a coffe and juice logo design.

3) Always look at the competitor identities
It is also a good idea to check out the competition. This helps you identify the current trend so that you can see the similarities and come up with ideas that will make your client’s logo stand apart. It will also help you realize what is working or not in that particular industry.

4) Try to comment on each of the concepts
I have noticed that when several concepts are presented to the client it always pays to comment each of them with notes of what each element in the logo design means. This helps the client see where you are coming from and also enhances the value of the concepts. Many times clients simply do not understand what a concept might mean and therefore would not like it.

Stay tuned for more tip in this series.