Logo Design: From Concept to Completion

Logo Design: From Concept to Completion

Many Graphic Designers in today’s market have different techniques when developing a logo. In essence, a great logo is more then just a word mark or symbol; it has to reflect the company’s strengths, weaknesses and overall mission. There are multiple steps that one must take when developing a new brand image for their company, and I have listed a few that will help you successfully create a lasting and memorable brand image. When creating a brand image for a product or service, remember the more fun you have with the creation process, the better the outcome will be.

The first step is Brainstorming. This step is particularly research heavy, since it develops a strong basis around which you will develop your vision. You should take multiple elements into consideration: your target market, the products or services you are providing, their function and the memorability. It is important to determine your target market because the aesthetic value of your logo will affect how your potential customers view your product. The logo must also directly represent what product or service you are delivering, no one appreciates misleading information. You must then determine where and when you will be using your logo; it is important to think about forms such as Business Cards, Web Banners and Print Banners. The final element is perhaps the most important to the branding process, memorability. If you think of some logos, such as FedEx or Nike, they all have a very memorable aspect within the logo that allows the customer to automatically recognize the brand even when the wording is taken out (in Nike’s case). Take a look at the logos below to see if you can tell what makes these logos memorable.

 

FedEx’s logo is particularly brilliant because of the arrow in the logo between the “E’ and the “X,” representing constant movement. This is found on all of its logos (Ground, Air, etc.) Nike’s logo is also very memorable, the “swoosh” underneath the logo represents swift movement, and more importantly the Greek goddess Nike, the goddess of victory. Being a sports brand, this fits perfectly into their mission, product and market.

After you have successfully brainstormed, the next, most important, step comes into play - creating quick Thumbnail sketches that you can quickly go through, selecting and choosing elements of each that you like most. It is important to you have at least a couple mock-ups, perhaps with different color variations. If creating a logo for a client, make sure that you have a set number of revisions in your initial contract to keep them from completely changing the logo during each round of revisions. Remember, it’s about having fun and creating something that will be memorable and have a lasting impression with your customers. In addition, normally, a logo design never hits home on the first go.

The final step in creating a successful brand is creating a final mock-up that is both RGB and CMYK compatible, as well as on compatible among multiple platforms (cards, banners etc.). After you have gone through all rounds of the revision process, create some professional print outs on cards and posters to see how it will look when ready to go. When working with clients, it is important to have all files associated with the creation of the logo on hand in an external drive (raw files, mock-ups etc.). Again, remember to have fun creating the logo; you cannot be as creative if you are stressed or not enjoying your work.

Brian Murray

Senior Software Developer / Engineer at AssetWorks LLC

8y

Also don't forget that the original creator of the NIKE "Swoosh" was a student who got paid $35 for the design ;) 30 years later she got a gold engraved ring with the design and an undisclosed amount of NIKE stock though, so in the end she made out alright I guess.

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