Today, I’m going to guide you through how to create an Iconic Logo—even if you have no design experience whatsoever!
If you’ve been reading through our series, 5 easy steps every entrepreneur should follow to build an authentic visual brand identity, so far you’ve created a color palette, selected your fonts, and chosen your brand imagery.
If you’ve done all this, here are 3 things I know about you:
- You’re committed to growing a business or concept you’re passionate about.
- You want more leads, sales, and exposure for your business or cause.
- You want a brand that stands out in the marketplace and authentically represents what your business or cause is all about.
Guess what?! You’re in the right place. Helping entrepreneurs get more leads and sales by creating an authentic visual brand identity is what I’m all about, and it all starts with creating an Iconic logo to consistently represent your brand to the world.
Are you ready to get started?
What makes up a logo?
While there are many different types of logos out there, most can be grouped into one of three categories:
- Completely image-based
- Completely text-based
- A combination of the two
You don’t need to choose one of these categories right now. Just be aware that these are the three main types, and keep them in mind as we start the brainstorming process.
Determine your vision:
Next we’re going to do a short (and painless) writing exercise to really determine the overall vision of your logo, what you want your ideal audience to feel and do when they see your logo, and ultimately create an image that authentically sets the foundation for your brand’s visual identity.
Not a writer? Don’t worry! This exercise is as quick and painless as making a list!
I want you to write out a list of all the values you have for your business. What are the values and feelings you want to evoke within your customers or target audience when they come across your brand?
Do you want your ideal clients to feel trust, empowerment, positivity, motivation? What about indulged, relaxed, healthy, joyful? Do you want them to think of your brand as authentic, reliable, respectful, authoritative, user-friendly?
These are just a few to get you started. Write out your own list to really solidify the values, feelings, and emotions you want to convey to your audience any time they come across your brand.
That’s it! See? Painless, right?
Choosing your color palette:
If you haven’t already done so, click here to head on over to learn more about choosing a color palette that authentically represents your brand.
Why is this step important? Different colors cause us to experience different feelings and emotions. In your brand, colors can be used to send an underlying message to your audience, conveying your values and helping them connect on a deeper, subconscious level with your mission. Think about how a spa uses greens and blues to evoke feelings of calmness and relaxation; or how the color yellow is often used to convey happiness, excitement, and warmth.
Choosing the right colors for your brand will keep your brand’s message authentic, and help your visual brand identity standout in the minds of your ideal customers.
Need more in-depth help to choose the right colors for you? Check out my blog post on doing just that. I also share free resources and online tools that can help you automatically generate a color palette with the click of a button.
The colors that you choose will make up your brand’s color palette, and at least a few of these colors will be used when designing your logo.
Making the magic happen:
Grab your list of values one more time, and your new color palette. As you read through your list, and look over your brand colors, what types of images come to mind? Maybe it’s a pattern, or an object, or an animal. Maybe it’s an icon, or a person. Maybe it’s the whole part of one of these things, or maybe it’s just a portion—like a hand, or a wing, or a part of a shape. Maybe it’s a whole landscape, or maybe it’s just a tree, or the sun, or a winding path. Maybe it’s detailed, or maybe it’s simple—an outline, a silhouette, an abstract representation. Maybe it’s all text—the name of your company in a unique font.
Close your eyes and think about what represents your values best. Then, depending on how you work best, either draw out, or write out your vision as best you can.
Your drawings don’t have to look beautiful or perfect! They are just a reference and a guide for you to use when putting your logo together!
If you prefer to write about the vision you have for your logo, be as detailed as you can! And don’t limit yourself to just one design, either. When I create logos for my clients, I mock up at least 5 to 10, if not more designs before choosing one to run with and perfect. If you get it right the first time, great! But if not—don’t get discouraged! The pros don’t stop at one, so why should you?
Creating your Iconic logo:
Now, how do you take the drawings or written guide you’ve just created and turn them into a clean, polished, professional design worthy of representing your brand? You have two options—DIY it, or get a pro to do it. I’ll explain the best way to do both.
Let’s start with the DIY options (both for those with design backgrounds, and those without). If you have design experience in a software like Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, or Illustrator, this is your best bet. Use one or more of these programs to refine your design, and you’re well on your way to launching your new brand.
No Design Knowledge Required:
If you DO NOT have design knowledge or experience, NO NEED TO WORRY! There is an online tool for you to use, as well. And, it doesn’t have to cost a thing! Canva.com is a great online tool to take your vision and make it a reality. They even have a logo building option to make the process as easy as possible. Simply visit Canva.com to get started. The free version has a lot of great functionality, but if you need use of their additional tools, it’s easy to upgrade to their pro version for a nominal monthly fee.
The importance of developing your vision:
For either DIY option, I can’t stress this to you enough—develop your vision until you get it right. Your logo is often the first, and certainly the lasting impression your audience will see. And although you CAN perfect or change your logo further down the line, this is the face of your brand, and you want to kick it off on the right foot. If you take time with anything, let it be this.
Getting help from the pros:
Now, if you try the DIY route and decide you need additional help, or if design really just isn’t your thing, and you want to save time so you can move forward with achieving your business goals, that’s OK! There are lots of professional designers out there just waiting to take your vision and turn it into a reality for you—including me!
Communicating your vision without breaking the bank:
Something I hear a lot from entrepreneurs, or people seeking to have a design created is, “Andrea, how do I communicate my vision to a designer in a way that they will understand? I want them to “get me” and the vision I have for this design. How do I get them to actually listen so that I don’t waste my time and money?”
Well, guess what? You have just created the perfect communication plan for your graphic designer of choice to follow! By sending them your newly created list of values, your color palette, and your drawings and/or description of the logo you envision, ANY graphic designer worth their weight in gold should be able to take this information and easily create a logo that is authentic to YOUR vision.
Choosing the right graphic designer for your logo:
You have a wealth of graphic designers to choose from, but I’d like to offer my services to you, as well. I would be more than happy to guide you through your logo creation process from whatever stage you’re in. It’s always my goal to help entrepreneurs, like you, to create a visual identity that authentically represents your brand. If you would like help in this, or any area of visual branding, please feel free to reach out to me! You can get in touch with me here: createiconic.com/contact-us
That’s it! You have just created (or have a solid plan to create) your iconic logo. I hope this has been helpful to you, and if I can help you further in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I am here for YOU and the success of YOUR brand.
Don’t miss next week’s series wrap-up! We’ll talk about combining colors, fonts, images, and your new logo so that you can create a cohesive visual brand that is authentic to your business. That’s part 5 of 5 easy steps every entrepreneur should follow to build an authentic visual brand identity.
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