Startup
Logo
Process
Follow a step-by-step startup logo design process, from brief and research to concepts, refinement and a complete logo suite.
Steps 1 to 2: Brief and Research
Quick answer: a solid logo design process moves from brief to research, sketching, digital concepts, refinement and a final logo suite. Skipping the early steps is the most common reason logos miss the mark. Step 1: Write a brief. Define your audience, positioning, personality and where the logo will appear. Talk to a few customers during research. Their words about your product often inspire strong logo ideas.
Step 2: Research. Study competitors and your market so your logo stands out rather than blending in. Consider the name itself. Short names suit bold wordmarks, while longer names may need a strong symbol.
Branding
Logo Design
Steps 3 to 4: Concepts and Refinement
Step 3: Sketch and explore. Explore many ideas quickly, from wordmarks to symbols, before going digital. Step 4: Develop and refine. Turn the strongest ideas into digital concepts, then refine spacing, curves and balance. Show concepts in context, such as an app icon, website header and social profile, to judge how they really work.
Test concepts at small sizes, in one color and on dark and light backgrounds. A good logo works everywhere, from an app icon to a billboard. Get feedback from a small group of decision-makers rather than a large committee, which tends to water ideas down.
Step 5: Build the Logo Suite
Deliver a primary logo, a secondary or stacked version, an icon or mark, and color variations. Include usage rules and export files in the formats you need, such as SVG and PNG. Make sure the logo works in a single color for situations like embossing, stamps and favicons.
Kites Design's own logo pairs a simple kite mark with a bold wordmark. We design startup logos as part of our branding service. Store all logo files in one shared place so everyone uses the latest version.
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