How to make a logo presentation to clients
Posted 2 years ago in COMPUTER SCIENCE.When you start creating a presentation for your logo, start with the brief. Recall it at the very beginning: probably the client
Whether you are a graphic designer or a newbie using Turbologo, logo design assignments evoke mixed feelings. On one hand the stereotype of a graphic designer who accepts «logo orders for $50» persists in the design community. There is indeed no shortage of such orders. Most often they are the result of… a lack of understanding of what designing a logo is. It seems that creating a «simple sign», some «lettering with graphics» takes little time and thus cannot be worth much.
Clients, who have never had any contact with designing, do not take into account the creative process – the fact that the sign and the graphic element have to be invented from scratch. Ideally, it should also refer to the client's industry, it should not be trivial, it should stand out and it should convey the values that are important for the company.
On the other hand, the logo is a distinctive sign, the first message the client receives, an integral part of visual identity. A client, who understands its importance for the company's image, will never neglect such an important element. Designing a logo is a creative challenge and at the same time a certain responsibility.
You may say: 'well, at least the client will reject the logo and that's it. Apart from the fact that such an approach is not very honest, it also doesn't guarantee that someone will pay you for the time spent and work done – and you don't do art for art's sake.
It can also happen that you put a lot of effort into creating a logo, develop an ambitious gig, the execution is flawless, and the client… rejects the work. The fault doesn't always lie with the design – sometimes the client's decision is influenced by how you present the logo to them. When you just want to become a professional graphic designer and work as a freelancer, logo presentation may seem less important to you. And yet it is worth appreciating!
How to present a logo to a client so that it won't be rejected?
Presentation by Herdetya Priambodo
Did you happen to send your client a pdf with your logo in color and contrast together with a short description? The problem with such a way of presentation leaves a lot of uncertainty on the part of the customer. If the logo does not create a «wow effect», there is hesitation, the client is unconvinced and as a result, may reject the work.
A designer working on a logo has a vision, idea, and concept – how the logo should look in space, what it should express, and who it should reach. The thing is that clients don't read their minds, so your task is to anticipate questions and dispel doubts. How to do it?
Back to the brief
When you start creating a presentation for your logo, start with the brief. Recall it at the very beginning: probably the client does not remember its exact content. This will remind you of the strategy you chose and make it easier for you to show how the logo fits into it. You can also use a mood board in the presentation to remind you what mood and associations you want the logo to evoke.
Concept
A logo doesn't exist in a vacuum and isolation from the market, competitors, and consumers. Tell clients about your concept and how you created the design.
Logo in color
And nothing else. You'll have room for a detailed description of the colors in the various schemes later; you don't need any explanations now as to why this particular shade of orange. Just leave the logo to have room to breathe.
Mock-ups
This is a very important part of the presentation. Your client is naturally concerned about how the logo will look on different materials, online and in print, in public spaces, and on promotional gadgets. Show all this to the client. Bet on context, on mock-ups imitating real situations:
- magazine covers;
- office supplies;
- client's products;
- business cards;
- social media;
- outdoor advertising.
A logo can appear anywhere. Don't count on the client to imagine it on their own – your job is to bridge the gap between the logo on the white background of your graphics program and how it will exist in the client's company.
Color palette
Now it's time for the technical details: color palettes and fonts used, along with a brief explanation of why you recommend this particular combination.
Alternative versions
What should the logo look like in the opposing version? Is it acceptable to modify a logo consisting of several elements if it has to be placed, for example, on a small narrow area? If you have prepared alternative versions of the logo or the logo is accompanied by textures, patterns, etc., it is also worth discussing them.
Good impression at the end
Leave the last slide of the presentation once again for the logo in color. Let the customer have time to look at it, remember it, appreciate the quality of the workmanship and get used to the idea that this logo will identify and differentiate your company from the competition.
To end
Most of your clients are not graphic designers and may not have the slightest idea of how you work: that the colors, fonts, and shapes you choose are not the result of chance, but a conscious decision to create a specific message.
When you present a logo to a client, it's worth showing him all this. Of course, you can say that a good design will defend itself, but in fact, few people have such imagination to «see» the logo in a real environment, on objects, and in advertising materials. Preparing explanations and mock-ups is a tribute to the client and at the same time a detail that can decide how the project will be perceived.
Peter David
Living in
Pakistan
