The world of branding can be a confusing one. What do you need to know to get started with your own brand identity? So before we get into the logo design process, here’s a quick rundown of the basics:
A logo is a symbol or design adopted by a business or organisation to identify who they are. It represents the business or organisation through a visual image, that image then becomes synonymous with the business’s brand.
Logos have been around for centuries. They started as simple trademarks and now they have become much more than just an identifying mark. They are also used as marketing tools because they help make a company memorable among its competitors and customers.
A logo will help build your brand identity, helping you make a good first impression on potential clients. A good one is worth a thousand words, it can inform your clients exactly what you are all about.
We know how important branding and logo design is to your business. Our team has worked with a wide range of clients, from startups to international brands, and we’ve seen firsthand how important it is to have a consistent look and feel across all your brand elements.
Our process is pretty simple, but it’s also thorough and thoughtful. Here are the steps:
The process of creating a logo does not have to be stressful, it can be as easy as you want it to be and here at Eighty3 Design, we aim to please. After an initial consultation to find out what it is you’re looking for we will work through the entire process step by step with you and make it as easy as possible, keeping the lines of communication open every step of the way so that you get exactly what you are looking for.
Our process starts with an in-depth discovery meeting where we get to know you as a company, what your goals are for your brand, and what makes you unique. From there, we will create a custom plan based on your needs and work with you every step of the way to make sure that everything meets your expectations—and exceeds them!
During the discussion will identify your business goals and how the logo should fit into those goals, hoping to make it as much of a personal fit as possible, discussing all aspects of your identity and brand, including colour palette, layouts and fonts. It may well be that during the discussion process you don’t know exactly what you are looking for or you might be having trouble visualising it. That is where our experienced designers come in, they will have a plethora of ideas for you to choose from and will be able to help shape the logo to fit your needs.
It is at this stage we will look at any sketches or ideas that you have already worked on. We will look at any potential pitfalls and discuss ways that we can bring your ideas into our designs.
If you have your own hand-drawn designs that are great, it is always easier to work with visuals, but don’t worry it is not a necessity. This is where the fun begins, the team love to let the artistic juices flow and can help you find your vision by using several processes like mood boards, hand-drawn designs or sketching ideas for a few rough drafts to help determine what ultimately feels right for your brand.
We present between three and four different designs to you, each with a write-up that explains the thought process behind it. Once we’ve gotten feedback from you on those designs and tweaked them as necessary, we’ll present even more options until we find one that works for both of us. Then we’ll work together on getting all the details ironed out so everyone’s happy with their end result…but that is the next step.
Keeping those lines of communication is very important when designing your logo, if the responses on both sides are consistent then the whole process will run smoother. Every step of the way will send over designs for you to review and then await your feedback if there are any changes that you would like made before going into design development. We really want to help you find the logo that is perfect for you and that is why communication between the two parties is so very important to find you that perfect final product.
A great logo is flexible.
When you’re launching a business, you want to make sure that the logo you choose is flexible enough to work across different applications—and that it has the flexibility to grow with your business.
There are many different versions of a good logo: horizontal and vertical, square, icon, and more. These variations allow your business’s brand to adapt to different uses. For example, if you have a website band but also want to print out business cards or postcards, then having both horizontal and vertical variations of your logo will help you use it in these scenarios.
At this stage of the process, we look at how we can use your logo the best in different scenarios.
Once you are happy with the logo design, you need to sign on the dotted line.
You have been working closely with your designer to fine-tune the logo design until you are satisfied. This is a very important step because it marks the end of the creative process and signifies that you are happy with all the tweaks.
Signing off on a design is one of the most important things that can happen in any business as it signifies that you have been satisfied with what has been created. This is important because:
To make the process really smooth and secure, we use the services of eversign.com
Once we’ve finalized the logo, it’s time to export it.
We’ll make sure that your files are ready in all of the formats you need—from vector and raster types, to screen and print formats. You’ll also receive a style guide with details on the colours used in your logo and the fonts used throughout your branding materials.
Once that’s done, we’ll send you all of these files along with any variations we created during the design process so you can start using your logo right away!
Our process is not groundbreaking or pioneering – it is just simple and straightforward. We have refined it over the years and seen many hundreds of designs done using it.
Do you need help with designing a logo or maybe just a hand visualising an idea that you have? Why not book a free, no-obligation, 30-minute solution finder and see if we’re the right people to help you?
