Hello all. Years ago when I worked at an advertising agency and did design work we would sit down with potential clients and discuss their brand and their business to get a good understanding before we began logo design. Many times we would ask simple questions that would leave knowledgeable businessmen befuddled. For some clients it would take a LONG TIME for us to get an understanding of what they wanted because many people think designers and marketers are some kind of machine you put a quarter in and out pops an amazing logo. It would be a heated back-and-forth with both client and designer becoming frustrated. Sometimes what they had in their minds-eye was not going to work aesthetically. So if everyone doesn't mind, I'm going to list a few questions to pose to yourself and have answered for when you do sit down with a creative designer and want a logo that pops and stands out amongst the trash that's out there. Here we go:
1) Briefly describe your company and what it does.
(If you don't know, we're in trouble. You want to convey an image! Get this handled. Don't go crazy, a couple of sentences will suffice and avoid jargon. A designer doesn't care that you have a great industry vocabulary. Break it down purple dinosaur style for them.)
2) Briefly describe your target audience.
(60 year old quilters and 25 year old skateboards have different opinions on what looks appealing)
3) What do you want to have?
- Logo for a new company?
- New logo for an existing company?
- Products/service/event logo?
- Other?
(Designers will do research based on what is out there, current trends and what your competition is doing. It saves time for them and for you if this information is disseminated.)
4) Exact name or abbreviation to be on the logo.
(Gotta know the name. But make sure that it will be the name that is consistent throughout your marketing mix. i.e. The name is the same online as it will be on your letterhead. This way you have a consistent brand image.)
5) What type of feel for your logo?
(Some examples: High Tech, Formal/Corporate, Artsy, Contemporary, Casual, Medical, Antique, Industrial, Kids, Other, I don't know. Pick one, pick multiple. This just helps a good designer narrow down a great design for you instead of trying 50 million logo iterations that you hate.)
6) How many colors should the logo have?
(1 to infinite? This does matter later on when it comes to printing or putting it on other materials. Prices in printing and prices on other merchandise increase exponentially when you add more colors to the mix. Online it doesn't matter much. But, you'll have to think ahead to determine if maybe in the future you'll use the logo with all the pretty colors or you'll use a different iteration because cost of printing for those shirts will be sky-high!)
7) Company colors or desired colors.
(Always loved the color red? You want one of the colors as your Alma Mater? Hate the color orange? Let the designer know before he makes you that gorgeous logo with the color that's the same as your exes hair.)
8) Any special requirements?
(If you want a leaf in the logo because it's going to be a part of your brand, let the designer know. Let them go crazy with it, it might surprise you.)
9) Do you want to include a tagline/slogan?
(The bane of a designer is when you have a beautiful designed logo that's simple, yet pops and then someone says: "Oh, can you put down our tagline of 'Bringing you the best widgets since 1910'?" That will take more time and more headache for the both of you.)
10) Where do you plan to use your logo?
- Internet
- Print
- Both
(Each medium will have its own unique challenges. There are certain things you can get away with in terms of design with a logo online than you can't with a print medium. Better to know this upfront.)
11) What type of creative strategy are you looking for?
(This is where you give the designer some more pointers, maybe a logo or two of another company that you liked or maybe some of your own ideas. Keep in mind that many designers are very creative and have ideas of their own. Maybe those ideas will be better than yours, maybe not. It's always best in giving someone good directions and let them be creative. A great design could totally come out of left field and be not what your expecting.)
These are just a few questions that need to be answered to get a great logo design. The alternative is WASTING TIME and seeing many iterations that neither of you like and having a horrible experience. If you know these questions a good creative will see that you have your stuff together and it will help both of you get exactly what you want. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.
1) Briefly describe your company and what it does.
(If you don't know, we're in trouble. You want to convey an image! Get this handled. Don't go crazy, a couple of sentences will suffice and avoid jargon. A designer doesn't care that you have a great industry vocabulary. Break it down purple dinosaur style for them.)
2) Briefly describe your target audience.
(60 year old quilters and 25 year old skateboards have different opinions on what looks appealing)
3) What do you want to have?
- Logo for a new company?
- New logo for an existing company?
- Products/service/event logo?
- Other?
(Designers will do research based on what is out there, current trends and what your competition is doing. It saves time for them and for you if this information is disseminated.)
4) Exact name or abbreviation to be on the logo.
(Gotta know the name. But make sure that it will be the name that is consistent throughout your marketing mix. i.e. The name is the same online as it will be on your letterhead. This way you have a consistent brand image.)
5) What type of feel for your logo?
(Some examples: High Tech, Formal/Corporate, Artsy, Contemporary, Casual, Medical, Antique, Industrial, Kids, Other, I don't know. Pick one, pick multiple. This just helps a good designer narrow down a great design for you instead of trying 50 million logo iterations that you hate.)
6) How many colors should the logo have?
(1 to infinite? This does matter later on when it comes to printing or putting it on other materials. Prices in printing and prices on other merchandise increase exponentially when you add more colors to the mix. Online it doesn't matter much. But, you'll have to think ahead to determine if maybe in the future you'll use the logo with all the pretty colors or you'll use a different iteration because cost of printing for those shirts will be sky-high!)
7) Company colors or desired colors.
(Always loved the color red? You want one of the colors as your Alma Mater? Hate the color orange? Let the designer know before he makes you that gorgeous logo with the color that's the same as your exes hair.)
8) Any special requirements?
(If you want a leaf in the logo because it's going to be a part of your brand, let the designer know. Let them go crazy with it, it might surprise you.)
9) Do you want to include a tagline/slogan?
(The bane of a designer is when you have a beautiful designed logo that's simple, yet pops and then someone says: "Oh, can you put down our tagline of 'Bringing you the best widgets since 1910'?" That will take more time and more headache for the both of you.)
10) Where do you plan to use your logo?
- Internet
- Both
(Each medium will have its own unique challenges. There are certain things you can get away with in terms of design with a logo online than you can't with a print medium. Better to know this upfront.)
11) What type of creative strategy are you looking for?
(This is where you give the designer some more pointers, maybe a logo or two of another company that you liked or maybe some of your own ideas. Keep in mind that many designers are very creative and have ideas of their own. Maybe those ideas will be better than yours, maybe not. It's always best in giving someone good directions and let them be creative. A great design could totally come out of left field and be not what your expecting.)
These are just a few questions that need to be answered to get a great logo design. The alternative is WASTING TIME and seeing many iterations that neither of you like and having a horrible experience. If you know these questions a good creative will see that you have your stuff together and it will help both of you get exactly what you want. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.
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