How I make logos

I can’t say I have a process of creating logos. I like to call it sort of a structure. I am allowed to be flexible as far I follow some steps.

First, I love to start by asking the client a lot of questions so I know what I am designing for. To me, this is one of the most important steps because it informs my other steps. It gives me some sort of direction.

Then, I move to getting keywords. I try to get as much keywords or phrase as possible. These keywords are normally gotten from the conversation I had with the client. A keyword example for Apple is “simplicity, minimalism…” Most times I stop within 10-15 keywords. The idea here is just to write out as much as comes to mind.

The difficult part comes next when I have to refine my list to 2-3 words that I feel best defines the brand. I usually devote a lot of time to this. Why do I do this? I feel it helps keep my logos memorable and as simple as possible. Having so much ideas can produce really complicated results for me.

When I am done refining my list, I sketch figures I feel represents the 2-3 keywords I have remaining. I try to sketch as much as possible. Most times I need to go online to source for ideas – my best stop is Pinterest. When I am done sketching, I begin exploring some selected ideas. What I aim to do here is to find a way to create a coherent image from the two sketches.

After I have created an image, I try as much as possible to refine it. I do this to get the simplest possible outcome from the image. Someone once told me: “if you are not satisfied with your design, it is most likely because you need to subtract instead of adding something to it.”

For the colors, I normally start with asking the clients if they have a color preference. If I feel their choice is coherent with the brand’s image, I go on with it else I offer advice on the choice I feel works the best. I also do the same for typography.

-----What do you think of my process? Is there any way I could be better? Does it relate to yours?

Thanks for reading.