Your business logo is often one of the features that potential customers remember the most about your business. The logo design process helps to solidify your product in consumers’ minds and provide a visual representation of what you sell for customers to recall when considering a purchase. Your logo is a crucial aspect of your brand identity.

What Are the Steps in the Logo Design Process?

Think about the logos for some companies you have purchased from. Their logo may not contain their name or anything about the company specifically, yet the design alone is enough to help you remember the company and what they sell. For example, consider companies such as Nike, Adidas, Apple, or Mercedes. These companies do not need to put their “name” on their logo; the logo speaks for the company.

A strong logo can help to represent your business in many ways, including print advertising, internet marketing, your website, or merchandise packaging. Designing a logo that speaks for and says everything you want about your business can be critical to successful branding.

Depending on how you view the logo design process, there are approximately seven steps to the logo design process, although the process will vary significantly from designer to designer. If you are working with a professional designer like Bianca Frank Design, you as the business owner may only have direct involvement in a few of these steps allowing you to focus on what matters most; running your business.

1. Logo Design Brief

The first step of the design process requires sitting down with a design professional and providing insight into your business. During this initial meeting, your designer will likely want to learn more about your business goals, brand identity, product, and consumer base (both current and desired).

They may also ask questions about why you want to design a new logo and what you hope to achieve with your logo. Finally, your design professional may also inquire about how you plan to use your logo, as this will determine if different versions of the logo may be required.

2. Research

The next few steps in the process are design centered and do not often require significant input or effort from the business owner. During the research phase, the designer will take the time to learn about your industry and your competition before diving into your logo design project. The research stage is critical and cannot be overlooked during the design process. A designer needs to understand the environment in which the logo will be operating. It also helps the designer to understand what competitors in the same market are doing and how to differentiate their clients from the competition.

Brainstorming is also part of the research phase. Brainstorming is the process by which logo ideas are generated. Each designer will conduct this process differently. Some may make a list of keywords they think of when the industry is mentioned and use this as inspiration for their design. Still, others may have a different method. Either way, the designer must remain focused on their client’s objectives and create a visually memorable and functional logo.

3. Sketching

After ideas for a new or revised logo are generated, designers may sketch ideas on paper or their computer. What works best will vary depending on the designer. Sketching logos can be time-consuming as this is the stage where the actual logo design begins. At this point, the logo designer must take the customer’s goals and needs and combine them with artistic license to create a logo that functions across all aspects of the customer’s brand.

4. Logo Design Process Creation

After sketching a variety of ideas, the designer will need to rate those ideas against what they learned about the company and company goals during the initial meeting. Unfortunately, some of their hard work may not adequately realize the goals laid out by the business owner. Those logos will be taken out of consideration, and only the most promising kept for review and presentation to the customer. If the designer used pencil and paper for their sketch work, only the top ideas would be converted to digital format. In a digital setting, the designer can make minor adjustments and alterations to the logo, improving and strengthening its message.

5. Presentation

Finally, it is time to present the finished logo (or a few versions) to the customer. At this point, you would meet again with your design professional here in Anchorage, and view what they have created based on your input. It may be helpful to check how the logo would appear across a variety of media before making a final choice. As a business owner, you commonly use stationery, business cards, websites, and perhaps promotional items. If possible, ask to see how your proposed logo design would look on those items. This will help you determine which potential design may work best or help you narrow the field if you are struggling to decide.

6. Revisions

Once you have reviewed the potential logo designs, questions are likely to arise. This is ok! As the client, you know your field best and can provide insight into the potential advantages or disadvantages of the proposed logo design. Together with your design professional, you can discuss each potential and arrive at your preferred logo design. Sometimes there will be revisions. You may prefer blue over green, or maybe you would like to have a particular element removed from the logo.

If you have requested revisions, your logo designer will make the corrections discussed and provide you with an edited copy of the logo for your approval. Depending on the extent and depth of your changes, this process may take a day, or it could take longer.

7. Delivery

The final stage of the logo design process is delivery. What this will look like will depend on your arrangements with your designer. If your designer is also a web design professional, your logo delivery may encompass a new website or digital marketing solution. You are also likely to be provided with digital copies of your logo artwork so you can use it to produce business cards, stationery, and any other necessary marketing media.

Next to accurate and robust branding, your logo is one of the most essential elements of your business. In fact, your logo is directly related to your company brand. You may consider your logo as the “face” of your business. Your logo is what people will see when they walk through shopping centers, see your marketing material, visit your website, scroll through your social media posts, or shop online. Don’t let such an essential piece of your business be ignored. If your logo is old and no longer represents your company mission, values, or services, it is time for a logo redesign.

If you are a new business working to establish your brand and solidify your marketing strategy, a strong logo that speaks to your business is vital to ongoing company recognition. Don’t leave such a critical item to chance. Let Bianca Frank Design in Anchorage, Alaska help create a professional and appealing business logo designed to make your brand stand out regardless of the competition.