How to Transform Ideas into Iconic Marks
How to Transform Ideas into Iconic Marks
In this unit, I want to share with you the steps I think you should follow to transform your ideas into great logos that work.
Choose Your Client
In this lesson, I want to encourage you to go out and find your client for the course project.
Understand Your Client
To help you understand the client, I am going to introduce the Harvard University Press client and share the answers to the questions of the previous lesson they gave me.
Concept Development
In this lesson, I want to help you move from this understanding of your client into the concept development. I will be showing some of the proposals we had for them.
Refinement
Here I want to talk about the importance of refining the few sketches you have selected out of the pool of original sketches.
Typography
A good symbol is nothing without typography. The name is the most meaningful thing about the logo. You can't change the name, you don’t choose the name, so you have to design the name with meaning.
Tasks
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Choose Your Client
As we said, the first step is to find your own clients. Look around and you will probably see logos that don't match the three criteria we discussed in the previous unit.
Understand Your Client
Step two: getting to know your client. Find a way of asking him the questions I shared with you, and come up with questions of your own.
What answers did you get from these questions?
Concept Development
Please share with us the pool of sketches you came up with for your client. Don't be afraid to work in small sizes, we do it all the time.
Remember to leave your sketches on the wall overnight. Then, look at them again. Did they get old? What are your thoughts?
Refinement
Now, you could share with us the few logos you have selected and refined, the ones you will put in front of the client.
Typography
Now, include some typography, if needed.
Gather Opinions
Remember we said that gathering a lot of opinions is a fundamental step of your creative process. Please do it, you will see how useful this actually is.
Share Your Music
Why don't you share with us the music you listen to when you are working?
Additional Resources
Philippe Apeloig
Talking of typography, I recommend you check Philippe Apeloig's work.
Useful Website
If you have doubts about whether a mark you just designed is in use or not, you can check Trademarkia, a very useful website.
Music
Here you have a few pieces of music I love from Death and the Maiden by Schubert. I very often listen to them when I am working.
Questions for Your Client
Here is the list of questions I used for Harvard University Press. Feel free to use them, but remember to be creative and to make them your own. It's all about understanding your client.
1. What do you think about your current logo?
2. Do you think the current logo has recognition within your audience?
3. Who are your audiences?
4. What is your vision for the future of your business in the next 5-10 years?
5. Who are your competitors?
6. If there was a single idea or feeling that can be distilled into your new logo—what should it be?
7. Do you have any thoughts about color?
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