Diving into the creation of a new logo is much like painting on a blank canvas—it’s thrilling, full of possibilities, and a bit daunting. Your logo is a visual cornerstone that embodies your brand’s identity, so managing its design project requires careful thought and planning.
Whether you’re working with a seasoned logo designer or taking a DIY approach, understanding the key steps to navigate this creative process is essential for the success of your project.
Let’s explore how you can manage your new logo design project effectively to ensure that it captures the essence of your brand and resonates with your audience.
Image Source: Unsplash
How to Set Up a Logo Design Project Plan
As a rule, most projects go through 6 stages. These are 6 stages include:
- Project Plan
- Brief
- Research
- Brainstorming
- Moodboard
- Presentation
When designing your logo, you may go through each step in order, or you go back and forth based on your deliverables. The latter example is also called “Agile Development,” and this may work with some projects. But no matter what format you choose, each stage needs to include the steps required to get to completion. These steps will be outlined in more detail later on.
When creating a logo, you’ll likely include the following in each stage of your plan:
Project Plan: The brief, market research, ideas and sketches, a checklist, moodboards and inspiration, logo concepts, client feedback, handover plan (for deliverables)
The Brief: A brief board that includes goals, concept, and audience, a description of your brand’s personality, the deliverables, a description of your audience, team strategy
Research: A map of your competitors (what they’re doing and why their logo works and doesn’t work), logo types, brand positioning, what logos are popular or unpopular
Brainstorming: Have an ideas board, write a project overview, add your idea to the board, sketch or design your ideas, organize ideas into specific themes
Moodboard: Collect materials that will fit into your new logos aesthetic, add imagery and videos that suit your specific style, consider a messy or organized approach
Presentation: Arrange your concepts and explain your thinking, have a conversation about your concept, agree on a concept, test your concept to your audience
Now that you know the steps you need to take to get to the finish line, we’ll look at some of these steps in more detail, as well as tips you should use to complete your project.
10 Things You Must Do to Complete a Logo Design Project
Embarking on a logo design project is an exciting journey. Here are 10 steps to navigate through the process, ensuring a successful and impactful completion of your logo design project.
1. Know the Ins and Outs of Your Brand
To make your new logo resonant, you need a deep understanding of your brand. Ensure that you have defined what your company stands for, its core values, and its target audience.
This knowledge will steer the creative direction, influencing design choices that embody your brand’s identity. Reflect on how each element of the logo—from color to typography—will communicate with customers and align with your brand’s message.
By possessing clear insights into what makes your brand unique, you’ll guide the project toward a logo that authentically represents your business in the marketplace.
2. Use Project Management Software
As you embark on your logo design project, incorporating the right tools can streamline the process. Consider tapping into project management software to keep everything organized.
If we look at SnackNation’s list of online project management tools, you’ll find a treasure trove that can assist in task delegation, milestone tracking, and communication among team members. For example, you could try monday.com if you want a customizable tool or Wrike if you need something that offers a blend of the most popular project management features.
A digital workspace ensures that everyone is in sync with the latest updates, ultimately optimizing workflow efficiency. Checking out these tools could be a game-changer for managing your new logo design smoothly. Just make sure your project manager can use them effectively.
3. Start Looking at Different Types of Logos
There are many different types of logos you can use for your brand, and what you use is often up to your preference and what your clients desire. With that said, you may choose more than one logo to suit different occasions. For example, you may want to place a symbol logo (like Apple’s apple) on products and a wordmark logo (like Google’s) on documentation.
Here are the different logo types you can choose from:
- Emblems: Text integrated with a symbol
- Symbol Logos: An icon or a single graphic without text
- Wordmarks: A text-based logo that uses the whole phrase
- Monograms: A text-based logo that uses initials
- Abstract Logo: A logo that’s an abstract representation of a brand
- Mascot Logo: A logo that utilizes the brand’s mascot
- Combination Logo: A logo that combines multiple logo types
- Signature Logo: Handwritten Calligraphy Company Name. Signature logo might be also called as a wordmark.
For this step, it’s recommended that you research other competitors to see what’s popular in your industry. For example, a few years ago, minimalist logos were all the rage. Now, many older companies are using their original logos to capitalize on millennial nostalgia.
If you’re a new company, you can make your logo more nostalgic by imitating what previous logos looked like. If it feels nostalgic, then it may resonate with your audience.
4. Think of Words That Describe Your Brand
Crafting a visual symbol, like a logo, begins with thought-provoking words that encapsulate your brand’s essence. Picture your brand’s personality as if it were a person, and consider the adjectives that come to mind. These descriptors act as guides in shaping the design direction.
Whether it’s ‘innovative’, ‘trustworthy’, or ‘dynamic’, each word shines a light on distinct attributes, providing a clear path for creativity to flourish and resulting in a logo that speaks volumes without saying a word. For example, if you would describe your brand as “green,” it makes sense to use colors and typography that reflect a green image in a simple logo.
Remember that all colors and typography will give off a certain feel. Using the example of “green,” natural colors like green and brown will make audiences think your brand is eco-friendly. Cursive text will produce an air of sophistication, which is great for luxury brands.
5. Create a Manual Mockup of Your Logos
Before you dive into digital design, start with manual mockups of your logo ideas. Grabbing a pencil and paper unleashes creativity and lets you sketch out thoughts quickly without the constraints of software. This step is essential as it allows for rapid exploration of concepts.
These preliminary drawings may be rough, but they capture the raw essence of what could eventually evolve into your final logo design. Plus, manual sketching offers an emotional engagement with your project that’s often missed when starting directly on-screen.
6. Use Design Software to Refine Your Design
Once you’ve laid the groundwork with manual sketches, it’s time to refine your design using sophisticated software. This digital step transforms rough ideas into polished, scalable logos that maintain their integrity across various media. These logos will be the versions you show off to your stakeholders as they become a real concept instead of a general idea.
The precision and flexibility of design programs allow you to experiment with colors, fonts, and elements easily until you find the perfect balance. It’s a pivotal phase where your logo starts coming to life, looking more professional and ready for the world to see. Remember, this stage is iterative. Tweak and adjust as necessary to perfect your overall vision of your logo.
If you have a graphic design team, consider using tools like Adobe Photoshop. On the other hand, if you don’t have a team or you’re not familiar with design tools, try something like Canva.
7. Ensure Your Logos Fit Your Buyer’s Persona
As your logo takes shape, it’s crucial to constantly check that it appeals to your buyer’s persona.
Your design should be a visual handshake, making the right first impression on the very people you aspire to attract and engage with. Think about what appeals to them—colors, imagery, and style specifics—ensuring there is alignment between their preferences and your brand identity.
It’s not just about aesthetics, it’s about connection. If your logo reflects an understanding of your audience’s values and tastes, you stand a better chance of winning their hearts—and business.
Be sure to conduct market research at this step. Thanks to analytics and other such technology, you don’t have to make a guess on what your customers will enjoy. It’s also beneficial to have more than one test logo, as you can perform an A/B test to check which logo is preferred.
8. Pick Versatile Color and Font Options
Choosing the right color and font for your logo goes beyond personal preference. It’s about versatility and functionality. Opt for a palette that can adapt to multiple backgrounds and contexts without losing its impact or legibility. Be sure to make the background “invisible.”
Similarly, your typeface should not only complement the logo but also be clear across various sizes and applications, from tiny mobile screens to large billboards. These elements of design convey subliminal messages about your brand, so they must be selected with intentionality.
They are the visual voice of your company that will speak in every situation where your brand is present. Be sure to experiment with different options to find the most suitable example.
9. Make Sure Your Logo is Scalable
In the multifaceted world of branding, ensuring your logo scales well is non-negotiable.
From an app to the side of a building, your design needs to withstand resizing without losing detail. During the creative process, test your logo at various dimensions and across platforms to catch any elements that might get lost or appear less aesthetic when scaled up or down.
This attention to scale will safeguard your brand’s consistency and recognition, making sure that no matter where it appears, your logo always looks its best and performs optimally.
With that said, scalability also has another definition: the ability to grow with your brand. While your logo will likely go through many adjustments as you scale, it’s essential that your main logo stays as fresh and exciting as it did when it first dropped. This means opting for design concepts that aren’t overly crowded. Look at classic designs from other companies to get a feel for this.
10. Ask for Stakeholder Feedback and Adjust
It’s essential to engage with your stakeholders, presenting your logo concepts and inviting their feedback. This collaboration can uncover valuable insights and different perspectives that may not have been apparent from just one angle. We miss a lot when we’re in our own bubble.
Listen actively to your client’s preferences and concerns, as this information is crucial for adjustments that hone in on a design that resonates both with the brand vision and its audience. Iteration based on feedback is part of the creative journey. Embrace it as an opportunity to fine-tune your logo into a symbol that captures the essence of your brand identity.
You’re likely going to receive feedback from your logo’s presentation. Make sure to write down what your stakeholders say and adjust. At the same time, don’t forget about your customers. If your customers like something your stakeholders don’t, you may need to veto the stakeholders.
In Conclusion…
You’re now equipped with the knowledge to steer your logo design project towards success.
Remember, each step is an integral part of a larger journey that leads to crafting a logo that truly stands for what your brand is all about. So, take these insights, apply them passionately, and watch as your vision comes to life in the form of a unique and memorable emblem.
