01 - CLIENT BRIEF
So you’ve done the groundwork and a new client has requested your services for a new logo. In an ideal world a face to face chat would be ideal, but as we are currently dealing with COVID restrictions, a Zoom call or email is a good alternative. Find out as much as you can from your client. What is the target audience? Where is the logo going to be used? Do they require a brand guideline pdf? Take this time to agree time scales and then you both know what can be achieved and what is expected.
02 - RESEARCH
An important part of the initial design process, you need to get a feel for the company, and what image they portray to the public and their customers. Look at their website and social media posts. Find out what their customers like or dislike, what are their competitors doing? Feedback to the client at this stage with your ideas, they may have strong views that they want to include in the logo/brand. Don’t forget colour and typography!
03 - MAKE A START
The best bit - idea generation! Put pencil too paper and get designing, scribble down anything that comes to mind, it’s so much easier to do these again and again with a pencil and notepad!
04 - ONTO THE MAC
From the sketches, you should have 2 or 3 options that fulfil the clients’ brief. The idea must be memorable, original, personal to the client and their business and appropriate for the target audience. A huge majority of graphic designers use the industry standard Adobe Creative Cloud - InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. As a rule, Illustrator is used for vector based designs, Photoshop for raster images and photography work and InDesign for page layouts and editorial. Remember to keep looking at your research, and the original client brief, making sure your logo proposal sits within these guidelines.
05 - PRESENT
One of the most nerve-racking parts of this process, prepare to be critiqued! A presentation can be face to face, a video call or an email. Remember to explain your reasons behind each design and why you think it will work for them.
06 - FEEDBACK
The client will then give feedback. They may want tweaks to colours or another typeface choice. In my experience they have only been small tweaks that are not too detrimental to the design. Don’t be afraid to explain why you think some of their comments may not work.
07 - DELIVERY
So the logo is approved, the client loves it and can’t wait to use it and get it out there. For a logo design, it’s best to supply an ai and eps version, Jpeg, Pdf, plus a landscape, portrait and icon version. Offer the client a Social Media pack, that will include all the versions they need for their relevant social media platforms. Now it’s time to send off the invoice!