Ninety percent of data transmitted to the human brain is visual content.

This is why designing a top-notch logo could very well be the most important thing you do for your brand.

A well-crafted logo should be memorable without hitting you over the head with its message.

This is simple in concept, but much less easy to execute than one might think.

Creating an effective logo requires a combination of artistic instincts and marketing know-how, plus a whole lot of hard work.

Here, we’ll provide you with a step-by-step guide on how you can design a creative logo to make your brand stand out from the competition.

First, let’s look at some of the basics about choosing a logo.

What a Creative Logo Should Be

Simple

Simple is always better when it comes to logo design. An intricate logo can be confusing and runs the risk of conveying a different message than intended. Give your customers something easy to recall.

Goodman Creatives has a great example of this.

Timeless

Avoid using trendy fonts and pop culture images in your logo design. It’s perfectly fine to touch up your logo every few years, but the main image should remain consistent and relevant.

Unique

Among the sea of designs out there, your creative logo needs to stand out from the crowd. Don’t stress about choosing a logo that directly relates to your product or services.

Instead, go with something your customers are likely to remember.

How To Design One

The details will vary based on your individual needs, but the process for designing a logo remains pretty streamlined. Here’s what to do.

Research

Gather info about what your logo needs to set itself apart in your industry. This is the time to check out the competition and figure out what is and isn’t working elsewhere.

If you’re creating a logo for a client, get some background info on what they’re looking for. Know ahead of time if there are any must-haves for the design. That’ll save you potential headaches down the road.

If the design is for you, do some soul-searching. Figure out what you want to convey.

Your logo is the first opportunity you’ll have to make an impression on potential customers. Knowing what you want that impression to be will help make sure your message hits home.

Ask as many questions as possible before sitting down to conceptualize your design. You’ll create a clearer picture of what your end result should look like.

Brainstorm

In this stage of planning, there are no bad ideas. Get every word, image, or concept related to your logo out of your brain and onto a sheet of paper.

Some basic keyword research can point you down the right path if you hit a creative wall. Enter any word you can think of that’s related to your company or niche, and see what comes up.

Try doing a brain dump.

Write down absolutely everything you can think of that’s relevant to your logo. Get keywords, phrases, and ideas on paper and out of your head. You can lead yourself to the perfect creative logo without even realizing it.

Writing down words and ideas can organically lead to images. Feel free to sketch any visuals that stand out, but don’t stress over it.

This stage is about getting an accurate feel for the nuances of your brand’s mood.

Your logo needs to convey it.

Draft

This is the part where your ideas will begin to take shape.

There are four different styles of design you can choose from:

• Lettermark logos are based on the company’s initials, like a monogram (examples include HP, CNN, and McDonald’s)
• Wordmark logos incorporate an entire word into their logo (Google, Subway, or Disney)
• Mascot logos heavily include the brand’s mascot in its design (Frosted Flakes, Pillsbury, or Wendys)
• Pictorial marks are icons or images used as logos (Target, Apple, and Starbucks)

Try creating drafts in multiple styles to see what works. Even if you intended to start with one type of design, you’ll never know what will be the most impactful.

Start sketching in whatever medium feels most natural. If you’re more productive using a pen and paper instead of a whiteboard or graphic design software, pick up that pen. There’s no wrong way to start.

Create several different designs. Feel free to mix and match components that you particularly like about each one. Figure out what you like about each one, and assess what feels right for your brand.

When you’ve found a design you love, make sure to give a lot of consideration to the colors you’ll be using.

Psychology tells us that colors are directly linked to emotion, which is the strongest component of brand loyalty.

If you want to convey optimism or friendliness, go with yellow or orange. If trust or peace is your goal, blue or green should be featured.

Choosing the right colors can be an easy way to hack into the science behind brand perceptions.

Hold on to your drafts, even after you think you’ve settled on a logo. You might be able to use them in a future design or for another project entirely.

Take a Break

Put some space between yourself and your new design. We tend to miss details when we’ve been staring at them for too long. Give your eyes a break from your work.

When you come back to it with a fresh perspective, you’ll be able to better identify any potential issues.

Create Your Final Draft

The hard part of your creative logo design is done!

Add any finishing touches you came up with after taking a break from your work. Play with aspects like shadow, perspective, and depth until your design feels right.

Conclusion

Even without a background in professional graphic design, knowing what a great logo looks like can be enough to help you meet your goals. When you take the proper steps, you can create a face for your company that your customers will remember.

Don’t want to do it all yourself? Check out our website to see how we can help.