You have worked through our business start-up list and completed the checklist to get your business going. Now you want to get your brand designed. Whether you want to use our service or another designers services there is indeed a few things to think about to get the most out of your brand. I’ve put together a list of the ten things I want to know before I start designing.
You have a basic idea, yet that is not enough. You need to help your designer establish what you need to make your brand design; the best. I believe in GIGO, garbage in garbage out. The more detailed your answers the better the outcome. Below are my thoughts on what helps a designer create a truly memorable brand design.
The first few questions are to establish a better understanding of the business and what markets it is active in.
- Describe your company.
If your designer knows what you do how you do it and why you do it. It becomes easier to translate it into the visual world. - Get some keywords together that describes your business.
This is almost the same as the top question, however, it describes clearly outside a business perspective what the client (You) value in your business. This will ultimately help sharpen the visual aid for your business identity. - What makes your company different?
Describing what sets you apart from the rest help us designers figure out how to make your brand stand out more the more aspects we have the more options we have to tailor your logo to a distinct look for you. - Who is your target market?
If your designer knows who the logo is for, it’s easier to work on a preferred style that works for that audience, for instance, something that is appealing for Nanna might not be interesting for a young mother. Insight is one of the key ingredients to a logo that works well. - Who is your competition?
Knowing the competitors allows your designer to have a look at what is out there, what works for the market and how to distinguish your brand from theirs.
The second set of questions is more focused on what you want to do with your logo ie where will it be used what is your preferences and from here on it is a much smoother road to getting a logo that works well.
- How and where will you use the logo?
How will your logo be displayed, on what and what other applications do you have for your logo, this matters quite a lot. Having a very detailed logo and making small prints is quite frustrating or having a portrait logo having to fit on a landscape image. These things all matter. Think about where and how all you would like to use your logo. - Do you have some examples of what you like or prefer?
It is always a good idea to put together a few samples of brands and logos you like. This will give your designer a clue to what you would prefer to remember you are a major part of your brand and the designer wishes to not only capture the essence of your brand but your influence into it as well. - What is your company colors?
If you’ve read my articles I did a whole piece on color and color use in brands and the emotions it evokes in us. This would be a great time to give it a read. Article: What does color have to do with it?. The color is crucial not only because of the emotions it promotes in its viewers but also on the schedule and emotions of your designer. We designers can get lost in color - Do you have a tagline or any other elements you want on your logo?
If your designer has designed a good looking logo without a tagline it might be difficult to add it in later. The more your designer knows the better your results will be. - What is your budget, and when do you want it?
A very important question, and no your budget doesn’t mean you’re getting a lower class logo or a cheaper one. Your designer is going to put in the effort if you’re paying more or if you’re paying less. The designer will design your logo.Your budget does affect the amount of refining work, research time and a number of samples the designer does, furthermore a more expensive logo packages are normally more expensive because it includes extras like corporate stationery and perhaps a style and image guide. A logo design can take time, yes drawing the figures and getting a look is not a massive process but that is not all that happens.Your designer will do research on you, your brand your market, look into what is current trends and all sorts of behind the scenes thinking and working through. It will take a good couple of sketches and tries before a designer gets a logo that they are happy with, and only then will they present you with a design. It is important to know how long a designer has to bring you the logo of your dreams.
I hope that this short article sheds some light on what you can expect when thinking of creating a new logo. Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
