Logo Design: From a Clear Brief to Final Files

Define what the logo must do

Ask what the organisation offers, who it serves, and where its identity will appear. Record the exact name and any required wording. Separate preferences from requirements: a favourite colour is useful context, but legibility on packaging or signage may have a stronger effect on the final direction.

Explore ideas on paper

Sketch several genuinely different concepts before refining one on screen. Try wordmarks, symbols, and combinations where appropriate. Use references to understand the category, then develop your own shapes and letter relationships. Keep rejected sketches so you can explain why the chosen direction answered the brief more clearly.

Test simple versions first

Check the mark in a single colour, at small sizes, and against light and dark backgrounds. Watch for narrow gaps that disappear and details that become visual noise. Ask whether the symbol still works without decorative effects. Make optical adjustments where mathematical alignment does not look balanced.

Prepare a useful handover

Provide suitable vector and raster exports, along with clear spacing and minimum-size guidance based on your tests. Label files so a client can identify each version. Present the logo in realistic applications, but include a plain view too: a polished mockup should support assessment of the mark itself.