How to Transform Ideas into Iconic Marks

In this unit, I want to share with you the steps you should follow to transform your ideas into great logos that work.

Choose Your Client

In this lesson, I encourage you to go out and find your client for the course project.

Understand Your Client

To help you understand the client, I will introduce the Harvard University Press client and share the answers to the questions from the previous lesson they gave me.

Concept Development

In this lesson, I want to help you move from this understanding of your client into concept development. I will be showing some of the proposals we had for them.

Refinement

Here I want to talk about the importance of refining the few sketches you selected out of the original sketches.

Typography

A good symbol is nothing without typography. The name is the most meaningful thing about the logo. You can't change the name, you don’t choose the name, so you have to design the name with meaning.

Additional Resources

Philippe Apeloig

Talking of typography, I recommend you check Philippe Apeloig's work.

Useful Website

If you have doubts about whether a mark you just designed is in use, you can check Trademarkia, a handy website.

Music

Here are a few pieces of music I love from Death and the Maiden by Schubert. I very often listen to them when I am working.

• Allegro
• Andante
• Scherzo: Allegro molto and Presto

Questions for Your Client

Here is the list of questions I used for Harvard University Press. Feel free to use them, but remember to be creative and to make them your own. It's all about understanding your client.

1. What do you think about your current logo?

2. Do you think the current logo has recognition within your audience?

3. Who are your audiences?

4. What is your vision for the future of your business in the next 5-10 years?

5. Who are your competitors?

6. If there was a single idea or feeling that could be distilled into your new logo—what should it be?

7. Do you have any thoughts about colour?