I recently designed a logo for Owl's Head Business Services, a consulting firm with locations in Portland, OR and Brooklyn, NY.
Here's the finished logo:
Over the years of designing logos I created the interface you're viewing to help experiment with logo creation and give clients an inside perspective on the process.
You can use the controls on the right to change the size and color of the logos.
Click "OPTIONS" at the top of the page to change the size and color of the logos.
Getting to Know the Client
Every client is a little different. If you want to create a quality logo for them, you need to develop a deep understanding of their business and audience.
Before meeting with Kelly Janes, the owner of Owl's Head Business Services, I did some preliminary research. I read through their existing website, viewed some of their work, and researched some of their competitors.
Then I met with Kelly and asked questions. Lots of questions. I have a list of questions that I started with, but the conversation started to grow naturally after the first few questions. This is one of the most important steps of the design process, but many designers don't put enough emphasis on this stage before jumping into sketches.
The questions I asked fell into two categories; practical and aesthetic. Practical questions concern their business, services, industry, target demographics, and what separates them from the competition. Aesthetic questions concern their visual taste. Do they like or dislike certain colors or fonts? Are there other logos that they really like?
Physical Sketches
Next I started sketching. The quickest and most effective way to explore a large number of ideas is the old fashioned way; a pencil and a sketchbook.
For this logo I needed to incorporate the owl motif, while conveying the positive elements of the company I was designing for. I also needed to make it memorable, visually appealing, and simple enough to be easy to recognize at a small size, or in black and white.
Digital Sketches
Then I used Adobe Illustrator to generate vector versions of some of the best physical sketches.
Typefaces
Once I had some digital sketches I liked, I started to work on choosing a typeface. A typeface is a family of fonts that includes a number of different styles. Many software programs such as Microsoft Word incorrectly refer to typefaces as fonts.
The correct typeface can increase legibility and improve a brand's image. The wrong typeface can convey the incorrect message or appear unprofessional.
I experimented with a number of different typeface combinations.
Type and Icon Combinations
The client had decided on a few icons and typefaces they liked, so I began working to combine them. This was the final stage before a round of revision after client feedback.
The Finished Logo
I met with the client again to review the logos I'd designed. We discussed the strengths of various logos and how they conveyed different aspects of her business and brand. She settled on the logo below as best representing her company. I generated the logo in a number of different formats she could use across a range of media. I sent them over to Kelly, and she quickly began to integrate them into her website, social media, and branding.
Need a Logo Designed For Your Company?
I'd be happy to help design your perfect logo. Let's grab a cup of coffee and discuss your needs. Shoot me an email!
Thanks For Reading!
I hope you enjoyed reading this and maybe learned a thing or two. If you did make sure to sign up for my newsletter by filling out the form below. You can also check out my portfolio to see other projects.