How to design a logo? Four steps you can't skip.

An excellent logo is actually almost the majority of marketing success. A good first impression counts, and nothing can do it better than a well-designed and thought-out logotype. Companies outdo each other in ideas, and they modify their logos many times to keep up with the times. There is one thing in all of this that has remained the same for years – the stages of logo design.

STEP ONE – brief is your best friend

In order to create a successful, catchy logo, it is important not only to perform high-quality graphic work, but also to create a product that meets the needs and expectations of the client, capable of embodying the brand’s goals in a concise, transparent form.

Work on the logo should start with researching the company (website), its activities, distinguishing features, market position, etc. The golden rules of a good brief are:

identifying strengths and weaknesses in relation to competition,
indication of the specificity of the product / service,
identifying the main target audience, consumers and customers,
analysing the logos of related companies operating in the general market segment.

On the basis of the collected information, the further direction (colour, style) of drawing up the sketches is determined.

STEP TWO – time for the first sketches

The logo design can be anything – from a carefully drawn corporate miniature to a graphic image of letters or an original line.

What is the most important? Originality and uniqueness. The logo cannot have equivalents, it must be unique and fully meet the customer’s expectations and the activities of his brand.

The fewer the better! A simple logo is easier to remember and more eye-catching. Additionally, it looks good in medium and small scale (on documents, souvenirs)

If the client’s company has its own style or colours, the logo must be made on the basis of this “graphic and stylistic” base.

When creating a logo, remember that the graphic sign should look equally good (legible, recognizable) in black and white, which will allow it to be applied to various surfaces used in the advertising campaign.

It’s time to put the theory into practice – a sketch in three steps.

Making pencil sketches

Now, as you might guess, it’s time to sketch. The best way to start the process is to come up with a composition inscribed in a circle while looking for the optimal combination of typography with graphic elements. Remember to indicate the contrast and the ratio of details.

Choose 2-3 of the most successful options and start working in a vector graphics program. Initially, you work only with black, choosing fonts, coming up with the most interesting typographic solutions for the brand name. Work out the details and general composition.

Don’t forget about the contrast, hierarchy and unity of all logo elements.

Simplification

Now try to simplify the design as much as possible, remove all secondary things and leave only those elements without which the logo cannot do.

Working with colour

It’s time for the black and white logo to take some colour. Of course, what colours you choose depends on the company you work with. Typical colours are part of its identity and recognition, so include them in your logo.

STEP THREE – presentation, verification, correction of the first options

At this stage, it is necessary to check the draft logos, including:

compliance with the specifics and activities of the company,
key features of the logo such as memorability, functionality,
interaction with the client, consumer – creating a positive associative array,
uniqueness – identification of logos existing in the registered database.

If identical or very similar logos exist in the database of registered logos, the prepared work cannot be patented. Therefore, its commercial use would be illegal.

During the verification process, select the most appropriate sketch option to modify and correct it accordingly.

STEP FOUR – final and presentation of the finished product

After the errors are finally eliminated, the created logo is ready for legal registration and full use by the owner.