Start every logo design project with this logo design questionnaire to lay the groundwork for a painless design process

I’ve had one failed logo design project for a client in the last 20 years. The red flag popped up when she said she didn’t like what the two previous designers had created for her. But my 20-something designer self ignored it and took on that project anyway. She described what she wanted; I created it; she didn’t like it. Eat – sleep – design – repeat. Nothing satisfied her and we went our separate ways. Boy, was that a happy day! The rest of my logo design projects have been successful, and it’s no accident. I have a logo design questionnaire I give to clients before starting the design process. I’m pretty sure I asked her a similar series of questions before I started her project (apparently it didn’t save the project 🙂 ). This questionnaire is not a magic wand, but it is the best tool I can give you to set you up for logo design success.

What do I need a logo for?

Don’t be limited by thinking logos are only for companies!  They are useful for establishing any kind of identity: a non-profit organization, a large gala, party or fundraiser, a solopreneur in the service industry (attorney, business coach, fitness coach, real estate agent, massage therapist), a political campaign, an initiative within a company or even a personal mark for your blog or stationery.

What do you want?

You want to end up with a logo you LOVE while expending as little time and pain (and probably money!) as possible getting there. “How do I know you’re going to come up with something I like?” is one of the most common questions I used to hear. There’s a process; trust it. You want to have input and communication about expectations so there are no nasty surprises at the end. You want to have confidence in your designer to lead the way, to make the process as transparent and painless as possible. You don’t want to waste money and time on unknown outcomes. There is a process; trust it! In a previous post I talked about what makes a good logo.

Logo design questionnaire

Answering these questions is the #1 way to make your design process as smooth and efficient as possible! Before I start any logo design project, I have my client fill out this questionnaire so we can both make sure we are on the same page. I also ask the client if there are any other decision-makers and request that they answer the questions too. You can’t hope to satisfy someone’s expectations if you don’t know what they are. NOTE: The logo design questionnaire often leads to writing a creative brief putting all this info into nice, clean paragraph form. Since I am a one-woman shop and I always work with the decision-maker at my client’s site, I don’t take that extra step. There’s only two of us and we know what we discussed. Creative briefs are helpful if you have a larger team of people working on a project so everyone can refer to the same information. This is Part 1 of a 3-part series listing the 11 questions I ask clients when starting a logo design project.

• If you’re the designer, ask your client these questions.
• If you’re the client, and the designer hasn’t asked you these questions (or something similar), answer them on your own and give them to your designer before they start the design process.
• If you’re attempting your own logo design, answer these questions to help you streamline your own design process.

Some clients know exactly what they want (colors, icon, etc.) and some have only vague ideas. That’s OK! Not everyone is the same and that’s what makes this fun!

Let’s get started with the questions …

1. What is the name of your organization?*

What does it do?

Where did the name come from?

Who is your ideal target market?

We’re starting with an overview here. Is it a company, non-profit, or one woman entrepreneur? Is it a product or service? A restaurant? Retail location? Online business? Who are you trying to reach? Who is your ideal client—the person you love to work with the most? Women? New moms? Brides to be? Teachers? DIY crafters? Men? Men who like fancy cars? Men who like to cook? Grandparents? Make sure you cover all the bases: gender, age, family structure, income, location, lifestyle, hobbies. Where are they at in life? Favorite movie, TV show, podcast, web site, store, news source? *This article assumes you already have a name in mind, but if you don’t, check out “How to Choose a Great Name” from articulatemarketing.com

2. What should your logo convey to your target market?

How does your product or service solve a problem or make life better for your customer? Does it save them time, save them money, make them feel better, more confident, healthier, fashionable, attractive? Other?

3. Who is your competition and how are they positioned? How are you different?

Research 2–3 competitors and look at their websites to see their image and messaging. How do you want to look? How do you want to look different from the competition?

4. If there is an existing logo, what do you like and not like about it?

This question only applies to logo redesign or refresh projects. Was the logo a starter logo and now you want something more professional? Is it dated? Is the typeface from two decades ago? Are you just tired of looking at it? Hey, it happens. Do you still like the colors, but want the icon and typeface updated? Answers to these questions may lead to new questions. Ask away!

5. What does the exact lettering need to be with regard to spacing, TM, LLC, etc.? Can liberties be taken with UPPER CASE and lower case?

This is fairly basic, just to get a feel for what the limits are and what needs to be included on the logo to satisfy everyone’s expectations. Most people are happy to let you have free reign on UC and lc. You might even try all lower case if casual is appropriate. If you’re wrapping text on a circle, all caps will probably work best because of the consistent letter height. There are many options so it’s good to know boundaries before you start designing. To be continued …

If you have a logo design project on your plate right now and want to jump ahead and get all the questions in a convenient workbooklet PDF freebie, click that big graphic below. It includes all 11 questions with more sample answers than are covered in this post.

Part 2 focuses on icons, your brand, and the desired look and feel of your new logo.

Part 3 will focus on colors(!) and what existing logos you like & dislike, and why.

If you’ve designed a logo before what info have you collected from your client? Are there any questions listed here that you haven’t asked but want to add to your own questionnaire? What are they? Are there any questions that surprise you? Let me know in the comments. A good logo questionnaire is a work in progress.