The Logo Process Part 1: Gathering Information

This is the first part in a series of articles detailing each step of the logo design process.  From the beginning phases of gathering information and researching to the final steps of packaging and archiving, these articles will provide an in-depth look at what goes on during the process of creating a logo.

After you establish a client you need to gather information from your client.  This is the most crucial part of the process for a number of reasons:

• If you don’t gather enough information you won’t be able to effectively create an identity.
• If you don’t ask for the right information you won’t be able to effectively create and identity either.
• If you ask too much information you may find yourself overloaded and won’t be able to tell the important information from unimportant information.
• The information gathered at this phase will guide you during the project.
• The information that you gather will keep you focused and help you meet goals.
• This is your foundation.

It is all about collecting the right information

The Basics

These are the most basic elements of your foundation when designing a logo.

Budget and timeline: It is important to know what your client’s budget is for a project and the timeframe that you will be working in.  Adjust accordingly to what you can afford to charge and how long a project will take.

Text/Name to be used in the logo: Just because you know what the company name is doesn’t mean you know what they want their logo to say.  For instance, International Business Machines is known and displayed as just IBM.

Tagline to be used with the logo: In some cases businesses will wan’t a tagline under or included in the logo.  If it is a well known company that has been around for a while they might not need a tagline.  If it is a new company a tagline is useful to convey some extra information to the consumer quickly and the logo should still work with or without a tagline.

Preferred logo type: You spend all week working on concepts for your client.  You are ready to present your amazing logo-mark.  You find out that all your client wanted was a type-mark logo, and all you used for the text was Helvetica.  Ask what he or she prefers or if they have no preference.

Where will the logo be used: This is important to know so you can design accordingly.  If you’re designing for a client ask them if they plan to use the logo on certain items such as letterhead, pens, business cards etc.  If you find out that they want to place their logo on pens, you need to make sure it will scale correctly and still be readable.  If they need it for a billboard it should be simple enough so when a driver is whizzing past it at 65mph it is still effective.

Colors: This isn’t as important at first but still good to know what the client’s color preference is.  Are there company colors that need to be used in the logo, If you are designing for a website it’s good to know what colors they use on the site.

Digging Deeper

Once you get the basics, sure you can design a logo using only that but will it be effective?  Will it be appropriate?  Will it fulfill the client’s need?  You don’t know unless you dig deeper.  Here is the information you need to gather to truly understand the client and their needs.

Why does the client need a logo: Sounds simple but if you think about it, it goes a lot further than just putting a face to a name.  Some clients might already have a logo that they need redesigned.  It might be part of a bigger brand and you want to make sure that this logo is in-line with any other logos the company is using.

Where is the company located: You don’t want to create a logo for a spa that includes a palm tree and then find out it’s a spa located in Canada.  This also ads for a base for further questions such as if the client wants any elements included that are inspired from their location for example; if the client is located in New York City, the logo may use a landmark that people would recognize as New York.

A description of the company: What does the company do, what services do they provide, what products do they sell etc.  These are questions that should be asked to understand and to really know the client’s business.  Is the client part of the health industry? The food industry?  These are the things you discover.

Target market: If the client’s company is a restaurant chain, who are they trying to market to?  Men?  Women?  What age group?  These things all help the designer in creating a logo that is appropriate to the industry and to the target market.

The competition: It is important to understand who your client’s competitors are so you can effectively design a logo that is unique from the competition.  When you research into the industry you might discover trends that you want to avoid as well.

Additional Information

Now that you have the basics and asked some in-depth questions you should have enough information to get started creating an effective logo.  But, we aren’t done yet.  Below are some questions you should ask from your client to make the overall process easier for the both of you and to avoid things that your client might not wan’t in their logo but also to find out the the things they do want in their logo.

Ideas from the client: You might be the designer but your client probably has some ideas of their own that they want to include in the design.  You might also know the best way to implement those ideas into the design.

Features NOT wanted: What things don’t they want in their logo?  If they are located in New York do they want that icon of the Empire State Building?

What logos appeal to the client: Does the client like logos that incorporate negative space?  Maybe they prefer crest logos.  It is good to know what logos appeal to them.  You might have an easier time getting approvals if you know what your client likes.

Project Goals: As you design a logo you want to have a list of goals that you and your client want to accomplish.  When you’re presenting ideas and concepts to the client you want to ask yourself if the design meets the goals that you and the client set out to accomplish.  This helps you stay focused and on track.  If you find out that your not meeting your goals you might want to reconsider the design.

Other Information: In case you missed anything it is always good to ask your client if there is anything else that they need to tell you about.

Gathering the Information

There are a number of ways to gather this information here are a few popular ways.

Web Form: Potential clients don’t need to download anything, all they need to do is fill out a form that you present to them on the web.

PDF Form: This is my personal preference when collecting information.  I enable rights in Adobe Reader so clients can download it and fill it out over time.  They can also take the form with them, show it to partners etc.  Nothing needs to be decided on the spot and if their internet connection just went out or your server is down, they won’t lose the data they already entered.  When they are ready to submit it all they need to do is email it.

On the Phone: This way is a little tricky.  Have the questions you want to ask handy when talking to clients on the phone.  If you don’t write things down you might find yourself forgetting some important information.

Face to Face: Print out your questions or have them on your laptop.  Ask them to your client and fill it out as you go.  Be prepared to go beyond collecting information and discussing items such as a contract, pricing and timeframe.

Email: You can also ask clients about information through email, weather typing the questions in the email body yourself or attaching a form.

Following up

Once you gather the information go through it to decide if you need ask anymore questions and information or if you need the client to elaborate on certain things. The more precise and clear the need of the client is the better the logo will be.

Remember that every client is different and every project might require a different approach but this article will surely help you get started.

Part 2 of this series will go into detail on creating a contract and getting it signed.

Related Posts:

1. Logo Design Process
2. The Logo Process Part 5: Concept Development
3. The Logo Process Part 3: Researching
4. The Logo Process Part 4: Brainstorm and Sketching
5. The Logo Process Part 2: Creating a Contract
6. The Logo Process: The Complete Guide
7. The Logo Process Part 8: Finalization