A logo is a fundamental component in any business’s brand package and a driving force behind brand recognition. Many of the biggest brands today, like Target and Coca-Cola, have logos that are instantly recognizable. Your business may not be a mega-corporation, but loyal consumers may begin to feel a sense of familiarity with your logo as your brand grows.
Creating a logo for your business is a process that deserves time and effort. However, brands just starting may not have access to a full creative team to develop a good logo. Collaborating with a freelance designer helps even the smallest of businesses create a logo that will best represent their brand.
When starting this project, it’s essential to understand the many parts of the design process and how to best work with a graphic designer. The following tips will help you best make decisions as you seek and work with a freelance professional:
Table of Contents
Key Considerations For A Successful Logo Design Process
Do Your Research
Finding inspiration is a big part of creativity and brand development. When beginning your logo creation project, looking at other businesses’ branding can help you discover what you like the most. Browse the web for some of the most popular logos as well as some logo examples from your industry. Use a screenshot app on your desktop or mobile to save and share examples. A collection of examples will visualize your taste and help you find an artist who can match your chosen aesthetic.
Your results from this project will strongly depend on the freelance designer you choose to work with. Technology gives access to thousands of artists from a wide range of backgrounds, and it may feel difficult to make a decision at first. Spend time researching artists and reviewing portfolios. Take note of not only a designer’s aesthetic but their policies as well. All designers have their own system for coordinating projects. For example, some may charge for the initial brainstorming session while some may not. Come up with a list of questions for your team to ask as you are interviewing and reviewing potential options.
Provide Appropriate Direction
While artists may appreciate creative freedom, when you’re paying for a designer to create custom work, you want to be happy with the final design. More often than not, graphic artists will come up with their ideas based on the direction given to them. Being direct about the aspects that are most important to you can ensure that the final design includes the details you favor. Be as specific as you can about font types, colors, and overall style to help your designer create work that you’re pleased with.
Your initial interviews and brainstorming sessions are a good opportunity to provide your chosen designer with the logo examples that you found previously. When you provide designers with specific examples, they can best match what you were imagining. On the flip side, if you’re not sure about what may best suit your brand, being vague with your request will allow the designer to get creative with your logo. Being more flexible can give the designer room to lean into their strengths and personal style.
Make It A Team Effort
A good logo should have longevity, so it’s crucial not to rush through the design process. Businesses should aim to create a logo that will continue to fit their brand for years to come. For this reason, it’s ideal to have a team behind this effort. Unless you’re a sole business owner, including others in the decision process will provide perspective. Incorporate a few leaders into the process from the very beginning so that you can work as a team to decide on an ideal designer and artistic direction.
Schedule creative reviews as a formal way to collect feedback and discuss what the freelance designer delivered. If you were given multiple options, a creative review allows your team to compare all at once. Making this process collaborative can help you take in the different impressions of the deliverables and make the best decisions. Do not begin using a delivered logo until your team can all agree on the finished product.
Give Clear Feedback
Designers rarely get it 100% right on the first try. All professionals have different creative visions, and no artist can see what you’re visualizing in your head. This is why it’s critical to give clear feedback that is easy for your designer to interpret and follow. If you’re unhappy with the initial drafts of the logo, you’ll need to get specific about what needs to change. Vague phrases like “it’s boring” or “I don’t like it” aren’t clear enough for the designer to make improvements.
Focus on the specific details that are leading you to dislike the options provided to you. This is where the team effort comes into play. If you’re struggling to assess the logo, a teammate may be able to put it into words for you. Other perspectives can shine a light on aspects that you may not have initially noticed. Perhaps you don’t like the typography or color of the logo. Whatever the case, forwarding your designer the detailed feedback helps them efficiently turn the current design into something you will love.
Trust The Process
Creating a logo, especially in the early days of your company, can feel daunting. For those who don’t feel creative, it can be difficult to tackle this project without a professional. Partnering with a freelance graphic designer can give you more confidence in creating a logo that will last. Following the aforementioned tips will ensure you’re giving your logo development the attention it deserves while receiving external assistance.
