One Logo Option is Better Than Three
I hated showing the standard 3 logo options for branding projects.
“The client usually picks the logo we don’t like.” – if you’re a designer you’ve either heard these words or said them yourself.
I’m the type of designer who designs in my head. I have a few friends who even design in their sleep. How awesome is that?! I don’t know about you, but if you’re the type to design in your head, you probably only think up one solution. Your mind filters all the mediocre designs in search for that one piece of gold—the idea that solves the problem the best.
I would sometimes just sit in silence, thinking, because I could design faster in my head than sketching. One time, I remember working on a logo for a client's company and I could almost feel the idea forming in my mind. I had to stop what I was doing and wait for my brain to make the connections based on the concept I had come up with. And then BOOM! I saw the logo in my mind’s eye. I then quickly grabbed my sketchbook and drew out what I saw. It was as if the idea was already there, I just needed to find it.
I took a big chance that day and showed this one logo to my client:
“I usually show three options, but I feel confident this is the logo” I said. I will never forget her reaction—her excitement was through the roof! There was absolutely no hesitation, she 100% agreed that it was the one.
My gut was telling me to only show one logo option to clients from then on. I would test it out here and there, and every time I did, I had great results. At first I was scared to change my process from 3 concepts to 1, but as I became more confident, I learned that I can’t just adopt other people’s process if it doesn’t work for me. Some designers come up with hundreds of amazing ideas that could work. Other’s dream their designs or come up with them because they think in shapes. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, just whatever way works for you and your clients.
I used to show 3 options because I wasn’t entirely sure which one my clients would like. Now, with my current process, I’m able to learn so much about my clients that I know which concept everyone will agree is the best solution. I may miss the mark one day, but I’m now confident I can get pretty darn close. For me, it’s worth the risk.
Melinda
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