Pete walks through designing a business logo from scratch: start with your company story, sketch multiple concepts, test them with your target customers, then refine and digitize using free tools. The result works at any size across all your media.
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Hi, I'm Pete from HubSpot, and today I'm going to show you how to design a logo. If you enjoy this video, don't forget to like it and subscribe to our channel. Post any questions or suggestions you have in the comments below. Let's get started if you're creating a logo for your company, you're in a unique position to make a powerful impact on how consumers perceive your brand. But how do you even begin designing a professional logo? We've broken down nine simple steps to help you create a memorable visual identity for your brand. Let's jump in. Step one Start with your story before you even start designing, take some time to ask yourself what the story behind your company is. Your story is bigger than the product you sell. For example, when we look at Coca Cola, we don't see a brown carbonated beverage. We see polar bears playing in the snow and people laughing as they share a Coke. Step outside of what your company does and focus on the why. That why is the root of your story, and you'll need to keep it in mind as you explore the color, shape, and typeface of your logo. Step 2 Brainstorm words that describe your brand now that you have your story, it's time to dive into specifics. Open thesaurus.com and enter a term that best describes your product into the search bar. For example, if you're in the clothing industry, you might simply type in clothing. You'll be surprised by how many descriptive synonyms appear. You can even click these results to start new searches and dig deeper as you zero in on the words that best capture your brand. Find five to ten words that describe not only what you do, but also why you do it. Step 3 Start sketching out your first visuals. Armed with your story and a few keywords for direction, grab a pencil and paper and start sketching every idea that comes into your head. Allow each new concept to evolve on its own. Don't get frustrated if the first few aren't right. Keep refining, using previous sketches to influence the outcome of new ones. You might focus these sketches on a shape, the name of your brand, or both. As you start to translate your thoughts into visual elements, keep the following things in mind. Keep it simple. If you can sketch the most symbolic components in seven seconds or less, you're in good shape. Avoid visual cliches and commonly used symbols. These generic elements are easily forgotten at first glance. Colors can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. Don't choose more than three colors, and select colors that complement your brand's vibe. Remember, you don't need to get it right on the first try. This stage is about starting to get your ideas down on paper. Step 4 Test your top sketches with your buyer Persona. Once you've got a handful of different sketches on paper, take a step back and pick the top three concepts. Don't think too hard about this. Consider the designs your eyes keep going back to. Share these drafts with your friends, family members, and a colleague you trust. If possible, bring these sketches to someone who best fits your buyer Persona or your ideal customer profile. Use their feedback to select one final concept to develop into a design. Step 5 Refine your selected sketch Congratulations. You're well on your way to having an awesome logo. Once you've identified a sketch to run with, it's time to refine it and perfect the story you started in Step one. To begin refining your logo, look back at the terms you identified when you first used thesaurus.com now look at your chosen sketch and ask yourself, which terms does this sketch not yet capture? Use them to develop your sketch further. Step 6 Develop your logo's layout on a free design platform now it's time to get technical and turn your paper drawing into a usable digital format to bring this design to life. You have many free design platforms available to recreate your sketch. A quick Google search for Free Logo Maker or Free Logo Designer will point you in the right direction. Step 7 Finalize your colors Always be sure to have logo color variations for both dark and light backgrounds. That might mean only having to change the color of your font, or in some cases, you might have to change the color of your entire logo. Step 8 Finalize your font this is the time to combine text with imagery. Believe it or not, your font choice can say a lot about your business. You can choose a font that's either serif or sans serif. A serif font has tails on the letters and is usually associated with a more classic, elegant feeling. A sans serif font doesn't have any tails on the letters and usually gives off a more modern vibe. Ensure scalability. Logos are meant to represent your company on multiple platforms, in print, on your website, on social media, and across. You want a logo that can be blown up super large for a billboard, but also scaled down for screening onto the side of a pen. Every part of your logo should be legible, even when it's scaled to different sizes. And that's it. You have a great new logo that reflects your brand's story. Need some additional help designing your logo? Click the link in the description to learn more. Thanks for watching. If you enjoyed this video, be sure to like it and subscribe. Let me know how your logo is coming along in the comments below.
