Smashing Logo Design: The Art of Creating Visual Identities

Chapter 4: Communicating with Your Client: The Design Brief

Designing a logo is similar to tackling a maze. The designer heads down a path, possibly meeting dead ends, before reaching the final successful outcome. The goal is to keep the dead ends to a minimum. So, before you set off on the long and challenging journey of designing a logo, you should put in place a plan to make the task of solving the problem much easier.

Your role as a logo designer is to create an effective solution to a problem. You’ll mainly achieve the final solution using visuals, but don’t underestimate the power of oral communication. A picture may be worth a thousand words, and that’s especially true when it comes to logos, but if you and your client don’t communicate well before the project begins, your concepts and ideas may end up being way off the mark.

Involving the client in your design process from the very beginning is essential, but don’t forget that you’re the design expert. For a designer, nothing is worse than feeling like the client is your puppet master, forcing you to use an array ugly of effects and common clichés. This chapter explains how you can avoid these problems through good, clear communication.

The Start of Something Beautiful: Communicating with Potential Clients

When a potential client contacts you about a logo design project, it’s a great feeling. (I still can’t believe I get paid to draw!) But drawing is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creating a logo. In this ...