Logo Design Check List
Being organized is a must for a logo designer, especially when dealing with clients that are hectic and all over the place. When dealing with such a client, unless you want to go on forever with the logo design process you must have some procedures in place. Any client will appreciate a well structured logo design process, it will help both the client and the designer to focus on the important things, the things that will get to a satisfying result for both parties.
We've put together a check list that is easy to follow and will give you all the premises to successfully complete a logo design process.
Preliminaries
1. Get a signed agreement or, if you are working online make sure Terms and Conditions are available for you client to read and agree. Make sure this way that the client understands and agrees with your process and procedures.
2. Get a downpayment. This will assure you that your client is responsibly involved in the process and will give you the contort to work without the money pressure.
3. Make sure your client understands how many concepts and revision will get for the money. Make sure that the client understands that any extra work will cost you time and him/her money.
Research
A well done research phase will assure you are on the right track and will give you all the information you need to nail the design. Here is a list of questions you should include in your design questionnaire. If you want to build your own list here is some additional information.
Company / Target Audience / Competitors
1. Company name & short description of activity and services.
2. Company background, place & culture.
3. Company Mission & Positioning.
4. What attributes of your company would you like to reflect in the logo design?
5. Describe your company using a few key words.
6. Describe your target audience.
7. What is the message you want to convey to the company's target audience?
8. Who are your main competitors?
9. How does your company differ from its competitors?
10. How do you what your logo to be different from your competitors?
Logo Design
11. Please write the exact name as you would like to appear in the logo.
12. What is your tag line? Do you want it to appear in the logo?
13. Do you have a specific icon or image that you would like to appear in the logo?
14. Do you have any color preferences for your logo?
15. Do you have any logo design that you like? Please list here or attach.
16. What is the desired style for your logo?
Clean / Classic / Modern / Vintage / Icon based / Corporate / Friendly
Contact information
17. Name
18. Email address
19. Phone Number
20. Current website
21. Deadline
Design
1. Put a number on your concepts. This will assure you that you and your client are talking about the same design.
2. Get you client to choose the concepts he/she likes and develop those designs to make sure you go in the right direction.
3. Clarify what the client likes or dislikes about the concepts. Clients feedback will save you time.
4. Instead of guessing, make sure you understand the clients requests.
Approval
1. Get a written approval on the chosen concept and make sure the client understands that any additional work that may appear after the approval will be billed separately. This will prevent your client asking for changes just because they want to try something else. The client will understand that he/she is not your employer, that you are partners in the logo design process.
2. Provide your client with a logo kit that include the logo in various formats for your client to use across different media. You can find a post with suggested file types here. This will provide your client with everything he needs in terms of logo design and will prevent your client to come back bugging you about additional file types that he might need.