This is a logo design tutorial taking you through the process I use when designing a new logo
For more tips on learning design straight to your inbox click hereLast year I was asked to create a logo for In4systems, a company that creates property management software. This software is used by companies who need to manage large portfolios of properties, such as landlords and housing associations. I started by asking a few questions about their requirements and enquired about their competitors. Their brief was fairly open so I started by taking a look around at what their competitors were doing. The next stage was to start sketching. Whenever I am designing a logo I always spend a considerable amount of time sketching, it allows me to quickly try out different ideas to see what shapes and designs are like likely to work. Below are a few of my rough logo drawings which I scanned in ready for the next stage.
These sketches are very rough but they were never intended to be seen by the client they are purely a tool for me to work out my ideas. Within the sketches I thought it would be a good idea to include a descriptor/strap line in these which would give a more immediate sense of what the company does and worked this into the designs.
The next step was to start working up some of the logo design sketches on the computer. Using Adobe illustrator I used the scanned sketches as a guide and started designing the logos in black and white, choosing what I felt were appropriate fonts. Working in black and white enabled me to concentrate on shapes and type rather than be distracted by colours.
Some of these I felt were working and some weren’t so I took my preferred options and started deciding on colours.
I showed these to he client and they chose their preferred option and requested some changes to colours and the addition of shapes that represented windows. The chosen design was then worked up into stationery designs for letter heads and business cards which you can see below.
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68 Comments
Hi guys,
A very good post and very helpful to those of you who are just starting out.
But don’t assume that this is the way it should always be done.
What do I mean? Well, I do virtually all of my sketching and roughing in my head – while I’m bike riding, walking up the road, listening to the radio, when I wake up too early in the morning and have a lie-in…..
By the time I sit down in front of my mac I can alraedy ‘see’ what the result is going to look like.
I realise that it’s not possible for everyone to work like this – a combination of experience and having the ‘right’ sort of brain certainly help.
That said, if anyone would like to know more about this, then pop a post on here and I’ll come back to you.
Tony
I could read these types of posts all day. I love to look inside the mind of other designers to see where/why certain decisions were made. That is, why folders or thr pyramid shape were chosen. Were they random? Did they have specific meaning? etc.
Keep em coming!
Are you sure? Isn’t it a standard procedure to give your clients some options to choose from?
Hi Tara,
This was a great read and I really enjoyed, i don’t think there are many blogs about acctual designers process of work and for you to share this is fabulous! Its always interesting to see other designers work.
Thanks
Regards
Taz
Cool!
Nice posting n good idea for design logo…
Nice article and a good argument to spend a little more money on your logo. But what happens if another designer still copies your work? Then it becomes a legal issue I guess.
Great to see you sketches and how you worked through the process
It is really nice to see the sketches and development. I like the folder idea to. Thank you for sharing the design process and the final solution. Great post.
Great work! I see about halfway down you have a concept with 5 circles in it. I can see why you didn’t present a finished version for the client “in4systems”
I do show sketches to clients that have a high concept piece where the idea needs to be sold before art is undertaken. I have a client now that wants a medieval look to their logo with some ancient icons incorporated. It is essentially an illustration. I’ll be posting that in a week or two, the whole process, after it’s done.
I posted another design process that includes all the totally random sketches just for people to see where infact some crazy ideas can go. In the brainstorming process, I don’t leave any stone unturned:
http://bonfx.com/logo-design-process-revealed-in-23-steps/
Great work up there! Keep it up! The final piece is very strong – the best of what was presented, including the color tweak.
What font is that? It looks News Gothic-y or something close. Love the lowercase “y”.
It is grate to see someones thought process during the design os a logo. Thanks for sharing this with us.
I base what I charge on how long I think I need to spend on a project and of course clients budget.
I usually present a about 3 ideas to a client.
Excellent work! Have you posted any of your work on Logo Pond. A lot of great examples there too.
Great post, always like to see how people’s design processes vary.
Thanks for sharing yours.
Always interesting to see a different designer’s process, from sketch to the finished products, really helps evaluate your own!
Very nice work Tara, i wish i was as talented as you are, and i really need a logo of my own right now.
Very nice work and this is realy helpfull to all those who working this industry