Logo Design Process

So, you’re ready for a new logo/brand identity? Let’s do IT!

What’s next YOU ASK?

Let me tell you!

I like to allow these projects at a minimum of one week out of the initial design process. This gives us a good amount of time for consultations, as well as for you to complete some homework for me! It’s important that if you are looking to have branding done for your business, that you allow ample time to get prepared for the project as it’s not something you want to rush, trust me!

I always book a consultation call as soon as an inquiry comes through. I love this whole online business thing, but I 100% thrive better with face-to-face (or voice to voice) communication. There can be significant opportunities for misunderstanding when you are talking to each other versus emailing back and forth (although, great to have it all on file). This consultation is meant for us to “meet”, for me to learn about your business and what you need, and for me to explain how I can best serve you.

Following the call, I will send an invoice based on what we decide in the consultation, in turn, a 50% deposit is required (full payment is optional). The contract and deposit are required to be completed in order for the project to be scheduled on my calendar and are required to be done before the agreed-upon start date. My logo design projects are generally estimated to take up to 5 weeks.

Your Homework

Depending on your project, I ask for you to complete the LOGO DESIGN QUESTIONNAIRE, as well as any other files that are relevant for me to have! Easy as! These fun bits are “due” by the project start date, which is why I like booking at least one week in advance.

The logo design process is a collaborative effort. I want you to feel like you were involved in the entire project, so that when it is complete you are excited about it, you love it, own it and share it with pride! After all, it is your business!

The Project

STEP 1 | Research

I’ll send you an email to let you know I am commencing work. This first week is all about research on my end. I spend time reviewing your questionnaire, looking at your inspiration, checking out your competitors, and exploring ideas.

STEP 2 | Colours and inspiration

With your inspiration, colour psychology and my own research, I create a mood board for your review to help us nail down a colour palette you love. I start with colours and related images because it helps inspire me to create the concepts. The colours are just as important as the imagery. This process usually takes a bit of back and forth, a change in colour here and alteration of hue there. Once we have the perfect mood board.

STEP 3 | Concepts

I start by sketching/playing with different layouts, fonts and icons. You will likely never see these concepts. It helps to get everything down out of my head (sometimes done when making dinner) and most likely more than half of these concepts are not fabulous. That’s the reality. You have to get the bad ideas out of your head to make room for the best idea, the one that just flourishes into something more. Once I get a few good concepts out, I will refine them more. This stage is also when I start researching typography options. Once a concept is sketched out, I usually have a good idea of the kind of font I am looking for, but there are so many amazing fonts out there, each with slight variances that make a difference! I may send a couple over for your opinions, and use them in concepts as outlines to see how they look. I then send over 2-6 concepts for your consideration. I’ll ask certain questions because valuable and specific feedback is key to this process to avoid a constant back and forth and reduce the number of revisions. These concepts are just a starting point. I may nail the design first go or out of these concepts we create a new round to review.

Take your time looking at the concepts. They can be mixed & matched up (font of one, an icon of another). And always share your ideas! I may be the designer, but you’re the business owner, and I am only one brain. If you have an idea then share away!

STEP 4 | Revisions

I take the feedback from the first round of concepts and revise them down to one or two. Once the main logo concept is approved, I take that direction to create the alternate logos and the rest of the branding collateral. Depending on your requirements, this could include logo style guide, patterns, Instagram highlight icons, business card designs, etc. During this stage, there is a lot of back and forth communication so that we can be sure the brand is on the right track and ready to be completed.

STEP 5 | Final

In this last step, I make any final edits, then I package up all your files, and send them to you into a nice little zip folder. This is where your final payment (if not already done so) is due. Final files are delivered after the final payment is made, and at that stage, I will ask you for feedback and we will close out the project and celebrate your launch all over social media and cheers some virtual bubbly! YEPEE!

STEP 6 | Style Guide

If you have selected the ‘EXCLUSIVE PACKAGE’ I will design a Logo Design Style Guide to be used as a future reference for logo branding. It will contain your fonts, colours and additional breakdown of how your logo can be used on various applications as well as any design elements that are taken out of your logo (icons or design features).