Design your way

When you design a logo, you might think that the entire process is all about designing. However, there is also another important element when you want to deliver a project, and that is a strong logo presentation.

You might feel really confident about the way you do your work but when it comes to presentations some of us might be anxious. Presenting your logo can actually be the most important step of the logo design process.

Sometimes graphic designer fails to communicate well and understand exactly the client’s needs and this results in confusion and undesired redesigning efforts. One of the key aspects when creating a logo is to take your client into confidence. They don’t know what colors to choose or to give certain guides but still a client will be part of the design process because in the end they give the final approval!

How to present a logo

A lot of times even experienced designers lack the knowledge to create a strong presence. The reality is that this process is quite simple and there shouldn’t be anything complicated about it. We created five simple things that you need to take into account if you want to make your presentation a successful one.

The first impression is everything

You want to impress your client, do that from the very first logo presentation you send to him. To do this you need to check the logo presentation template a lot of times for any grammar errors or other small details that you might have missed.

On top of that if you are doing the logo presentation in person, put them professionally on foam core or a similar clean surface. If you do the presentation via email and not you face facing then make sure to include some of the best work you’ve done before in the beginning. This will help the client see your true potential, so presenting logos that you did in the past can be a good idea.

Document and discuss “why”

When you have your logo presentation always tell the client why you made certain choices and choose that type of design. Maybe the reason was that your logotype is going to get more attention, or it is a simple identity include everything that is in your mind in that presentation.

Put a lot of focus on the real business results when you do your logo presentation. Chances are quite big that the people you are showing your logo presentation are business people and not artist. They will surely be more interested in the result and not fonts.

You can also show parts of the design that were made exactly as the client demanded in your discussion. Maybe he wanted a certain color, shape and son remember to tell them that the part they mentioned was respected.

Get a Clear Brief

Before you start working always ask for a detailed design brief, it will help you do better design and understand their needs. You can even do your own brief, by asking the questions you have.

Once the design brief is ready you should get its approval from the client. Only then you can start safely to design the logo. Having a precise brief helps you a lot because you know for sure that both the client and what you think about the project will be aligned.

Distinguish your design from the old one

If a company gave you the go and hired you to create their first brand identity then for sure you can play around with many design ideas. However, if you are replacing an existing one then you need to focus on showing them that the work you do is much better than the previous one.

Guide the client

Before you look into a presentation it is important that you prepare yourself to show the final product to your client. A good way to do this by using different product mockups. Many designers ask their clients to give a verdict before they give a full detailed description of what they did.

To put it in simple steps, before you ask your client what he thinks of the design you made show him all the decisions that you took, why did you choose those colors, that shape, that font and so on. This information’s are crucial when making your own logo presentation.

Refer to the Goals

When you have described the logo ask them if they agree that the logo meets all the checkpoints that you previously discussed in the brief. If you do this you will surely get a clear answer and it is usually a yes. If the answer is no to ask for a constructive feedback so that you may know what you need to do next in order to give a better design.

So, if you are still thinking at how to present a logo just keep the presentation around the goals that you discussed with the client. Mention all the details and they should be quite satisfied with the work you have done.

Talk about the features

You should avoid questions like “what do you think about it” because they might confuse your client. A better approach is to explain all the design process without asking questions. What the client wants to hear in your logo presentation is how that particular design is going to help the company.

This is probably how you should set the discussion level between you two. By doing so you give your client the chance to show his or her opinion about the final logo.

Tell and intriguing story about the process

Conveying emotions is central to communication. Voice is an essential medium that will get the job done. Use your voice when explaining the concept behind the final logo, emails are good but sometimes voice can be the real thing that gets the job done.

Present with real-life examples

You should also consider that in your logo presentation to include the logo in different real-life situations. Maybe you can put it on a product, on a shop exterior or a car. Think about where the logo that they want to get design might appear in the end.

Present the logo in practical situations

Clients will always be uncertain if a logo will actually work for their business. This is why you need to give them some practical situations that they can analyze and talk about.

Help them see how the logo can look on their products website, business card and so on. This way they get a taste of it and might be one step closer to accepting your final logo design.

Make it look professional

This shouldn’t really be repeated because it is quite obvious that if you to show your logo layout you need to do it in a professional way. Include in the logo presentation all the details.

Make a presentation that has the right amount of text

If you can present face to face your presentation then that is the best way to go about it. In case you are trying to do a PowerPoint or Keynote then do not hesitate to use small bullets of text where you express an idea or two.

Sometimes you might even consider asking the help of a copywriter so you can craft a few sentences that will help the presentation shine. Indeed, why not get some help especially if you really want to impress your client?

Stay calm

A lot of clients will test your patience. They might put a lot of questions; they might have some feedback so always remember to stay calm when doing your logo presentation. Just listen to what they have to say because this is the best way to figure out what they actually really need.

Be positive and confident

You are the designer; you spent your entire career learning and you need to know exactly what is best for this client. Although they are the ones that make the final decision you will always know what works the best when it comes to designs.

Sell this to the client during the logo presentation and you will be just fine!

Collect feedback when you’re done

Even though it is not needed when you are creating the logo after you submit the final logo you should still ask for feedback. Some clients might not do it themselves, so pay attention to what they say and how they react when you say certain things.

In conclusion, a logo presentation should always be the medium that you use in order to convince the client about its useful features. Put a lot of focus on how the design is going to help the company and you should have cool presentation at the end. Don’t get scared if they start questions, it is normal to want to find out a bit more information, especially if you’ve got them curious.

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