I'm wondering how exacly do you give what your client wants? Like I'm working on my first "logo" for someone and all the info they give me is their name, home page, and that they are a web hosting company. The website is just a template so that doesn't say much, and the name doesn't as well. They told me I'm suppose to come up with a good logo for them..

Its hard because I don't see how I can just create something that I know THEY will like, I might like it, but THEY may not.. I'm wondering how you can give someone what they want in a logo or even a web page design..

Also what program is good for creating logos? I'm using PhotoShop CS3

Hi Lucky,

Firstly, use Illustrator for creating logos. This is a vector based program dedicated to this type of design.

To achieve your goal with your client, draft up a range of ideas that stem from their requests and requirements. Present these ideas to your client, and then you will work from there, ticking ones that are liked and crossing ones that arn't, modifying and re-working, your final logo will be done.

Hope this helps. :)

Illustrator is definitely tops for working on logos IMHO, but it does have a learning curve to it. You may want to check out Fireworks as well.

That aside it sounds like you need to start pulling some of your clients teeth to get some more information on what they are looking for. A great place to start is to have them send you some logos that they look the like of. You should also compile a list of questions to ask them about what they are actually looking for.

Examples:

What style of logo do you want? Simple? Elaborate? Mascot based? etc..

What colors are you looking to use? Any specific corporate colors that must be included?

Is this logo strictly for web use or are you planning on printing as well (CMYK or RGB here).

What message would you like your logo to convey to the world? "We're a happy fun loving company!" "We're serious business here." Etc...

What type of layout would you like for your logo? Long but not very tall? Short and fat? Etc...

Once you get all that it's time for you to go to work. Start brainstorming ideas and putting them down on your canvas. Send the user a bunch of different ideas and let them sort through them. Once they find one they like they will most likely have more changes that need to be made, and you do that all over again.

In the end you will have something like:

Logo-2b-1-Final-Rev2.AI :D

Some great tips there.

Always get as much info on a company and what they are looking for. Ask them if they have any examples of other logos or colors they have seen and liked.

Thanks Bannaz and dollar, those were some very helpful tips that I will definitely use for future reference. :)

Ask about how they feel, ask them to list a bunch of logo's and websites they like and keep on asking, asking and asking even more :)

along with asking the client for logos they liked you would need inspiration so I suggest taking a look at
http://logopond.com/gallery/ and Im waiting to see the outcome of your logo :)

If they give you that little of information they trust that you are creative. And you should trust in yourself as well. Just do what you like and chances are they will too(Make mockups as well) . I use photoshop for making logos but the only reason i do is because i dont want to learn illustrator just for making logos

Some great tips here for this project. However, don't let the importance and 'weight' of a logo become overbearing. I appreciate you have a clients needs to fulfill and its an important project, but look at the logo of one of the most successful internet companies....Google. Its naf, but it doesn't matter a dot to their marketing or brand image, does it !

If the client puts too much emphasis and pressure on you to produce a logo that they think is going to be the creation of their business image and branding...bring them back down to earth gently.

Good luck.

I feel that customer feedback is the number one way to achieve a successful identity.

When creating a logo, we look at who the company is trying to attract to it's products or services, we factor in age groups, personalities. We want to connect our customers with their customers in every aspect from their website to their print media, business cards and letter heads.

We design branding to give a visitor, reader or onlooker a feeling of customer security, reliability and bold statements about what the company has to offer in a very short phrase or visual statement.

Thats what creates good logos and corporate identity IMHO

Hey Lucky,

For Logos - i am using software Flash - and then it can convert Flash to Illustrator

But In flash to make logos very easy to draw and colors and other level
you can convert that in illustrator or high resolution PSD -

for Logos you can give a client 2 concept for his business - once client
select a best concept ask him for changes if he need like font change colors etc.
in the end send a final files with fonts etc.

Just showing simple way - hope its help!

Corel Draw is the soft and I gotta tell ya that the best way to do it is by making the logo convince the person it is what he needs.

Hi,

I mainly use Flash and Paint Shop Pro to produce logos.

The process in preparing logos are usually: Draft - Comments from Client - Revise - Comments from Client - Revise - Comments from Client............. Many times, some clientd even do not have any idea at the very beginning. They just ask you to prepare some logos for their preliminary review. Anyway, customer satisfaction is the most important.

Hello!

You may also want to take a look at the various forms provided for free by Creative Latitude:

http://creativelatitude.com/links/resources_downloads.html

I am sure the questionnaires in there are helpful.

For software, vector-based logo is the way to go. So Adobe(R) Illustrator is the choice. If you are not familiar with the software, try to go over Lynda.com and look for an appropriate video tutorial.

We wish you well.

:)

I wouldn't worry about the program at this stage, you need more information. What are their business goals? How do they want to be percieved? There's many questions to be asked, and much information to be had before throwing something out there.

There's an old saying, I'm not sure if I recall it properly, but it went something like this -

An American company contracted a Chinese designer to design a logo for them. A month or so goes by, and they hear little from the man, so, a little worried, they send someone over there to find out what's going on.

Upon arrival, the US company representative explains that they haven't heard much, and they would like to know where their logo is. Quickly, the designer creates a logo for them and says 'Here you go'.

Curious, the US representative asks 'How come it took so long, and cost us so much money?', to which the designer points to a pile of books in the corner.

HTH.

I'm wondering how exacly do you give what your client wants? Like I'm working on my first "logo" for someone and all the info they give me is their name, home page, and that they are a web hosting company. The website is just a template so that doesn't say much, and the name doesn't as well. They told me I'm suppose to come up with a good logo for them..

Its hard because I don't see how I can just create something that I know THEY will like, I might like it, but THEY may not.. I'm wondering how you can give someone what they want in a logo or even a web page design..

Also what program is good for creating logos? I'm using PhotoShop CS3


I’m not a designer, but I’ve hired more than my fair share of designers for different projects over the years.

I’ve had great success in doing this (and you can work backward to fit you as a designer):

1) Send a drawing or some examples of what I want.
2) Explain the color scheme I’m looking for.
3) Provide some history of the project and other important info to help the designer (all depends on the project to what you provide).
4) Tell them to “make it their own.” In other words, this is a code to not follow the drawing to a “t” but to incorporate ideas. I’ve found the best way to shut down creativity is to tell someone to follow a drawing to the “t.”

Hopefully this helps… not really what you were looking for…. I’m only attempting to help…

Hello mate, I think its more a lack of interest from your client than your fault... I usually receive lots of order like this and it sucks. We are designers no magicians.

You need a briefing, its just some key questions to understand the client needs.

I wrote a blog post about this sometime ago:
http://www.sosnewbie.com/en/business/designing-for-costumers/

I hope it helps.
Cheers.

I think its more a lack of interest from your client than your fault... I usually receive lots of order like this and it sucks. We are designers no magicians.

I don't really think that that's the case. It's probably more that they don't know what they need to give the designer, and in my opinion(Seems to be yours too?), it's down to the designer/developer to guide the client and ask/research everything they need to know.