And Why You Might Want To Hire A Professional Instead
How jarring is it when a major company changes its logo? You can barely recognize it now. Then you get used to the change, and it becomes the comfortable symbol you expect when you want something.
You might not be a big corporation, but that doesn’t mean your logo isn’t important. Your logo should embody your brand. Even if you’re just starting out, your clients, present and future, will associate this image with your business.
But how do you get a logo if you’re a new business? Usually, you hire an expert. I’m a brand designer and I help new and established business owners develop their visual identity, brand strategy, and messaging, including creating a logo. I know that it can seem silly to hire someone for something as small as a logo, but I want to show you all the steps it takes to DIY your own logo and then you can decide what you want to do.
Define Your Brand Identity
Since your logo should embody your brand, you need to fully understand your business before you start designing. So ask yourself some questions first.
What are your business’ values, mission, and vision? What emotions do you want your logo to evoke? What words really stand out to you?
Then, you need to identify your audience. Who are you designing the logo for? What do they need and want? What is attractive to them? Remember, your logo (and brand!) isn’t about what you prefer but what your audience will like. There’s a big difference between “I want my logo to be pink because pink’s my favourite colour” vs. “my audience will be more drawn to a blue logo due to the feeling of calm that it brings, even though blue is not necessarily my favourite colour”.
Research And Inspiration
Now that you understand your brand identity you can start with competitor research. Look at logos in your industry. What works and what doesn’t work? What feeling do you get when you look at the logo?
Next, gather your own inspiration. Look at photos, Pinterest, nature, and fashion to determine what elements appeal to you. Your inspiration doesn’t have to be other logos. In fact, it’s better if you’re inspired by things other than your competitors’ logos. Gather your inspiration in one place and create a mood board.
Choose A Style
Now that you have inspiration and research, decide what logo design style best suits your brand. Will it be a symbol-based logo, a simple wordmark, or a combination? Will it be illustrative, type-based, traditional, or unconventional? You want your logo to be attractive to you, but more importantly, your ideal audience.
Select Colours
Now it’s time to think about the colours in your logo. Colour psychology is the study of how colours affect perceptions and behaviors. When designing a logo, choosing the right colours can prompt emotions and associations, influencing how people perceive your brand.
So think about:
- The emotions and traits you want your brand to convey
- What colours work together to ensure visibility and contrast
- Limiting the amount of colours you use in your logo, so it does not overwhelm the eye
Pick Your Fonts
It’s not just your colours that tell a story — the fonts do too (more on Typography here!). If you’re using fonts in your logo, they need to be readable and reflect your brand’s personality. Think about the font style that best reflects your brand. While there are many fonts, the two biggest distinctions are serif or sans serif.
Tools like Google Fonts or Adobe Fonts offer a wide range of options. You must also check to see if your fonts are commercially licensed. Some fonts cost money to be used for your business (i.e. website use, print collateral, social media, etc.).
Sketch Your Ideas
It’s time to get artsy! The first step of designing is sketching your ideas on paper. Your logo must be original and unique, so this is the best way to ensure that it is yours and allowed to be used commercially and potentially trademarked. When you’re creative, it’s less about perfecting the design and more about brainstorming different ideas.
Digitize Your Design
Now that you have some ideas on paper, you need to bring them to life in the digital space, tying in the colours and fonts that you worked so hard to choose. The industry standard for logo design is Adobe Illustrator (and what I use for all my clients!). Adobe Illustrator allows you to craft your logo using basic shapes and the Shape Builder tool, while the Pen tool offers precision for custom paths. For text elements, the Type tool gives you full control over your typography, which you can then manipulate to look completely customized and not at all like the original typeface letters.
While Illustrator has a steeper learning curve compared to other applications on the market, mastering it ensures your logo remains scalable and adaptable for the long haul. The resulting vector file will maintain its crisp quality whether it’s on a business card or even on a billboard in Times Square!
Note: While Canva is the most user-friendly graphic design tool on the market, it’s not a good choice for logos. If you use Canva’s free or paid templates, elements, or stock images, there might be limitations to using these assets in commercial projects. This can raise intellectual property concerns, as you may not fully own the design or could inadvertently use copyrighted content. That means you’ll never be able to trademark a Canva logo.
On top of that, Canva’s export options are limited, especially in the free version. While you can export designs as PNG, JPEG, or PDF, you cannot access professional formats like SVG (a vector format crucial for logos). This can be a problem when you need to scale your logo for various reasons, such as large prints or high-resolution displays.
Refine Your Design
Now that you have a basic digitized logo, it’s time to refine and test it. Adjust the colours, fonts, and layouts to ensure an accessible design. Check to see that your logo is scalable, meaning it looks good in both large and small contexts. Test your logo on various backgrounds and sizes to ensure it’s versatile and effective across all platforms and mediums.
Show your logo to friends, family, or potential customers for feedback. Ask for their thoughts on clarity, appeal, and how well it represents your brand.
Finalize and Save in Various Formats
You’ll need your logo in different formats for different uses.
- Vector Formats (SVG, EPS): These are scalable without losing quality and are perfect for any size print.
- PNG: Ideal for web use, as it supports transparency.
- JPEG: Good for standard print and digital materials.
You’re done! Start using your logo on your website, business cards, social media, and any other marketing materials.
Why Hiring a Professional Designer Might Be the Best Decision You Make
While creating your logo can be a DIY project, there’s a reason why professional logo designers exist. Here are a few reasons to consider hiring a pro:
- Expertise. Professional designers understand design principles, colour theory, and typography on a deeper level. They can create a logo that is visually appealing and strategically designed to resonate with your target audience.
- Legality and Trademarking. Not every font or design element is in the public domain. Your designer will only use items that you can own as intellectual property. That means no cease and desist letters in the mail and the ability to trademark in the future.
- Save Time and Effort. Designing a logo takes a lot of time, especially if you’re learning as you go. From colour psychology and fonts to navigating Adobe Illustrator and exporting files, a professional can handle this for you, allowing you to focus on what you do best—running your business!
- Versatility and Scalability. A pro ensures your logo looks good in every format and on every platform. They provide files in the right formats and sizes, so you’re ready for any marketing opportunity.
- Brand Consistency. A professional designer can ensure that your logo fits all your brand assets, creating a cohesive and professional look across your website, social media, packaging, and more. Designers can create a unique logo that avoids the trap of generic designs or relying on pre-made templates that can make your brand blend in instead of standing out.
Hiraya Design
Hiraya Design turns your ideas into a beautiful, meaningful brand so you can say hello to being seen as the premium business you are (it’s pretty empowering).
