logo development: a 3-part series
Friday, April 30, 2010
part 2: analysis and design
the finished product of a logo, if done well, is a deceptively simple and effective mark, revealing very little about the process that goes into its development. clients and friends often think we designers sit down, play with a few shapes, choose a typeface and within an hour or so an effective logo is born, but it’s actually a much more involved process. last month, we looked at all the preliminary research that goes into design preparation. this month, we’ll talk about developing a creative brief from the research, and executing the design itself.
why do you need a creative brief?
a creative brief is a document that summarizes the goals and directives of a design project. once the research has been done, it’s time to analyze it, and distill it to a few ideas with a main strategy. creating a document like this is key to a logo & identity development, for one thing, it’s important to formulate a plan and state exactly what the creative product should say and do so the design can accurately reflect the business’ goals and objectives. for another, the design process often leads people to second-guess, maybe remember that one thing someone said, or wonder if they should go in a different direction, which can be a costly and time-squandering endeavor. having a brief that states a solid plan based on research that everyone involved can refer to is a good way to dispel these worries and stay on track.
how do you write a creative brief?
in my opinion, writing a creative brief should be a collaborative process between the designer and client. the designer understands market positioning, and how imagery can speak to different demographics, but the client has had far more experience with their own target markets and can give a lot of background information on what has worked the the past, how the climate may be changing, and which of their competitors is having positive effects on the market. i like to start with the company’s mission statement, and then work in 3s. in all the notes and brainstorm sessions, what are 3 words that should describe how this company will be perceived with the new logo? what are the top 3 target market personality types this business serves? what are the top 3 concerns of the customers of this business? what are 3 adjectives that describe the attitude of this business with regard to corporate voice and customer service? you can add categories that are industry-specific if needed. once you have finalized these lists, you can use the brief to analyze the designs to make sure they’ll communicate the company objectives. remember: you use this brief as the treasure map to success. it’s all about staying committed to what you set out to do in the brief, not reinterpreting it along the way & getting lost.
the design process
finally! with the creative brief as a directive, the designer can get going on ideas for your logo. different designers have different ways of working, but i usually set a number of logo options to be developed at the outset of the project. taking the notes in the brief and the company name into consideration, i play with shapes and objects that may be associated with the company name, and styles that are in line with the company attitude & target markets described in the brief. if typesetting of the company name is involved, i look at typefaces that communicate the main ideas in the brief—is it friendly first, or serious and austere? the use of type and customization of letterforms can play a big part in how a logo communicates. finally, i play with color. it’s important that a logo is recognizable without depending on color, so i work in black first, and then look into a color palette when i’m farther along. design is an empathetic process. as designers we try to identify with what you want as clients, and who your customers are and how they will interact with your brand. it’s a lot to keep in mind at once, but we get into this mindset, creating an identity that satisfies the requirements in the brief becomes like an abstract puzzle we solve with intuition and experience. that’s why all this research and preparation is so important, without it as the basis for guiding visual development, you run the risk of ending up with an identity that fails to communicate the core values of your business, lacks meaning, or feels dated after a short time and needs revision.
refining the best options
after the most creative part of the design process happens, there will be a lot of great ideas to work with and refine into finals for presentation. the designer will go through a process of editing to the very best options using the brand brief as a guide. the final options have to not only be good, they have to work in all types of situations, so the designer will do some preliminary testing using brand touchpoints defined at the outset of the job. how does each option look small, on a branded gift, how would it work in an ad, are there products it should go on, etc. when the designer is confident that each option is not only a great representation of the business, but works in each context where it will be seen, the finals are ready to present.
now that the design process is underway, it won’t be long before the designer has some comps for presentation. next month, i’ll describe the revision process and talk about how the designer formulates a style guide for how to use your logo. if you have any questions, please let me know so i can address them.
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[...] sourcing your designer, and research on how to best communicate your brand in the market. next month we’ll look at writing up the design brief and the stages of the design process on t…. if you have any questions you’d like addressed, drop me a line and i’ll try to work [...]
[...] within an hour or so an effective logo is born, but it’s actually a much more involved process. last month, we examined creating a brand brief from planning and research, and the design process. in this final issue, we’ll go through revisions, finalization, creation of a style guide, [...]