Story: Branding and logo
“Branding is a set of marketing and communication methods that help to distinguish a company or products from competitors, aiming to create a lasting impression in the minds of customers.”
A logo (an abbreviation of logotype) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wordmark. – Wikipedia
Logo is part of a brand. It should be identifiable, scalable, memorable and simple. Designer has to consider it works even monotone and usage of social media. If audience can recognize it even favicon, it’s great.
Entrepreneur: The Basics of Branding
Basic procedure
01. Design Brief
Get to know the client’s business.
02. Research
Conduct research focused on the industry, its history, and competitors.
03. Brainstorming
Conceptualize ideas and make decisions on the possible design directions.
04. Sketching
Develop the logo design concepts around the brief and research.
05. Design Execution
Select promising logo design concepts and execute them digitally.
06. Presentation
Present logo designs concepts in context of applications relevant to the client.
07. Revisions / Approval
Make changes if necessary. Together with the client arrive on the best solution.
08. Delivery
Deliver the final logo artwork and identity guidelines.
VI(visual identity) has to be memorable(unique), appropriate(in industry), scalability(big and small). Recently, we have to consider the usage of social media. Therefore, mostly logo is simple, but it depends on your skill and creativity.
edaqdesign: Logo Design Process From Start To Finish
HubSpot: How to Create a Logo: Designers Give a Look Inside Their Process
Font discovery
Google Fonts
Fonts – Fontfabric™
MyFonts
You can compare the letter which you need(company name, product name or service name) exactly at each site. Problem perhaps is that you need to know the voice of the company, product/service. Is it male or female? You may also need to know who the audience is. San serif, serif, script, each style of fonts have a different voice(meaning). In addition, there are over hundreds of fonts each style. The fonts have a history(story), why it’s created. You have to articulate the words why you chose it when you present idea to the client.
Research helps you to decide a direction.
How to Choose the Right Font for Your Design and Create the Perfect Font Combination
Logomark
Google Images
Google Images shows a lot of images based on your keywords. Please search appropriate keywords, add some flexibly. You can show your creativity(human brain) at this point. Your value is how to combined idea A and idea B. It is not only same industry. You can discover the othe industry as well.
Let’s drag and drop by intuition. Then, categorize them in 3 hours.
Behance and dribbble may also help your brainstorm. I search keywords and pick up over 100 logomarks in 1 hour. I categorize, district, combine and create a few logos. I usually submit 3 plans. So, I have to create more than 3.
How To Present Logo Designs and Identity Projects to Clients
Process
1. Discovery
2. Collaborative
3. Stylescape
Presentation
1. Story(add context with logic)
2. Process
3. Display your 3 works
*Align to stylescape
*Procedure
*Logo on white background
*Logo on black background
*Mockup, large and tiny format
Research first. It’s better to set a timeline. Correcting information on the internet is never end. You have to search the right words to get the right information. Let’s try it within 3 hours.
Dribbble: How to not screw up a logo design: 6 essential tips
*No. 2 & 4 are good example to enhance a good impression in your presentation. Technic is no big deal right now.
Case study: Lusha by Flux
In this video, a client told, I’m not sure glasses will work for a data company. This is great constructive feedback. The logo was completed by it.
Designer sometimes upsets to client feedback. If you can explain your plan logically, you can tell them your opinion. If a client even wants to update based on their idea, why not follow it. In my case, a client is an expert in their industry. They also have an objective viewpoint. Therefore, please don’t be stubborn even you are professional. Listen to client opinion. It enhances the quality of the logo often.
Provide impact without persuasion
Technically everyone can make a logo through the internet. The value is between $0 to $100K. Therefore, once you work with a client fortunately, you have to show your value, how you are better than the other cheap options.
Design is a service job. You have to be transparent. You have to share the process of work. You may need to facilitate a design sprint with them to align a direction before creation. Output must excellent quality. Without it, you cannot earn trusty. Please watch the video above. Apply it to your work. You can charge at least $1000 for logo. Good luck.
