• How will a customer or consumer interpret my new brand?
• Does it reflect my companies target market?
• Does it fit the style that we’re trying to convey to our target audience?

In order to answer these vital questions we have to go through what is known as a logo design process.  We have taken one of our logos and walked you through all the steps.

The Design Brief

A majority of all designers will agree that the first step in developing any new branding is figuring out what the client is exactly looking for.  The first part of this process is typically known as the design brief.  This is when the client will give an initial accumulation of information which should give the designer an understanding of what direction to take.  We always provide the client with a logo design questionnaire which provides me important initial information on where to start.  Once the questionnaire is completed we will often have further questions for the client in order to fully understand their needs and goals.

Research and Brainstorming

The next step in the process is the research and brainstorming phase.  This is when we take all the original information we’ve accumulated from the client and begin analyzing.  We will research the client’s competition, history, future, current branding, trends in the market and what could set the client apart from the rest of the crowd.

Sketching & Conceptualizing

After we’ve finished the research and brainstorming phase we will begin sketching out our ideas on plain paper.  This allows us to generate a large amount of possible ideas which most of the time can become quite redundant after a while but the goal here is to not rule anything out.

Prototype Design

Once we’ve completed sketching out my ideas we will then begin transferring the ones we think will work successfully to the computer.  We call this the prototype design phase.  We will render the logos in a vector program such as Adobe Illustrator and we generally don’t incorporate any color at this time.  If a logo works in black and white then it will typically always work in color.  We regularly try to provide at least three unique logo concepts for the client to review.

Client Review

The next step once we’ve completed the initial round of logo prototypes is to prepare the files for the client to review.  We will compile a PDF file with the logos laid out nicely and formatted in either a black-on-white or white-on-black which helps the client concentrate on the shape and form of the logo.  This allows the client to not become distracted by easily editable aesthetical elements.  As we mentioned before, we only present the logos initially in black and white until the final stages where we will then begin to introduce color.

Revisions & Polishing

Following the review from the client we will begin finalizing the logo.  At this stage we will begin making any revisions the client has asked for or suggested and depending on the extent of the revisions may submit another round of logos for the clients review.

Conclusion & Final Product

As you can now see, creating a unique branding is very complex task.  It takes time, experimentation and exploration to come up with unique ideas which in the end will produce a great brand.  Hopefully this article gives you a good idea of why it takes time to produce and develop a good branding.  Here is the logo the client finally picked.

The definition of a logo according to Wikipedia is: a graphical element (ideogram, symbol, emblem, icon, sign) that, together with its logotype (a uniquely set and arranged typeface) form a trademark or commercial brand. Typically, a logo’s design is for immediate recognition.[1] The logo is one aspect of a company’s commercial brand, or economic or academic entity, and its shapes, colors, fonts, and images usually are different from others in a similar market. Logos are also used to identify organizations and other non-commercial entities.

Here are some things to think about when designing a lawyer logo or a law firm logo.

When designing a law firm logo you should strive to create a logo design that people look at and say the following things:

• How creative. How did they think of that?
• Look how simple, yet how effective the design is.
• A simple font enhancement made all the difference in the design of the logo.
• I can tell the designer didn’t just type a font. A printer can do that.
• I really get a sense of what this law firm is about.
• I didn’t think lawyers had a brand or image.
• This logo design is unique compared to typical lawyer logos.
• This brand is not just a current trend. It maintains longevity and is considered timeless.

Here are some good examples of how type has been altered in drastic or slight ways to establish an identity. They are not just fonts typed out. (Kerning and Leading only, do not justify good type alterations). Oh, by the way, I hope you have seen the arrow in the FedEx logo by now.

Successful Typeface Logos

Here are some of my personal thoughts on how to create a logotype or typeface logo

• Sketch out the Letters and/or Surnames for the law firm logo – start looking at how the letters fit together in different ways.
• Find a font or fonts, but create outlines (save a reminder of the actual font) start redrawing the points of the letters to alter their shapes, keeping in mind how they fit together.
• Evaluate how letters start to transform into objects. Do any of these objects reference what the product, image or practice areas are about?
• Try manipulating the letters into those objects or shapes.
• Try manipulating letters to fit together the entire typeface as a whole.
• Try stacking the names to see how they fit that way.
• Do these same steps with the initials of the surnames as well.

In conclusion, conservative law firms and clients in general do not have to equal boring, mindless design.

Unleash the creativity! Change your process! See the improvement!

•    Pantone colors on the other hand should be used for stationery and logo designs.

The Reason
The reason a Pantone color should be used is to ensure your branding color is consistent throughout.

Quick Example
A specific example of cost savings is a batch-printing job using CMYK over Pantone. A Pantone color process is more expensive due to the labor involved with printing – ink mixing, loading the press, printing the job and then cleaning the press.

Long Technical Explanation
CMYK (Process) – When printing an image in CMYK, the file is separated into four primary colors: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.   CMYK colors are simulated colors and are not pre-mixed. When an image is recreated there are screen tints made up of small dots that are applied at different angles to the four process colors. The separated colors are than transferred to four different printing plates on the press. The colors are than printed multiple times one after the other to create the final image.

PaperStreet has long realized that many law firms do not have an
identity, or worse, have a poor identity. With over a million lawyers,
it’s easy for law firms to blend in with their competitors. With so
much competition, creating an identity or brand for the law firm is
essential for its survival.

PaperStreet wants to change this by offering law firms the chance to
stand out from the crowd and be noticed. PaperStreet does this through
four different packages:

Logos
A logo design is deal for firms that already have marketing package,
but want to change the look of the firm name. PaperStreet will create
an instant image for a firm with a new logo.

Corporate Identity
PaperStreet can create a corporate identity that includes a logo, letterhead, stationary, envelopes, and more.

Brochures
Once a corporate identity has been established, PaperStreet will work
with a firm to create a brochure that tells the firms story.

Advertising
Finally for firms that need to market, which is almost all firms,
PaperStreet can create advertisements, flyers, direct mail, and
billboards.

About PaperStreet Web Design
Founded in 2001 by a lawyer, PaperStreet creates new web sites and
revitalizes aging ones. In addition to creating web sites that are
engaging, we now create professional print designs.

In the past four years, PaperStreet has produced over 100+ legal web
sites and now applies that same professional design to print.

Whether you are a solo attorney, a partner in a law firm, looking for a
new web site or print brochure, contact PaperStreet Web Design. Find
out the PaperStreet difference at http://www.paperstreet.com
.