Designing Logos

"Oh you're a designer? I've just had my business cards done - what do you think?" Every designer has encountered this type of scenario and I think it illustrates a chasm of understanding which has often to be bridged between designers and clients. Good graphic design is all about getting information delivered in a powerful, effective and efficient manner, often using subtle or subconscious visual cues to tell the story faster than any written or verbal language. Charles Eames explains design as "a plan for arranging elements in such a way as best to accomplish a particular purpose" and in this regard the designers' job is to find solutions to the problem the client is presented with. For example in the case of a business card the problem might be "how can I, in a brief moment and in a restricted traditional format, create an impression that sets me apart from others in my trade, one which will stick in the mind of my potential customer, and also promise them the qualities they are looking for in a supplier and motivate them to call?" So to assess how well a design solves that particular problem, it is clear that one needs to know quite a lot of information about the business, their competition and their target market.

In regards to the design of a logo, there may be far more complex factors at stake, such as the effect of the new identity on business staff, stakeholders or the community; the potential risk of equity in the case of a logo refresh; potential growth areas for the business which might need to be considered; future uses, placement, scale and reproduction methods; and a maze of other factors. A logo should aim to encompass all the values, goals, the points of difference, and the uniqueness of the business, use a visual language that will connect with the target market, and aim to make the target market feel something about the business. In this regard, the logo is one tool in a business' branding toolkit, but it is one device that when seen in isolation should aim to tell the whole story.

In the case of the logo shown above, the story I hope to tell is that i'm a freelancer, an individual rather than a team or a business, who has low overheads and can therefore charge reasonable rates. Hands-on, experienced, confident in my skills. Down to earth with a determined, diligent, purposeful, energetic approach to work. A hint of sharpness and wit, with a touch of magic. My purpose here is to define the personality of my brand, introduce myself, grab attention and start to develop a bit of a relationship with my audience where we haven't yet had the chance to meet.
In my experience successful design solutions stem from a good understanding of the clients' requirements, best achieved with good communication and a relationship built over a period of time.  

Logo development process