Here I take you through the process of designing a logo and accompaning marketing materials for a company. In short, you first need to capture a personality that describes the company. Then you should just run with it. Sometimes you may wonder, "Is this a little over the top?" If you're thinking this, it may be a good sign.


Ok, so first thing's first. It's important to communicate as much as possible with a client on any project you may be working on. Good social skills are key. When looking to design a corporate identity for a client, I first ask them a few questions about their company to begin to create a personality for it in my head. I particularly like this questionnaire posted on Creative Bits.

For this case study, I worked on a logo for Daniel Scott, a friend of mine who is a sound designer. Here is a copy of his answers for the questionnaire.

What is your business?
I create audio

How old is your company?
brand spanking new

Size of your company?
1 employee

Your business in one sentance?
I give a voice to things that would normally be mute objects

Your business in two words?
sound design

Your business in one word?
Soundscapes

How did you start the company?
I started in theater

If your company/braand were a person who would it be?
Daniel R Scott

If your company was an object, what would it be?
Bouncing red ball

If your company was an animal, which one would it be?
A Moose

Why?
You would never expect it to sound like a goat. They sound nothing like they look which is the perfect example of sound design

Is there an important object, building or person for your business?
My computer

What do you wear to work?
i wear pajamas to work, my bronzed birthday suit. (joke)

What aspect of your image needs improvement?
i need some sort of image for the company to start with

How do you want your image to be seen in 2 years?
in 2 years i want people to see that i have experience and that i want more, just with them

Shaken or stirred?
Shaken with a toothpick so that it stirs itself while you shake

Who is your customer?
A large company looking for contract talent

If your customer was a cartoon character who would it be?
Customers are goofy (the cartoon character) cause they stumble and you help them they say gawrsh and yahahoowee

Do you have an Identity?
yes, rara avis, which is latin for wonder. I like that it's cool but not sure about direction might be too deep for some people too technical

From this we can make a pretty accurate decision of what type of image the company is looking for. In this case, the client made it clear that his clients have a good sense of humor. Therefore, we choose a moose wearing headphones. We also chose a blue color with a slightly retro style to indicate a certain unspoken loyalty. Although, color phychology is a whole different topic, you can visit this site if you're interesting in learning the basics.

Also, keep in mind that it may take more than one revision to get it right. That is why it's crucial to keep in frequent contact with your clients.