Logo design can either be hit or miss. We often make the mistake of trying to engage a designer without having a clear idea of what we want. The results are often mediocre or bad designs. In this post, we will cover 5 tips on how to get better logo designs.
1. Prepare a Design Brief
A Design Brief is a simple one-page document that outlines your design requirements. Try to be as specific or as descriptive as possible without being vague. Be sure to check for spelling and grammar mistakes. Be clear and concise. I recommend limiting the brief to one-page but feel free to make it 2 pages if needed. Simplify your wording by rewriting the brief a couple of times.
Things to include in your design brief:
- Company Name / Product / Service
- Description of Company / Product / Service
- Target Audience (age, gender, occupation, interests, location, etc.)
- What makes you different or unique from the competition
- Logo design specifics
- Style (i.e. minimal, 3D)
- Feminine vs. Masculine
- Number of colours
- Fonts, etc.
- Required file type (i.e. PDF, AI, EPS)
2. Sketch out your concept
Sketch out your idea for a logo. It doesn’t have to be perfect but it has to show enough to get your designer started on the right path. Take a photo of your sketch and send it to your designer.
Sketching can also be very helpful during the revision process. Print out the draft logo from your designer and mark-up the changes you need.
3. Include examples
Send your designer examples of logo designs that resonate with you. Point out specific elements of a design that you want incorporated in your own logo.
4. Pre-select fonts and colour scheme
You can do some of the legwork ahead of time by selecting fonts and colours ahead of time. By doing so, you your designer can focus their energy on the design elements that require more creativity. Fonts and colours can always be easily changed, so don’t worry if your designer ends up making other recommendations.
We have covered font and colour selection before. Refer to the posts below for our guide.
How to pick print colours for your logo
5. Decide on what file type you need
I would recommend getting your final design delivered in both vector and raster formats. Beware of receiving only PNG and JPG files. PNG and JPG are okay to use in websites and other digital applications but often aren’t suited for printing.
Get as many file type versions as you can (AI, PDF, EPS, JPG, PNG). At a minimum, you should get the vector PDF file of your design.
Need some inspiration for your next logo? Visit our Pinterest page for a collection of design concepts to help you get started.
