How to Design Logo

How to decide what to go with?

Aesthetics is subjective. So what you like or I like will very and that's what makes us unique designers and clients who like our style and judgement pay for it.

Visual design principles have some functional aspects we need to consider when designing logo. I will talk of them in context.        

I tried AI tools but they failed. Gemini faired on simplicity a essential character of good logo. Reason behind simplicity is it is easy to read(recognise) easy to remember and faster to recall. Read more

Logo should be visually simple. how to check it?

The "Telephone Test"

Find your Person A and B: Choose two people. Person A should be familiar with the logo, Person B should have never seen it.

Description: Have Person A describe the logo to Person B in as much detail as possible. They cannot use any visuals or show the logo itself.

Sketch: Have Person B try to draw the logo based solely on the verbal description.

Evaluation: Compare Person B's sketch to the original logo. How accurate is it? Are the core elements, shapes, and overall layout?recognizable?

Verdict: None of the logos generated are useful. As they lack simplicity. And also lack to adhere to form which is alphabet "S" in this example.

Here is how we could design it in current known methods

1.Sketch.

I did Hand sketch using adobe Fresco using iPencil on iPad. Here is one which i chose to go next step of converting it into clear silhouette.

2.Silhoutte. A very important step.

A silhouette is a dark shape or outline of a subject against a lighter background. It reveals the basic form of the subject without details like colour, texture, or internal features.

Importance in Visual Perception, Recognition, and Recall

Silhouettes play a significant role in how we see and understand the world around us:

Rapid Object Recognition: Our brains are remarkably adept at identifying objects based on their silhouette alone. This allows us to quickly make sense of a scene even when details are obscured (low light, distance, etc.). For instance, we immediately recognize the silhouette of a dog, tree, plant part or car.

Emotional Impact: Silhouettes can evoke a sense of mystery, drama, or nostalgia. We might feel a sense of awe and tenderness looking at the silhouette of puppies cuddling, emphasizing their softness and inviting a desire to pet them. In contrast, the silhouette of a duck fleeing a snake creates a sense of danger and urgency.

Emphasis on Shape: Silhouettes isolate the fundamental shape of an object, aiding in its identification and classification. This makes them particularly useful for learning about different categories, such as types of cars. In fact, car designers first define and deliberate on the silhouette of a car before delving into its detailed design. Car enthusiasts often have strong opinions about a car's silhouette, expressing their likes and dislikes.

Visual Memory: The simplicity of silhouettes makes them highly memorable. Iconic logos and symbols often rely on strong silhouette design for easy recall. The more easy a logo is to recall less you have to spend on publicity of it.

Silhouette is 90% of the logo design.

And these are additional reasons why Silhouette is important in logo design.

• Scalability: A silhouette-focused logo maintains its impact even at very small sizes (like a website favicon) where details would be lost.
• Versatility: A clean silhouette translates well across different mediums – from billboards to business cards.
• Distinctiveness: A unique silhouette helps a brand stand out in a crowded market.

Converting the logo to Silhouette

Explore Silhouette and coloured version parallelly so that you can get faster approval from clients. And also test it with target group. Car enthusiast if car logo, sports fans if sports product logo. If a NGO logo then with common people who probably are beneficiaries of it and some wealthy people who may be intended to donate for it.

User testing feedback: That water part feels like birds wing! and human head sounded like sprouting seed.

User testing feedback: That water part feels like Clouds! and human head sounded like sprouting seed.

After couple of iteration here we have the logo where we could get recognition of S shape, water human and leaf. Based on the budget of logo we could explore many different combination of water, human, leaves and thick or thin S shape. But in most budget constraint projects we should move on to next step.

3. Logo vectorisation

We have to convert logo into Scalable Vector Graphics - SVG. In this for logo can be scaled without any pixilation or distortion of colour.

If a 3D feel logo them the vectorisation will be long drawn process of using gradients and mesh fill to make them scalable. Its a big topic and needs another blog.

But keeping logo in flat colour is best for most uses.

Tools you could use are Adobe Illustrator or FIGMA or Sketch or any vector graphics creator.

Using Illustrator

Import image of your logo Silhouette into the illustrator

Select the image and in object menu> Image Trace > Make

Or select the image and in right side panel click on properties tab and

This one setting which gives too many anchors which means lot of not needed edge details. So follow next settings. Play with it to get a simple and yet useful shape trace.

This is the setting that works for me. Look at the Anchors its just 128

You will need some trial and error to figure out which of the settings corners vs noise vs Snap Curves to Line what gives you most close to your imagination.

4. Shape finetuning

Remove unnecessary details and non blending shapes.

You may feel that the trace already looks great but if you look closer by zooming in there are unnecessary details left and some shapes are not blending well with rest of the logo.

These are some mistakes or non esthetical aspects I would like to fix. And this could very from designer to designer and who is the director of design.

Positive Negative space fixing.

Positive is filled shape in this case black and negative is space around it in this case white. In flipped logo filled space is white and negative space is black.

Scale it and check.

It should look good in and readable(visible and recognisable) in large and medium scale and in the lease scale like website favicon at least Silhouette should be clear.

These 3 scales large, medium (most used) and small logos could be different files tweaked for that scale. But this adds unnecessary complexity in compliance. Big companies tend to have different variants including 3D, textured etc.

Here is lines and anchors view

This exercises can go on for days based on how accurately you want to test it. Testing here would involve printing actual collateral like letter head visiting card, signage(material used can show details or omit details) T-shirt printing, laser etching on wood or metal again based on the laser etching machine and material details of logo can vanish.

With experience you will start more accurately guess what shapes or details would work in all scenarios. Experience may reduce test cycles but can't completely ward off.

5. Colour, texture/material, 3D treatment

Colour

• Less is More: Generally, sticking to 2-3 primary colours creates a stronger, more focused logo. Too many colours can be distracting and lose impact.
• Accessibility: Choose colours with good contrast to improve readability for everyone. Avoid combinations that become indistinguishable in grayscale (check using a grayscale conversion tool).
• Meaning: Research colour psychology. Colours evoke emotions and associations (e.g., red for energy, blue for trust). Align colour choices with your brand's personality.

Texture/Material

• Implied vs. Actual: Will your logo primarily be digital, or will physical materials be important? Consider how textures translate into different applications.
• Concept Connection: Textures can reinforce your brand message. A rough wood texture might suit a rugged outdoor brand, while smooth metal could work for a tech company.
• Challenges: Detailed textures can be problematic at small sizes or when printing. Ensure your design works well in simplified forms.

3D Treatment

• Purpose: Ask yourself what 3D adds to your logo. Does it enhance meaning, or is it just a trend?
• Consistency: If using 3D, define clear rules for how it's applied (lighting, angles, etc.) to maintain brand consistency across platforms.
• Versatility: A 3D logo needs a flat version for many uses. Ensure the design holds its strength in both 2D and 3D.

That's all you need to know to get started. Go ahead and design the logo