LOGO DESIGN PREPARATION

1. Why do you want a logo?
You've come this far to get one- but why? There are plenty of compelling reasons to have a logo designed for your company. The better you understand your own goals, the better we will be able to help you reach them! If you're not sure, just think about what it is that you hope to accomplish with your logo design. Do you hope to demand attention and stand out among your competitors... or establish your brand with a recognizable presence in your marketplace?

2. Check out your competition.
Compare the images they've chosen. Are they bold or conservative? Are there any cliches you want to include or avoid in your own logo design? What image do you think might distance you from the pack without going too far? In the Middle Ages, when most people couldn't read, shop-keepers used standard symbols on their signage that told passersby that their establishment was a brewery, a pawn shop or a tannery. Today we have a vestige of that tradition in certain images being conventionally associated with specific industries and professions. For instance, scales indicate a lawyer (scales of justice), the outline of a roof over two walls suggests real estate and a curl of smoke coming out of a mug signifies coffee. A skilled designer can incorporate these conventional associations into a logo in a very subtle manner, or by adding a modernizing twist to the concept. Your designers will try for a fresher approach to logo design than simply relying on these stock symbols to convey a company's message. These traditional associations- if used- should be secondary and supportive of the logo elements that make a logo uniquely yours. Be ready to let your designer know your thoughts on this, and to provide any links or samples you specifically reference.

3. Market Segmentation: Identify and understand your target customers.
Who is your current audience? How do they perceive your business or industry in general? Is there anyone you would like to add to your audience? Who needs your product or service? Who do you want to sell your product or service to? By what means do you plan to reach them? What motivates your targeted customers to buy? How will a new logo design help you do this?

4. Company Positioning: Define your key attributes.
Customer perception is at the heart of strategy- so positioning yourself in a way that will most appeal to your target audience should be your main objective. Your goal is to isolate a credible and compelling message that will resonate and reinforce the core values of your company. What are you good at? What differentiates your product or service from the competition? What are your strengths compared to your competition? What do you want your company to be known for? What characterizes it? Create a list of key attibutes that effectively describe the image you want to project about your company. Then, narrow them down to only the most important. Ideally, your logo design should focus on no more than one attribute and support a single aspect of positioning. Be prepared to share this list with your designer.

5. What's your favorite color?
Just because you favor a particular color doesn't mean it's right for your company logo. There's a lot to consider since colors often have a profound impact on viewers. Psychologists agree that red and orange produce excitation, dark blue comfort and relaxation, and so on. (See "The Psychology of Color" for more information.) To decide on appropriate colors for your logo, think about the personality you want to convey for your business. Then utilize known color/attribute linkages to your benefit! These linkages are by no means absolute, and can often overlap or even contradict one another. Color tastes and trends vary over time and geography as well; but the exercise of linking your company's key attirbutes to specific color palettes and color combinations can be a helpful component of the logo design process. (Also see Color Symbolism.) In addition, consider how you might extend the color scheme of the logo beyond the original context (usually, at first, stationery and business cards). Might you want to use the logo on clothing, stencilled on a van or stamped onto calculators or clocks? Certain colors (yellow, pink) a lot of people don't wear well, while other colors (light blue, gray) don't stand out well from a distance. Bright neon hues might not match the black/silver/beige of technology objects. Selecting familiar colors and no more than two of them (including black as one color) will keep costs down wherever you use the logo. (Technical Color Issues)

6. Logo Make-over? Do you already have an identity design?
If "yes", your designer will need to know why are you making a change. If you are replacing an existing logo, it will help us to know why. Do you think it's out of date? Has something about your business changed that should be reflected in your logo? Do you think it wasn't done right the first time? If your old logo is on your website, be sure and fill in the "company website url" field. If it's not online, but you have an electronic copy of it, you will be given the opportunity to upload a copy of it .

7. Do any existing corporate logos appeal to you?
One of the best ways for us to get an idea of what you want is for you to show us some logos that you like. Of course, your logo will be original and unique, but we can incorporate certain design elements to give yours the feel and impact of your favorite logos. Maybe you like some of the logos in our sample portfolio? If so, great! Let us know which ones. Click here to see them again.