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Getting back to basics: Creating a logo from start to finish
by Sitecritic .Net
When I began my career in the graphics industry, almost 17 years ago, I would
approach the design of any new logo by first taking out a pad of paper and a
pencil and sketching out basic ideas before diving into any real concept
creation. As computers and design software became more and more a part of the
design process I tended to find myself heading to the computer immediately to
put together my ideas. This only tended to result in a lot of time spent staring
at a blank computer screen. As my business expanded and time became a more
precious commodity I began to head back to my early days and approached my
designs again with a pencil and paper before sitting down at the computer. This
not only gave me more free time but helped me to increase the profitability of
my business. The following is an outline of the design process I now take
whenever I am creating a logo for a client. I hope it will inspire some of you
to take pencil in hand prior to sitting down in front of the computer.
Core Practice Partners is a leading international expert in Labor Management for
companies that don't work a traditional "9 to 5" schedule. Their clients have
included such industry leaders as Kraft, BMW, and General Electric. Their
approach to creating solutions for their clients is unique and their desire was
to have a logo that was both professional and creative.
They approached my company with a few ideas of their own, but were very
uncertain whether the look they truly wanted could be achieved. I first set up a
phone conference with their president, John Frehse, to discuss the goals he had
for the logo and how he wanted to be perceived by the clients he serviced. After
our initial discussion I sat down at the drawing board to rough out some ideas
for the logo. This is the normal approach that I take in the designing of any
logo. It allows for the creation of many concepts within a short period of time
and dramatically decreases the amount of time spent producing the initial
concepts to be presented to the client.
Once I had 6-8 rough ideas conceived I then scanned in the designs and used them
as templates for the creation of computer generated concepts. I typically place
them in the background and insert text and graphics over the top. Once the
groundwork has been laid in I then remove the sketch from the background and add
the finishing touches.
The initial presentation to the client contained anywhere 4 concepts that I felt
worked best with the impression they were looking to achieve. These first ideas
were presented in black & white. I have found that clients will initially lose
interest in a concept if the colors are not to their liking. On more than one
occasion I have seen ideas rejected solely on the basis of the colors used
without the client giving any regard to the overall design presented.
Once a concept was chosen by the client the design was revised, if necessary,
and then rendered in color and resubmitted to the client for approval. There are
usually 6-8 color renderings for the client to choose from, in this case there
were 8. Most of these featured colors from the same palette (warm, cool, etc.)
and there will be perhaps one or two ideas that could be considered "outside the
box". It is these additional color options that will either direct the client
towards the preferred palette or will illicit a sense of excitement from the
client about color choices they never imagined would be appealing. This can be
one of the steps where a real sense of creativity can be injected into the
design process.
The client immediately accepted one of the designs and now the only step left
was to finalize the project. I provide most of my clients with a CD that
contains their logo design in a number of different formats. Some designers may
feel this enables the client to take the design and use other sources for the
rest of their design work, but I have found that this merely gives the client a
sense that they have recieved something concrete and if I have done my job
correctly and have fulfilled all their desires then they will certainly use my
services again.
As it turned out in this case I was hired by Core Practice Partners to design
their stationery as well as numerous marketing materials. The logo of a company
is an integral part of their brand identity. By establishing a good relationship
with a client in this critical step towards creating the brand that will become
their public presence you can build a solid foundation to creating a long term
position as their designer of choice.
More images and details of the article can be viewed at
http://www.sitecritic.net/projectDetail.php?id=8
About the Author
www.Sitecritic.net Website Reviews,
Design Ideas is formed by a group of web addicts, mainly volunteers from all
over the world. Our goal is to create a community of web designers and
developers who share the common interest in bringing out the best in creating
effective web sites.
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