How do we create a logo?

We’ve created lots of logos at The Bigger Boat and we always approach a logo mark project in the same, tried and tested, way. We recently completed a project for an ultra-fast, location specific, fibre provider and I thought it would be a great idea to show where the project started and how it finished…

We always start with a brief, with questions like; ‘Who are we talking to?’, ‘What’s the most unique and attractive feature of the brand/product to the end user?’, ‘Are there any colours/icons we should avoid?’, ‘What other brands would your product sit next to on a supermarket shelf?’… You get the idea.

Once we’ve done the initial groundwork and the brief has been signed off, we often do some competitor research and see what everyone else is doing. We don’t want to look like any other brands in the same marketplace and we like to see what the general ‘look and feel’ is out there.

Next comes the creative bit and we can get the pens and paper out – essential before anyone gets near a Mac! There are no bad ideas at this stage and often an idea that doesn’t quite nail the brief can lead to a concept that does.

When we’ve spent some time sketching our initial logo designs, we can then re-group, discuss, refine the ideas if necessary, choose the concepts which work best and start the next step of the process – the creative execution.

We often execute the same idea in a couple of different design routes, so we can see which way fits best. We’ll show various colour options as well and sometimes show the logo in certain situations (stationery, signage, website, etc), so the client can get a real understanding of how the logo will come to life.

Hopefully at this stage we’ll have a winner, and in the case of ‘Superfibre’ we did. The chosen logo mark uses the instantly recognisable map pin – which answered the two most important parts of the brief in one hit – location and internet connection. We also worked on creating a brand hierarchy, with one ‘mother logo’ and other ‘location logos’, which work together…

So, that’s how we create a logo at The Bigger Boat! We believe every project and brand we work with is unique, but the approach and methodology is always the same and always delivers an original and effective logo mark.

If you need a new logo or want to refresh an existing mark, get in touch!