While all of our projects follow the same general roadmap, every client arrives with a different set of needs, goals, and constraints. No two businesses are built the same, and their brand shouldn’t be either. That’s why each project is tailored to fit the size of the company, the available budget, and the outcomes the client wants to achieve. The outline below walks through our process for developing a logo and brand identity from start to finish so you can feel familiar and confident with what we offer.
Step zero: Discovery
Every branding project usually begins with a short phone call or email exchange. From there, we send a link to our Brand Questionnaire. This helps us understand what a business is doing well, where it may need improvement, and what direction the brand should move in.
We ask that you include any inspiration items you may have such as logos you like, colors you’re drawn to, photos, or brands you admire. These references help us see the direction you have in mind as the final design evolves from those ideas.
For new businesses and startups, this step is especially important. We explore how you want your brand to look, feel, and sound, along with the type of impression you want it to leave on customers. The questionnaire also helps us understand how your business fits into its industry and (more importantly) how it can stand apart from competitors.
The questionnaire also asks about practical things: your audience, what makes your business different, what customers search for when they’re looking for services like yours, and the kind of personality you want your brand to communicate. Some clients already have clear answers to these questions, while others are still working them out. Both are completely normal.
Once we review your responses and any files you’ve uploaded, we use that information as the foundation for research, concept development, and the fun design work that follows!
Concepts, Sketches & Ideation
Once we review your questionnaire and supporting materials, discovery begins. This is where ideas start to take shape, long before anything appears on a screen. We sketch and sketch and sketch. Often dozens of concepts are whittled down to just a few that we experiment with in Illustrator.
Pushing through all these ideas helps uncover the strongest concepts and eliminates weaker directions early. It also insures the designs are truly our own. We do not use AI-generated artwork in our branding work. Inspiration can come from strong brands and the world around us, but our goal is never to replicate what already exists. Instead, we feel out what works and apply those principles to create something original (and human) for your business.
Mood boards can also be created during this stage if a client would like to explore visual direction more deeply. These boards collect images, colors, textures, and references that help establish the tone and personality of the brand before design begins.
By the end of this phase, the strongest ideas begin to emerge. Those concepts move forward into the digital design stage where they are refined, structured, and prepared for presentation.
Designs and Revisions
From the strongest concepts developed during discovery, we refine and prepare three design directions to present. Each concept is developed enough to show how the logo functions in real-world use, giving clients a clear understanding of the direction and flexibility of the mark.
Clients then select their preferred option and can request up to three rounds of revisions. During this phase we refine details such as spacing, balance, typography, and color so the final mark performs well and is something the client loves to use.
Delivery
Once the final logo is approved, we prepare and deliver a complete logo package so you can begin using your new brand immediately.
Delivered file formats include:
AI
EPS
SVG
JPG
PNG
Each package includes black and white, full color, and alternate layout versions (such as horizontal and vertical lockups) so the logo can be used consistently across websites, print materials, signage, apparel, and other marketing applications.
Future support
After the branding phase is complete, many businesses move into the next stage of putting that identity to work. Business cards, signage, vehicle graphics, apparel, marketing materials, packaging, and website graphics are common follow-up projects. We’re able to design and produce any of these assets so your brand remains consistent as it grows.
Brand guidelines and full brand presentations are also available as an additional service. These documents outline how to use the logo, colors, and typography across different mediums and can be helpful for teams, vendors, or larger organizations that need clear brand standards.
Most importantly, once the project is complete the files are yours. We provide the full design package and never hold assets hostage. You’re free to use the logo with any printer, sign shop, or vendor you choose.
Check out all of our logo design projects on our Blog.
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