This week’s post comes from Alex, the Head of Content at GRIN tech, a full service digital agency. Our thanks goes to Alex for writing this exclusive content for the Squarespace Index blog.
Logos are essential for the branding of your company, and can also have an effect on the overall design of your site. This can certainly be an intimidating process if you have never designed a logo before, but it doesn’t have to be. Take a look at this step by step guide for a typical logo development process.
Before we dive deep, here are a couple of shortcuts for those who do not want to experience difficulties when developing their logo from scratch:
Search for a local design company that specializes in logo design specifically.;
Find an independent designer on a design marketplace like Dribbble or Upwork;
Search free logo designs in numerous directories or try free logo makers like the one offered by Squarespace.
Let's dig into the DIY method:
Design Brief
Most designers would agree that the initial accumulation of information from the client is the most crucial step in the process of any type of design. If you’re designing a logo for yourself, try to ask yourself the same questions you might ask if you were designing something for someone else.
As a designer, you'd like to ask a few questions about branding before you start.
In general, the main issues to discuss are these:
What sets your company apart from the competition in your field?
What are your business and marketing objectives?
Where is your vision of the future?
Get Inspired
Developing a logo is much easier if you take the time to find inspiration based on the original requirements first. This way, you have time to collect different ideas and get a clearer understanding of which ideas you like and which ones you do not in order to help you determine what direction to take with your own logo.
Finding good examples of logo design is easy if you know where to look. Try to collect at least three (or more) examples of designs that you like the most.
Check out Dribbble to find some of the most innovative logo designs from some of the best designers:
By taking the time to familiarize yourself with various design and graphic concepts, you will be able to start the logo development process on the right foot. You’ll also be able to create something similar without feeling disappointed, discouraged, or confused about where to start.
Choose a Style: Text-Based vs. Symbol Based
Logos have several categories, but typically fall under two main categories:
Wordmark or logotype: a distinct typographic treatment of the name of a company such as Disney or Google;
Symbolic logos or pictorial marks, such as Apple or Nike.
There are also cases when a logo combines these two types This is called a combination mark, for example, Domino's Pizza or Target.
Either way, choose the type of logo design that best suits you. There are different styles of visual design, such as retro, ultra-modern, minimalist, classic styles, as well as many different shapes. You can get your logo design ideas by surfing the web. However, at this stage you should consider two things:
First, consider your niche, your business, and your target audience. With regards to color search, you may need some time to understand which visual style is right for your web page. If you want to sell modern bedroom furniture, think about the design of a modern logo rather than a more retro design.
Secondly, think about your preferences. Of course, you should also like the logo; at the end of the day, it’s still representing you and your business. Take inspiration from the pieces you’ve assembled so far and take the direction you like most.
For a broader overview of your overall website design, check out these Web Design Trend Predictions for 2020.
Sketch Your Ideas
Armed with a brief and inspiring material, grab a pencil and paper and start drawing sketches of all the ideas that immediately come to your mind. Allow each new concept to evolve on its own.
Don't get discouraged if the first few attempts are wrong - continue to refine your idea, using previous sketches to influence the result of new ones.
You can focus these sketches on the shape, the name of your brand, or both. Once a few different sketches appear on the paper, take a step back, and select your three concepts. Don't overthink it - look at projects that your eyes continue to return to and select them to show others, but try
Share these drafts with your friends, family, and colleagues that you trust. If possible, share these sketches with the person who best suits your ideal customer profile. This could give you the most productive view of your artwork because it can show how potential customers will understand your brand, not just the people who are close to you.
Be prepared for honest feedback, and do not take negative feedback personally. This criticism is constructive and will only make your logo better, but be circumspect about the feedback you receive as well. Use input to select a final concept for your design.
Choose your Color Scheme
Choose a color for your logo design does not need to be a complicated process.
If you don't have pre-defined branding or specific website colors that you can work with, don't worry. Instead, you will need some time to find the right colors for your niche, industry, and target audience.
For example, if your company operates in an automotive industry that focuses mainly on older men, you may want to choose colors that have a darker or richer tone.
However, if you work in a beauty industry that is aimed towards a younger female audience, then choosing lighter colors, perhaps even metallic ones may be better.
Whichever colors you choose, try to think about them on a broader spectrum.
That means that you should consider how your choice of color could be used on your website as a whole, not just in the design of your logo. It is important to note that your logo design will become a part of your brand.
Choose the Right Font
If you are developing a logo with a text element, you will have to choose a font suitable for it. There is no shortage of fonts out there, so eventually, you’ll find the perfect font to suit your logo.
When looking for a free font, I always start with Google fonts., they’re high quality and designed by professional designers. The potential downside is that their fonts are widely used by many websites out there.
If you want to get a unique font for your logo, think about free unique fonts from places like Graphic Design Junction. They have many fantastic custom fonts that won't break your budget. Another alternative is to search for a site like Font Squirrel, which offers many free custom fonts.
When you are looking for the font best suited to your logo, remember the style of your typeface. The font must match the overall look and feel of your logo.
Choose your fonts wisely. It’s not always easy to rebrand once you develop a client base and brand recognition.
Make it Real
Convert that pencil drawing into a digital file that you can actually use,
It’s infinitely easier to make sure texts and shapes are perfectly spaced and aligned with its surroundings in a digital format. Your logo doesn’t have to be perfectly symmetrical, but it should be well balanced and visually symmetrical.
You’ll most likely encounter situations where your logo will be placed within different vertical and horizontal boundaries, small spaces, etc. Ensure that it renders well in color or grayscale and large or small. If necessary, create a brand guide that outlines how your logo should and should not be used.
Keep Improving
Obtaining your idea of the perfect logo can take several attempts, especially if you’re doing this for the first time.
As with most skills, it takes time and practice to get it right and a lifetime to master. If you don't like your first try, that is completely fine, don’t settle, just try again.
Even professional designers don't always get it right on the first try. Design is an iterative process.
To sum it up
A logo the may seem like a minor thing, but in reality, it's the face of your brand. It conveys tremendous amount about your brand through color, font, and style.
Mind the tips in this article before you embark on your logo design journey. Strive to create a logo that is unique and self-explanatory. It should not require an explanation of what you are trying to convey.
Designing a meaningful logo is not an overnight task. Take your time and create a logo based on these design principals; your hard work will pay off.
Cheers to your massive success!
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