Choosing the right logo for your business is a big deal! It can also feel overwhelming. When the design proofs come in, how do you pick the logo that’s right for you? You might be tempted to combine them all into what you believe will be one perfect, glorious icon. But that doesn’t really work. (And if it did, your logo designer would have presented that option!) Here’s a method that does work. It not only creates a better logo, but a happier client (you!), and a more memorable brand. It’s called the one concept logo and it’s the preferred method of Lindsey Beharry Design Co.
Before we get into the one concept method, let’s talk about the typical design process.
Most brand designers deliver three or more logo concepts, then let you choose the one you like best. And for awhile, I did too. But I eventually realized the key things that make a brand truly unique, fun, and memorable are lost with this approach.
First, and most importantly, you lose sight of the original goal of your logo, which is to create a brand identity that attracts your target customer. When presented with too many options, you unconsciously start to solve a new and different kind of problem that has nothing to do with your customers. I’ll get to that in a minute.
What I discovered though years of using the 3-concept standard is many clients were overcome with analysis paralysis when it came time to choose their logo. So they picked their favorite elements from each logo option and requested a mish-mashed redesign. (This is what designers not-so-affectionally call a Frankenstein logo—a mark that feels cobbled together and strays from the intent of the original design.) And worse, the projects often took longer and ended up costing more.
And that’s not all.
This approach also deprived clients of receiving the very best branding solution for their business. And here is the new and different problem I talked about earlier: they became so focused on solving the indecision of which logo to choose that they abandoned the reason they hired a designer in the first place (to attract their target customer through their branding)!
Think of it like visiting a restaurant. The menu includes so many options, you just can’t choose. You like tacos, and lasagna, and grilled salmon, so you ask the chef to combine all the ingredients to solve your indecision. When the dish comes out, it doesn’t taste like you imagined, because those ingredient don’t go together. There’s a reason the chef never put that dish on the menu! unconsciously
With the one concept method, the designer delivers only one concept: the one that offers the best solution for their client. This process allows the designer to follow a natural path of creative exploration. It ultimately produces better and more creative ideas that result in a full brand concept—not just a logo. Through this process, they’ll try every possible concept, color combination, and font option until they arrive at the perfect design solution for your business. Then they present the full brand concept to help you visualize your new logo and brand in real life.
There are several key elements that are necessary to make the one concept method work: clear communication, creative direction, brand identity design, and real-world design samples customized to the needs of your brand.
During the discovery phase, we work together to choose the creative direction of your logo concept through an in-depth consultation. We’ll discuss your business goals and visions, your ideal client, and preferred design aesthetic. This creates a clear design path that is based on attracting your ideal customer. It also serves as a guide for making any branding and design decisions moving forward.
The information gathered in the consultation is used to create several mood boards in which you choose your brand colors and the overall feel of your design. This helps give you an idea of what your logo and brand identity will look like before any design takes place.
One concept does not mean you get one logo. Rather, you get one fully built out brand identity that includes a range of logo marks, icons, colors, fonts, and even patterns. This gives you full flexibility to customize and personalize your brand on every print and digital medium it exists.
My favorite part of every logo project is creating mockups—design examples of your brand identity in the real world. Here is where you get to see your brand come to life! These mockups are customized to your specific business and brand values. So for example, if you run a coffee shop, your mockups might include coffee mugs and bean bags. And if own a transportation company your mockups might include car wraps and billboards.
I’ve used the one concept logo method with nearly all my clients over the past year and the shift in my design process and the client experience is overwhelmingly positive. My designs are more creative, because the whole process is a creative brainstorm where one idea begets another until a whole brand is born.
This helps clients not only visualize their entire brand but fall in love with it. Because of this, they rarely have major revisions to the concept. In fact, many times, they end up using the sample design assets to create their actual brand collateral, which—for my clients—has included anything from a suite of business materials to a whole clothing product line. It’s a major value add they weren’t expecting and creates a more personalized and memorable brand.
If you’re looking for a logo for your business and think the one concept method is right for you, set up a free consultation and let’s chat!
