With all of the tools and resources available today, developing a logo for your brand is easier than ever. As a marketing expert with over 20 years of experience, I’ve worked with many companies on creating brands, usually starting with messaging, brand personality, and competitor analysis. Then, finally at the end of the process, working on the brand visuals—including a logo. The traditional process can be time-consuming and expensive. You’d work with an ad agency through this whole process, and when you get to the brand visuals, you get two options and hopefully end up really loving one. But now, you can use online platforms and even AI to generate logo options quickly.
When friends and family start their own business and need a logo, they often ask me to create one for them. I always send them to online services like 99designs instead because, for the price, I simply can’t compete. You can get hundreds of logo options in just a couple of days—whereas if I did it myself, it would take much longer, give them fewer options, and cost significantly more.
That said, using these services effectively requires some prep work. When I send friends to these services, I also usually give them advice on how to get the best results, as it is somewhat of an art form.
1. Lay the Foundation for Your Logo and Brand
Before starting a project on these sites, ask yourself a few key questions:
- Do you have a finalized business name?
- How do you want the name displayed? (e.g., Starfish vs. Starfish Inc. vs. Starfish LLC). Unsure of the difference between a brand (trade) name vs. a legal name? Read this: LegalZoom Article
- Do you have a tagline? And, should it be part of your logo?
- Who’s your audience?
2. Consider Your Brand’s Personality
Your brand’s personality will influence the logo design. Think about the following:
- Determine your brand’s archetype. If you’re unfamiliar with archetypes, you can use this quiz to help you. (And don’t be surprised if there are two or three archetypes that feel right for your brand. Many brands combine archetypes, but you’ll want to choose one as the dominant one.)
- What emotion or feeling do you want to convey?
- What colors do you love (or dislike)?
- What colors are common in your industry? (e.g., Medical brands often use blues and avoid bodily fluid colors like red, green, or yellow; spas lean toward warm, calming colors like blues and greens.)
- What design elements or styles do you like? Do you want something classic with clean lines? Do you prefer a more free-flowing design? Would a graffiti-style logo fit your brand?
Providing clear direction helps designers create something you’ll love.
3. Your Input Determines Your Output
There’s a saying in marketing: The output is only as good as the input. If you don’t give the designer enough information, they won’t be able to deliver something you truly love. Be clear about your brand identity, preferences, and expectations to get the best possible result.
Ways to help graphic designers create better logos for you:
- What you don’t like is just as important as what you do like. Putting together examples of logos you like and don’t like will guide the graphic designers. Even taking the time to explain why will help them.
- Combine all of these inputs into a Word document or PowerPoint so the designers can scan and understand what you’re looking for quickly.
4. Engage with the Designers to create the
If you haven’t ever used a service like 99designs before, you will want to understand how it works. It’s typically a contest in three phases. The winning design usually gets paid, and each phase narrows down the selection:
- Phase 1: The most designs are submitted, and you provide initial feedback.
- Phase 2: You choose the top designs and work with the designers to refine them.
- Phase 3: You finalize the best designs and make your selection.
Tips for Getting the Best Logo Designs:
- Award payment regardless of whether you choose a logo. More designers are likely to participate if they know the contest is guaranteed to be paid.
- Engage with the tool. Invite designers whose logos you like to create one for you in phase 1, and make sure to tell them that you appreciate their work or specific designs you like and why.
- Give designers constant feedback. If a design misses the mark don’t just write it off, give them some feedback. Or if a design is nice but uses colors you don’t like, let them know! Many designers are willing to make multiple changes to get it right.
Each logo design platform may vary slightly, so be sure to check how they manage their contests.
You’ll want a vector file as the final output. While you may not be able to open this file format without software like Adobe Illustrator, your signage company and other marketing partners will need it. Additionally, request PNG and JPEG files in RGB and CMYK formats, along with the corresponding color information. Unsure of RGB and CMYK? Check out this VistaPrint article for a quick primer.
With these steps, you’ll be well-equipped to create a logo that represents your brand beautifully and effectively!
And, when you’re ready to think beyond your logo, you can check out how to make your brand unforgettable!
