In the last blog post we talked about how the creative process works. In this post I’d like to show you and demystify the logo development process a bit. I was an in-house designer for a little over a decade before I took the leap to my own design firm. No matter whether you’re serving in-house clients or on your own the process remains the same.
Some Background Info
One company I worked for was Scott’s Liquid Gold. They manufacture household cleaners and chemicals along with a skincare line called Alpha Hydrox. It was HUGE product line in the 80s and is gaining momentum again. I was part of a committee of women in those days dedicated to product development. We decided it was high time we updated the Alpha Hydrox logo to revitalize the brand and attract new users. The demographic was mainly women 35+, but most current users fell into the boomer category. The color red had to stay, as it was getting some great brand recognition from the red box at the shelf level. So with this in mind I worked with my art director, Mary Lou Egan, at the time to come up with a new logo…
The first round of sketches…
In the first round of sketches I like to get all the mind clutter out and the ideas on paper. This helps me sort through them and decide what I’ll take to the computer to explore further. I usually don’t show the client these sketches as some of the thumbnails serve more as a reference to an idea and look better in my head than on paper. I find it’s better to develop the idea first a bit and then present it to the client as a possible avenue to pursue. It makes more sense when it’s been refined a bit rather than just a thumbnail sketch.
Alpha Hydrox Thumbnails—The Good, the bad, and the ugly. This is just a snapshot of the sketches. As you can see there are some mundane ideas in there but also some shiny nuggets that needed polishing. Click the image to enlarge.
Execution
Once I’ve sorted through the clutter it’s time to take these ideas to the computer to start executing them and see if they pan out and communicate the brand effectively. Again, I tend to filter these a bit when presenting to my clients, some of them don’t hit the mark like I thought. During the first round of concepts I explore and experiment with different font choices and treatments, color combinations, illustration styles, shapes, etc.
Screen shot in Adobe Illustrator of Alpha Hydrox Logo Concepts. As you can see, I really try to evolve each idea into something more tangible. Click image to enlarge.
Refinement
Once I’ve gotten some solid ideas knocked out it’s time to present them to the client. This is where we talk and collaborate about whether or not we’re headed in the right direction, what revisions and tweaks we’d like to see, and which avenues we want to explore more. I think it’s very important to get your client’s input to ensure they feel like they are part of the process and have put their personal touch on the logo or project.
Alpha Hydrox Concepts Refined
Getting down to the Nitty Gritty
Next in the revision process we drill down even further and narrow down it to one or two logos to explore completely.
Alpha Hydrox Logo Color Exploration
The End
In the end there is one solution that rises to the top. Their new logo sets the tone for their brand and identity. And after the all is said and done, the client can feel confident in the logo we have developed because they were part of the process.
Alpha Hydrox Final Logo applied to the product.
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