Logo design

Logo design is all around us. To the general public, logos serve as an instant reminder of a company or a product; to the client they’re the point of recognition on which their branding hangs; and to us designers they represent the challenge of incorporating our clients’ ideologies into one single graphic.

No wonder, then, that logo design features so prominently in our lives. In an age where everyone must have a website to support their product, service or the company behind it, the demand for a top-class logo has never been higher.

More logo designs are out there than ever before, and with that comes the challenge of being different. How do you create something original that stands out in a sea of identities? And how do we create something quickly while retaining quality?

In this article, we’ll first look at the basic principles of designing a logo and share some pro tips for finessing your process…

Before you start

01. Online design sites

Don’t just visit logo galleries but more general design sites like Dribbble

Inspiration can come from anything, anywhere. The obvious resources are sites like Logo Gala and Logo Moose, but if you’re a full-time logo designer you’ll probably be familiar with them already. Widen your research to include other graphic design sites, and art and design sites in general, like Dribbble or Deviant Art. Explore further down the results pages to visit sites you haven’t seen before and also narrow your search to put the spotlight on logos in the same industry or belonging to companies of similar size, aspirations and values.

02. Learn logo 101

Logo design - Apple, London Underground, CBS, WWF, Woolmark, I love NY
Effective logo designs: I Love NY, Apple, London Underground, CBS, WWF, Woolmark

An effective logo is distinctive, appropriate, practical, graphic, simple in form and conveys an intended message. In its simplest form, a logo is there to identify but to do this effectively it must follow the basic principles of logo design:

  • A logo must be simple. A simple logo allows for easy recognition and allows the logo to be versatile and memorable. Effective logos feature something unexpected or unique without being overdrawn.
  • A logo must be memorable. Following closely behind the principle of simplicity is that of memorability. An effective logo should be memorable and this is achieved by having a simple yet appropriate logo.
  • A logo must be enduring. An effective logo should endure the test of time. The logo should be ‘future proof’, meaning that it should still be effective in 10, 20, 50+ years time.
  • A logo must be versatile. An effective logo should be able to work across a variety of mediums and applications.
  • A logo must be appropriate. How you position the logo should be appropriate for its intended purpose. For a more detailed explanation see: What makes a good logo?

03. Establish your own design process

Logo design - The brand identity design process
The brand identity design process

Every designer has his or her own process, and it is rarely linear, but in general this is how the branding process is completed, which can be used as a guide to establish your own.

  • Design brief. Conduct a questionnaire or interview with the client to get the design brief.
  • Research. Conduct research focused on the industry itself, its history, and its competitors.
  • Reference. Conduct research into logo designs that have been successful and current styles and trends that are related to the design brief.
  • Sketching and conceptualising. Develop the logo concepts around the brief and research.
  • Reflection. Take breaks throughout the design process. This allows your ideas to mature and lets you get renewed enthusiasm. Receive feedback.
  • Presentation. Choose to present only a select few logos to the client or a whole collection. Get feedback and repeat until completed.

04. Price your work accordingly

“How much?” is the single most frequently asked question and it cannot be easily answered because every company has different needs and expectations. You have to take a number of factors into consideration when designing a logo/brand identity, such as how many concepts need to be presented, how many revisions will be needed, how much research is required, how big the business is and so on.

The best approach is to draw up a customised quote for each client and to do this you should learn how to price your designs, which is another topic in itself.

Jeff Fisher, a notable designer and author, had this great point in his article How Much Should I Charge: “The major point I wish to convey here is that all designers need to work smarter in independently determining what their talent, skill and expertise are worth and charge the client accordingly without question or apology. Being smart in determining what you should charge for your work will hopefully allow you to ‘work less, charge more’ in the future.”

05. Learn from others

Logo design - the nike swoosh
The Nike swoosh is a highly successful logo design

By knowing what other brands have succeeded in and why they have succeeded gives you great insight and you can apply that attained knowledge to your own work.

For example, let’s look at the classic Nike Swoosh (above). This logo was created by Caroline Davidson in 1971 and it’s a great example of a strong, memorable logo, being effective without colour and easily scalable.

Not only is it simple, fluid and fast but it also has related symbolism; it represents the wing in the famous statue of the Greek Goddess of Victory, Nike, which is a perfect figure for a sporting apparel business. Nike is just one of many great logos, but think about other famous brands that you know and check out their logos – what makes them successful?

Effective logo design - Shell, Volkswagen, NBC, ABC, Chanel, Rolling Stones
Effective logos: Shell, Volkswagen, NBC, ABC, Chanel, Rolling Stones

For more quality logos, check out Logo Of The Day or go to your local library/book store and check out some branding books. Also be sure to check out some of these logo design process case studies.

06. Avoid the clichés

Logo design - Federal Express, IBM, Coca-Cola, CNN, Disney, NASA
Examples of effective logotypes: Federal Express, IBM, Coca-Cola, CNN, Disney, NASA

Light bulbs for ‘ideas’, speech bubbles for ‘discussion’, globes for ‘international’, etc. These ideas are often the first things to pop into one’s head when brainstorming, and for the same reason should be the first ideas discarded. How is your design going to be unique when so many other logos feature the same idea? Stay clear of these visual clichés and come up with an original idea and design.

With this said, please do not steal, copy or ‘borrow’ other designs. Although, this shouldn’t have to be said, it happens too often. A designer sees an idea that he likes, does a quick mirror, colour swap or word change, and then calls the idea his own. Not only is this unethical, illegal and downright stupid but you’re also going to get caught sooner or later. Do not use stock or clip art either — the point of a logo is to be unique and original.

Preparation

07. Research your audience

Logo design - Channel More 4
Good logo design doesn’t just create something that looks nice – it has to communicate a brand message

Creating a logo isn’t just about creating a pretty visual. What you’re doing, or taking part in, is developing a brand and communicating a position. It makes sense, then, that the first step in creating a logo should be to research these concepts.

Involving the client at this early stage is advised, as your interpretation of their brand may be different from theirs, and it’s essential that the message is clear before any actual designing takes place.

08. Immerse yourself in the brand

Logo design London
Hark back to the past, urges Martin Christie of Logo Design London

Before even beginning to sketch out ideas for a logo, spend some time compiling the equivalent of an M15 dossier on your client’s brand: who they are, what they do and what their demographic is.

Look at previous iterations of their logo and ask yourself what doesn’t represent the brand on these. Then compile a ‘dos and don’ts’ checklist before your creative work starts.

“Check out all the various logos your client has employed since their company was founded,” advises Martin Christie of Logo Design London. “This can be particularly interesting if they go back for many decades. You may be able to hark back to the past, if they would like to position themselves as a heritage brand, or you might be able to radically overhaul their original logo into something fresh and futuristic. This has the advantage of built-in continuity even as you present a new image.”

09. Keep all your sketches

Logo design - old sketches
Old sketches can be a source of new inspiration, suggests Martin Christie

“It’s probably a fair guess that for every logo you design you probably come up with a couple of dozen sketches before you decide which one to develop further,” adds Martin Christie. “Never throw away these early ideas; they form a valuable resource.

“Just because one of your early sketches didn’t work for another client, it doesn’t mean it won’t work at all. Go back through what you’ve done and you may find the seed that, with a bit of nurturing, could grow to become the logo you’re looking for.

10. Do your online research

Logo design - Logo Moose
Logo Moose is a great research resource for logo design

Two great starting points for online research are Logo Moose and Logo Gala. One thing to be mindful of is knowing when to stop your research. It’s best to look at what did and didn’t work out of 10 relevant logo designs than swamp yourself with 50 extraneous ones.

If you’re struggling for ideas, try looking up key words in a dictionary or thesaurus or searching Google images for inspiration. If you keep a sketch book then look at previous drawings – you’re bound to have unused ideas from previous projects, so you may already be sitting on the perfect solution.

11. Fight the temptation to imitate

We all have our design heroes and sometimes we love them so much we want to imitate their styles. Well, they do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. However, in the real world it’s just a lazy way to solve a creative problem.

Ask yourself whether the style you’re using is appropriate for the client’s needs. Do they really want a logo that has the same typeface Saul Bass used for Quaker Oats in the ’70s?

12. Don’t let clients dictate

Point 2 does not equate to doing what the client tells you. Look through the brief from your client and begin to ask questions about any vagueness or lazy brief writing you might find there. ‘The logo should be iconic’ and ‘The logo should be memorable’ are two extremely clichéd phrases you need to pull your client up about.

A man kicking a chicken dressed as Father Christmas is memorable but for the wrong reasons. So, as with all commissioned design work, you need to manage your client’s expectations, set realistic goals and find out what exactly your work needs to convey. Logo designs become iconic and memorable: they’re not created that way.

13. Mind mapping and mood boards

Use mind-mapping techniques to organise your thoughts into something more coherent

These sorts of tools can help you straighten out your thoughts and mix up different images and ideas. Play with keywords and synonyms and gather a multitude of inspirations from different sources onto a single mood board to see how they combine.

14. Create a board and rip it up

You could research logo designs all day as there are books and websites by the score containing examples of them. Only make mood boards out of ones that share similar values. Look at your mood board and analyse what isn’t successful about these logos. Then rip those boards up and use these rules as a guide for your own unique creation.

Creative journey

Why you should embrace every step of your creative journey?

My Dad would take my family on long drives when I was little. Sat in the back, onwards towards our destination, I’d stare out the window at the rolling scenery, stuck in a deep daydream of endlessly fantastical ideas.

As a child, I was never really interested in completing anything, and I think that’s why it felt so easy to come with up ideas. In my early twenties, I was always focused on the end destination and not the journey. I wanted to draw for a living but lacked the finances and resources, and I didn’t start my career as an illustrator until years after university.

In order to keep a roof over my head, I worked full-time in a bookshop for about seven years. The whole time I was there, I felt as if all my constructive and creative time was evaporating. I lived in a perpetual cycle of wishing I was somewhere else, doing something else. That something else was, of course, drawing.

Now, in my mid-thirties, my job is to draw educational books for children, and in hindsight, working in the bookshop was one of the best things to have ever happened to me. What better way to find an audience? What better way to learn all about the books lining the shelves? And even more so – to learn about books that hadn’t yet been created? Through interacting with people and listening to their needs and wants, I had an insight into gaps in the market. This helped me find a purpose and, more importantly, something I could lend my visual abilities to.

Professor Astro Cat is a resurrected character from one of Ben’s old logo jobs

In 2009, I was frustrated with the range of solar system posters and children’s books about space – they all looked the same. Most were designed with stock art, overly complicated text and cold, robotic design. Unlike fiction books for kids, the non-fiction books were produced only to serve a purpose, rather than to be treasured, adored and loved.

This frustration led me to contact my publisher, Nobrow, about creating a fully illustrated book about space. I then asked my old friend and physicist, Dr Dominic Walliman, to write it; resurrected a character from an old, failed logo design job back in 2007; and Professor Astro Cat was born. Over the last six years, this series has become my dream job. It’s a job about making educational books (and apps) for children, with love.

As long as you are determined to get to the destination, there are no wrong directions, just different paths. I took the scenic route, and I would encourage you not to panic if you end up doing the same. There are no wrong directions, just different paths.

As a graphic designer

As a graphic designer, there are many tools and techniques you’ll want to master. Whether you use Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, other software or even the traditional pen and paper, we’ve got tips and tutorials that’ll help you develop your style, increase your skill set and inspire you to try something new.If you’re interested in mastering the art of pattern design, learning how to use geometric shapes and textures in your designs, finding out how to create urban type or working with a retro style on a new project, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got all that and more from experts including Rachel Cave, Loulou & Tummie, Gordon Reid and Ciara Phelan.

Design Trends 2018

Design Trends 2018: 28 leading designers, creative directors & illustrators tell us what’s inspiring them for the year ahead

Find out 2018’s biggest trends across graphic, data, digital and UX design, creative direction, branding, illustration, VFX and VR.

Many designers expressed an industry wide calling to improve diversity at the start of 2017, and not just over the gender divide, but the gaping social and ethnic divide also. We saw significant improvement as a result throughout the year, but there are further expectations for transformation and equality following social movements such as #metoo. The creative community was still coming to terms with Brexit and Trump’s inauguration this time a year ago, but this year there are new external impacts on the design community.Instead of asking leading creative professionals from all sectors to somehow predict visual trends for the year ahead, we unpick what changes are expected in 2018, what is hoped to not happen, how work will be different in form and function and what key skills will be learnt in the year ahead.This year we’ve decided to focus on mainly UK-based creative and art directors, UX designers, freelance illustrators, lead designers, data viz designers and agency founders. Twenty-five practitioners explain their hopes to improve accessibility of technology, risk-taking with creativity, the merging of digital and analogue methods, designing with small budgets for small screens, the power of animation and coding, a massive return to craftsmanship, and of course, the question on many people’s lips, how artificial intelligence and machine learning will influence art. There’s lots to be excited about.

Most of us will want to put politics behind us, but trends that most affect our practice aren’t just Pantone’s colour of the year – but the highs and lows of deep cultural, social, business, political and technological changes that happen in the world around us. This includes diminishing of art education, encouraged sustainability, the rise in freelance designers and what that means for agencies, an increase of illustrators as influencers, how we use new smart design tools, and most importantly, how we all stayed untied. This, along with what our clients want and what possibilities we have to engage our audience with.

We’ve asked some of the smartest people across graphic, digital and immersive design, illustration, creative direction, advertising, VFX to tell us what they think – and you can’t help but be inspired by what they say.

This image is from our guide to 2018’s visual trends. The colour palette for this feature is based on Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2018, Ultraviolet.

How To Create a LOGO

THE TIPS AND TECHNIQUES EXPLAINED MAY BE OUTDATED.

Follow this logo design process walkthrough to see the making of a cubist style logo design made up of lots of detailed vector facets. Not only will we be creating the actual design in Adobe Illustrator, but I’ll also be describing the whole logo design process in this tutorial, from the initial sketches right through to finishing off the final design.

Raven logo design

The logo we’re creating as part of this tutorial is a trendy “Cubist” style logo made up of lots of detailed elements to form an larger object. The design is based on a fictional brand or company named Raven, but the whole process is the same for a live client (just without the infinite cycle of changes and revisions!). We’ll first create the full colour logo in all its glory with gradients and effects, then tone back the logo to create flat and mono versions to provide a versatile design for use in any situation.

It’s worth starting any logo design project with a sketch. Our fictional brand of raven is simply going to be based on the Raven breed of bird, but for live projects you may need to brainstorm ideas on how to visually represent a company’s values. Sketch out a some basic raven poses to find a typical profile that would be easily recognisable at small scales.
Curved lines can lead to the profile being mistaken for a seagull or a pigeon, so stick to sharp lines to relate to that predator nature of ravens and crows.

Once you’re happy with your overall silhouette or profile open up Adobe Illustrator and draw your outline with the pen tool using simply clicks. Trace a stock photograph to ensure you capture all the necessary proportions.

The design we’re creating is based on the cubist style to spice up the design with some fancy effects. Draw intersecting lines between each corner point of the outline.

Add a range of intersecting lines until the design is made up of plenty of facets. Don’t go too far though as any tiny facets will be lost at small scales, which is generally how logos are used. Select all the intersecting lines and press CMD+8 to create a Compound Path.

Select both the compound path lines and the overall outline and hit the Divide option from the Pathfinder palette. Right click and Ungroup the objects.

Set up a series of colour blocks to form a simple palette, then fill the individual shapes of your cubist design with these colours.

Once all the segments have been filled make a duplicate of the design. We’ll package up this flat colour version of the logo with the final files. Make a copy of the swatches and replace the fills of each block with subtle gradients.

Replace all the flat colour segments with their gradient counterpart, then go through each individual shape with the Gradient tool to adjust the direction of the gradient flow.

The main logo symbol is complete, so we can now move onto the type. A series of sans-serif contestants were laid out to compare their overall form. The more realist styles with the straight leg of the letter R seem to have a more modern and stylish appearance that suits the straight lines of the logo symbol.

One clear winner out of all the fonts is the Futura typeface. Its sharp points relate well to the clean lines used in the creation of the raven symbol.

Next it’s time to combine both the type and the logo. Positioning the raven symbol facing away from the type leaves an awkward space between the two elements, whereas the breast and head naturally surround the first letter when it’s faced in the opposite direction.

Finally the type and symbol are balanced in size by scaling the type to 1/3 of the overall size of the symbol. The tracking is also increased to increase the spacing between each letter to match the whitespace between the two objects.

The full colour logo will be the primary design used in most situations, but it’s always worth creating flat and mono versions for ultra small sizes or when inverted on a black background.

Raven logo design

All the designs can then be exported and compiled into a complete package and handed over to the client. The final layout shows the full colour primary logo, the flat and mono versions and the cubist style pattern, which could be used in any additional branding, such as the website design, business cards or stationery.