Master the Logo Brainstorming Session
Scenario 1: You Are a New Business Owner With a New Brand.
So, you’ve finally done it. You pulled the trigger, followed your dreams and here you are with a brand new business that needs to be, well..branded! You are working with a blank canvas, which means you have decisions to make when it comes to creating your first logo. And honestly, this is a tough place to start. There are a couple of things to consider throughout your brainstorming process and solid starting points for each:
Does your business represent you or a service that you personally offer? Some of these types of businesses might include life coaching, interior design, and massage therapy. You get to brand yourself!
Be authentic, creative, and expressive. Dive deep into the colors, themes, and concepts that truly make you shine and represent your inner personal values while also incorporating elements that convey your business and service.
Does your business represent an industry-specific service such as a plumbing company, a daycare provider, or a bakery? Most businesses will fall under this category.
Starting Points:
1. Study your competition. See what your competitors are doing in terms of their branding. How do they represent the industry? Does it seem outdated? Does every logo seem similar?
2. Understand your audience. How do they view the industry? How will you fill their needs? How might they represent your company?
3. Don’t be afraid to be different. Understanding your industry and your audience will set your design boundaries and give you enough room to let yourself stand out. You aren’t confined to being basic.
Designer Tips:
Do your homework. The last thing you want to offer is a design that has been circulated throughout the industry.
Try a word dump. List out any and all words that relate to the industry, product or service offered. This can give you out-of-the-box ideas that may layout perfectly in your design.
Scenario 2: You Are a Business Owner That Needs a Fresh Look and Feel
So, you’ve been riding it out with this outdated logo that served its purpose but no longer speaks to the direction your brand is going. Your customers and clients recognize the logo because it was designed over a decade ago. It can be hard to cut ties – we get it! But it’s time.
As the world becomes engorged in a digital capacity you need to keep up. Your website, your social networks, your ability for customers to reach you – need to serve their purpose or you’ll lose valuable leads. If you have neglected those areas of your marketing strategy for years because your logo isn’t worth showing off – we ask you to take the leap with a few suggestions to make the process more smooth.
- Keep what is working, and leave the rest. What is it about your current logo that you like? What about your logo do your customers appreciate? Think about those design elements that are a vital part of your brand.
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- If this is a character or an icon – how can you revamp that element of your logo to hold onto the deep-rooted history and meaning that your audience expects?
- You might have a color palette that is important to the brand. Those are very easy elements to incorporate into a new design.
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2. Don’t be afraid to disappoint. Change is weird, some people are going to love a fresh new look and others might take some time getting used to. Expect positive and negative feedback.
3. Trust the process, it should be fun! There are many rounds throughout the brainstorming and design process. Ideas come out of nowhere and can often happen down the line. Give yourself and your designer enough time to sketch out and rework designs as they change.
Designer Tips:
Ask questions. This can be a new and sometimes uncomfortable process for business owners who have loved their logo for years but now recognize that it is no longer functional. The more questions you ask, the better idea you will get of how far outside of the original design you can go.
Always offer multiple different versions. This will allow space for you to get creative with new concepts while giving options that are similar to the previous logo.