Case Study : Logo Design Process for an E-Learning Platform. Smart Study Academy

You might be wondering what the first step in Logo Design Process would be. Well the answer is pretty simple. Its to pick up the call Lol. Okayyy keep the vegetables down I will be serious from now on.

Before we begin I would like to say that in Graphic Design everyone has their own process and you should follow what works best for you. Down below are the steps that I personally follow to get the job done:

Step 1: Getting the Brief

Brief is an important part of any project in Graphic Design. Its like the fuel without which the project won’t move anywhere. Its very important to get the information that you would need for the project and also understand what the client wants. My questionnaire is pretty small but enough for me to understand what the client needs. The Questions are:

1. Name of the Brand (Name to be used in the Logo)
2. Type of Business / Profession
3. Type of Logo (Icon Mark, Word Mark, Combine Mark etc.)
4. Mission Statement (What the organisation is trying to achieve)
5. Value Proposition (Unique & Valuable points that distinguishes the organisation from its competitors)
6. Elevator Pitch (The way the organisation would describe itself in pitching)
7. Characteristics required in the Logo

The information could get you overwhelmed or sometimes be the bare minimum but you don’t need to use every bit of it. In the Case of Smart Study Academy’s Logo design Process, the most important things to note down were:

Mission Statement
To Help and Guide the students in achieving their goals in leading a prosperous life.
Value Proposition
We provide a guide for a better studying pattern
We make the students Psychological prepared
We create a healthy mindset in the students for studying
Characteristics in Logo
Psychological, Smart

Step 2: Brainstorming

After getting the brief. Start getting Keywords out of it which you think will be helpful in creating the logo that the client wants.

The keywords mostly come out of “name of the brand, Value proposition, Mission Statement, Characteristics etc.” Don’t make too many keywords or you might get overwhelmed again.

Brainstorm words and metaphors that come to your mind for each keyword you selected. It doesn’t have to be very related just write whatsoever comes to your mind first. For me Ice cream always comes first related or not haha.

Step 3: Get a Cup of Coffee

This is an important step and without it the logo will always be incomplete. Just kidding the main idea is to take a break. After all the discussions and brainstorming, everyone deserves a break. Go out and take a walk in fresh air and come back with a fresh mind.

In this project I went out for 2 hours because I was too lazy to start working again.

Step 4: Ideating Concepts

Now this is disputed but to create a logo you need to have a rough idea on what you are going to do. Without it you would be just stuck on a blank artboard. I personally ideate using a pencil and paper but I have seen people ideating directly on Photoshop as well as some do in their minds. How they do it is still a mystery for me I can’t store that much in my head without forgetting one or two.

In the end it all depends on how you want to do it and what works best for you. I would suggest never skip ideating because you might be missing a ton of opportunities to getting at a better solution. In Smart Study Academy’s Logo Design Process I ideated around 10 concepts before shortlisting the best 3.

Step 5: Jumping in the software

The heart breaking part to say is that not every best idea gives the best result in the software. There are always problems that comes out of no where so always keep 2-3 ideas in hand if one doesn’t work. The software stage is mostly about vectorizing the logo drawn on paper or in your head. I usually use the graphic designing principles of Golden Ratio, Alignment etc. to guide me through the Logo Design Process.

This was one of the concepts and I liked it pretty much but as you can see it didn’t come out that good in the end.

Step 6: Creating Mockups

The next step in the logo design process is to represent the logo to the client for feedback. The best practice is to create mockups using the Logo as it would provide a clear picture to the client on how it would look in everyday life. The logo is more likely to get accepted with this method as the client can see the logo functioning in reality. Also describe the meaning and concept behind the logo in order to give it more weight.

Step 7: Delivering the Files

This is the final step in the Logo Design Process atleast for me. Make sure you provide all the right files that client may need. I provide the following files and they are almost He/She would ever need:

• JPEG
• PNG transparent
• AI (Vector File)
• PDF

Also make sure the Font is expanded so the client have no trouble in the printing process.

This is the process I take in Logo Designing. The Logo of Smart Study Academy was made with the same and the client was very happy with the results. Do check them out if you are looking for an E-Learning Platform. Also Subscribe below to get notification of my upcoming Case Studies and other related content. Comment below on what you think about my process. I would also be glad to take suggestions and advice if I find them helpful. Thanks for reading so far. You can throw the vegetables now.