The Logo Design Process

When I am hired to create a custom logo design I do not hop on the internet and find some pre-made logo template or clip art and add your company name, like a lot of these “Overnight” logo design sites do. I go though an actual design process that includes multiple meetings with client, tons of research, sketches, and hours of tweaking. These $50 logo design sites can not offer this.

Below is a typical process I go through.

(The project featured in this article was a Logo/website Package for a local recording studio in Palm Springs. Orginally, from Los Angeles, Thunder Underground has recorded some of the most well known names in the music industry.)

1. Meet With Client:

Each of my logos start with a sketch, after a concept meeting with my client. Getting the right details and having an understanding of my client’s goals is the most important factor when I start a new logo project.

2. Research and Sketches

After doing research about your company and your competitors I break out the pen and paper and start sketching. I sketch tons of concepts, until I get a few that I feel will work.

(The concept for Thunder Underground was to use the famous  London Underground Sign as a starting point for the Thunder Underground Logo.)

Step 3: Digital implementation

After the sketching stage is complete I start the process of creating a digital or vector version of my final sketched logo concept. I scan my sketch(s) into the computer and use Adobe Illustrator or sometimes AutoCad to create a vectorized file.

A well designed logo should work in full color and black (white)

Notice, I start each concept in black. A well designed logo should not only work in color but also in black and white. Look at virtually all famous logos and notice that almost everyone of them would look just as good in black or white (reversed)

Step 4: Clients Feedback

After the intial logo concept is created I send it off to my client for feedback. This is one of the most important steps in the logo design process.  Ultimately, the logo I design is going to represent you and your company, for hopefully a long time. Your feed back is crucial to the design process and often leads me down an unexpected direction, which  can lead to some awesome results!

Step 5: Final Approval

Below is the FINAL approval sheet for the THUNDER UNDERGROUND project. I show the client how the logo will look in full color and in black/white as well as other color combinations.

Notice how small tweaks on the original concept made a huge difference.

Step 6: Delivering the Files

After the design process is completing and approved by my client I create a package of various files of your logo.

Here is what you should get from me and every other logo designer you may work with:

EPS:

An EPS file, or Encapsulated PostScript file, is a versatile vector format of your logo. In other words, you can resize your logo as big or small as needed without compromising the quality of the logo.

EPS is compatible in a large number of programs and is great for use with printed elements due to its high quality.

What’s it suitable for?

• Business cards

• Brochures

• Advertisements

• …anything that will be printed of high quality

jpg and gif

Although it cannot be scaled to a desired size like that of an EPS, JPGs and GIFs are great and preferred for internet use. Due to their smaller file size, they load faster on the web and still look ‘sharp’ to the eye when viewed on a computer monitor.

What’s it suitable for?

• Websites

• Online Ads and Banners

• Email marketing and signatures

• anything ‘web-related’

tiff

A TIFF, or Tagged Image File Format, is a widely supported file format that works in just about any program. A TIFF is of higher quality than JPG or GIF, but not vector-formatted like an EPS.

Typically when sending TIFFs to clients I try to create them at a larger size, so if needed they can resize down or stay with the larger size for more versatility.

In certain cases, these can also be used for higher quality prints, granted they were created at 300 dpi and don’t need to resized larger than delivered.

What’s it suitable for?

• Microsoft Office programs

• Standard printing for common use (ie. invoices, letterheads, etc.)

Full Color

This should need no explanation, but I provide my clients with a full colored, CMYK file for the printed file formats (EPS, TIFF) and RGB for the web formats (JPG, GIF). This way you don’t experience strange color issues when printing.

Black and Reversed Logos

A well designed logo should not only work in color but also in black and white

Do you need a logo designed? Or are you looking to update your current image? I can help. Contact me today.