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How to Create an Explosive Logo

Two stages that can not be avoided in the process of creating a logo.
Alex Mars Dec 21, 2019
There are millions of people and companies in the world. They can develop a logo - from freelancers to global advertising agencies. But what is the difference between a good performer from a mediocre one?
We found out from the SOLAR Digital design team some things which distinguishes a good logo from a beautiful picture. And what is important to pay attention to when creating it.

How to create a logo: steps

To understand what needs to pay attention to during developing a logo, let us recall all the stages of its creation, from an idea to a ready-made solution.


At this stage, the contractor will find out the maximum information about the logo the client wants to.


The designer reads the brief and evaluates the approximate style of what the client wants. It brings out the essence: the goal of the company, as the client sees the future logo, which the product is associated with.


All ideas that come to mind are written here.
Search for references. The designer looks for things which was created before: similar companies and products. It is also important to understand who the competitors are, so that the customer stands out against their background.


Based on the data received, the designer sketches logotype ideas - in the program or manually, depending on the task.
Selection and debugging. Of all the ideas, 5–10 are selected. Each concept carries a separate sense that can be understood by the end user.


The client selects one of the most liked ideas.
The final version. The selected concept is polished, given to the client and turns into a new company logo.
This is how most designers create logos. The question is how much attention they pay to the every stage of logo development. We are confident that special attention should be paid to the briefing and debugging phase. Without this, there is a risk that the creation of the logo will end in disappointment for the customer.
Brief survey before logo design. What should be the brief like for creating a logo. Even before the beginning of the work, it is necessary to extract the maximum information about the future logo from the client.
Most often, they use a brief for interviewing a customer. But what this document will be like and how the survey will take place is entirely up to you.
They do not send a brief, they personally interview a client. Even the most ideal brief does not make sense if the client fills it carelessly and in a hurry. In the best case, the designer will be forced to contact the customer day after day for additional information.
In the worst case, it will try to create something based on grains of information that have been included to the brief. A personal survey will allow you to find out all the missing details of the picture - this makes it easier for you and the customer.
Ask the customer in detail about the company and the product.
Even if you can dig up all the information about the company on the Internet, the client can provide you with valuable information - from the field of activity to the product description. Often, the customer knows better with whom he is competing and how to stand out  from competitors.
The more questions you ask is the better. Ask about the very idea of the logo: how does it look in the head of the customer? Not the shape and color, but with what it associates the product, how it relates to it, what function the logo should carry, what emotion it will cause and so on.
Visual examples are required. The client must show what he likes. Instead of a million questions about color and shape, offer a few examples from which the client will choose what he likes.
The client does not have a ready-made logo in his head. To the question “How do you see the future of the logo?” He will answer: “There should be some text and a picture next to it.” But he can poke a finger at an example and say: I like this, this and this.
Therefore, briefs must be visual. Make a selection of existing logos divided into segments: geometric, linear, font, typography, illustrative. Let the client be sure to explain why he likes the variant: because there are straight lines, or because there are bright colors, etc.
Why the debugging stage is one of the most important when creating a logo?
You can create a logo in one day, but it`s not the fact that it will be perfect at the same time. To understand how good the logo will turn out, the designer needs a feedback. To do this, get comments: reviews from colleagues, friends and the target audience of the product.
Discuss the logo with colleagues, show it to the team. There is always a chance that the logo is not so “wow” as the designer seems.
Without debugging, there is a risk of getting a crude logo. At the time of creation, it will seem to you unsurpassed and the most beautiful in the world, but a couple of months will pass - and you will begin to notice inaccuracies and even think about how it was possible to offer someone such a thing.
To prevent embarrassment, ask for feedback and polish the logo to the limit.
Novice designers think that to create a logo it’s enough to use graphic editors quite well - and everything will come by itself. But this is only the half of the success. Do not think about how to create an image more modern. Try to understand better the essence of the company and convey it in the image.
Ambition is needed to create explosive visuals. You need to be impressed, catch a burning desire to surprise the viewer. Your final goal is not an image, you create an emotion, a story that the end user must understand. At the same time, the any visual can be.
There are no rules for creating a logo; there is a story that it tells. Everything changes how you describe the idea that the logo stores. Even two sticks crossed not at 90, but at 89 degrees, can carry an unrealistic bombing sense - if, for example, this is a steel bar factory established with Julius Caesar.
An excellent finger paintings can suit some business and shoot so that everyone runs to buy this product. Because it has a story.


For a bombing logo that will satisfy not only the client, but also its target audience, the designer must add meaning to the image, an idea that will lead future customers. To make this process as easy as possible, ask the customer for the entire background of the project and do not forget to test the product to understand how mature it is.
Otherwise, no matter how perfect the logo design is, it will find out unnecessary in the end.