Logo Design

I have been designing a lot of logos lately and it took me a while to get used to the process but now that I have had a few trial and error runs, I would like to present my fellow graphic designers with a few quick pointers on what to keep in mind while designing a logo for a client.

1. Keep it simple. A company’s logo will not always be able to be blown up on billboards and on the sides of trucks. Logos have to be scaled down to very tiny sizes to be used on packaging, documents and business cards. A good logo will incorporate all the features of a business without needing to be incredibly detailed and always viewed at a large size.

2. Work in black and white. No matter what colors the client wants to be used on the logo, you should always begin the design process in black and white. Not only does this make your life as a designer easier but also it ensures that you will keep it simple. When you finish a logo and send it to the client, you need to supply them with both a colored and black and white copy. If the logo utilizes several different colors, when you get to the point where you need to turn it into a black and white version, you may find it hard, if not impossible, to do this.

3. Stick to pantones. Once a company starts spreading their logo around, it will be highly important that they keep it consistent. If you choose colors at random on your CMYK bars, there is no telling what color their logo will be from web to business card to magazine spreads. You should either begin your color choosing process in pantones or find the closest matching pantone to the colors you want to use as soon as you are ready to start adding color.

4. The client is always right. It does not matter how many logos you offer a client, they will usually choose your least favorite. This is not to spite you or not because the client has horrible taste. This happens because the client is not looking at the logo from a design perspective. The client knows what they want and will go with what they like. Try to remember that the client is much closer to the final piece than you are (no matter how long you have worked on it) and in the end, the logo represents them and has to be very special to them.

If you keep these four simple steps in mind, designing your next logo should be a breeze.

Written by Myranda Harnage