Brainstorming

[Chung Dha]

Do any of you do brainstorming before you make a logo?
Or do you just start sketching or do you directly start up your PC or Mac and start with it.

I like brainstorming if its hard to figure out what the client want or if its hard to find a good shape that no one use. Just write down everything that got something that got to do what your client does. Sometime you get a word of something that is spot on something you just needed to make a good logo.

[VYFX]

Do any of you do brainstorming before you make a logo?
Or do you just start sketching or do you directly start up your PC or Mac and start with it.

I like brainstorming if its hard to figure out what the client want or if its hard to find a good shape that no one use. Just write down everything that got something that got to do what your client does. Sometime you get a word of something that is spot on something you just needed to make a good logo.

Good question. The first thing I do is take the first idea that comes to my mind and bring it to life in Photoshop or another design program. It doesn't matter if that idea is good or bad, or whether I know I'm not going to use it in the end or not, but it will act as inspiration later on.. I do this because there must have been something about that first impression/thought that hit my mind, and if I can use any aspect of it to complete a final version of the logo then most often I'll come up with something better than if I simply brainstormed from the beginning.

In short, my process:

Take first impression and create it.
Look at the finished design and brainstorm new concepts.
Design multiple new concepts.
Take ideas, if necessary, from my original concept and apply them to my other concepts.
Tweak and finish.

[NextExile]

I generally start with a list of related subjects, visualize them and pick out the main ones that I believe my client wants to represent. From there I visually combine the subjects in the logo. I do a lot of sketching, usually on paper and sometimes in PS via tablet.

[jesse101]

I start by reading the client brief then I brain storm a word list of all the possible things that relate to my clients job. Finally, from my list I pick out a few that I think may be able to make a good logo.

For Example if the client want a logo related to construction business my list may look like this

Truck
dirt
home
business
shouvel
Dump truck
architech
blue print
hard hat
on...and on...

Then I use my list to visualize a logo...Maybe a hard hat next to a shouvel...

[tpuentes]

I do similar as jesse101, make a list of related things and then think outside the box. I haven't done any paper sketches in a while (which is not good) I just go straight to Illustrator, experiment with the tools and all

[Arzmir]

Now I don't actually work with design nor make anything much. Just from time to time I come across something I find interesting and do some sketches.

What I have found quite useful is dictionary.com and get up some synonyms or a more concrete explanation on a word I associate with my client/idea.

Second I do quite an amount of brainstorm-sketching, just drawing whatever I can think of. Often I do this while doing other stuff since it stops me from having a too narrow mind. Music, poker, tv and lots of other stuff that doesn't need too much concentration. I often just sit and combine shapes, arcs lines. Mostly I come with something quite fitting and quite a lot of things I might use for something else.

I don't do anything on my pc before I'm happy with my pencil sketches ^^

[Evelyn Bonilla]

I think brainstorming before actually starting to design is useful. I take from a starting point the client brief, then try to visualize images that suggest as concisely as possible the concept. Then, I start by choosing color combinations which are different, bold and unique, but appropriate to convey the essence of the idea. Almost always I design first the visual symbols I want to use, then I search for fonts that complement its style and always work creatively with the fonts to integrate coherently the whole design. I seldom sketch on paper...

[Queesy]

Steps I take is to understand the goal the client has set, what the client is about. Then I was taught to write down about 10 random words that come up in my head when I think about the client, key words.

After that I google each word look at random sites/pictures to get an idea of what people generally think about when they hear each of those words. After that I proceed to create many pages of sketches and then build on those and put them in the computer and get it done :]

[Shamrox]

I normally check out the specs, retain as much information as I can memory-wise, and think about the design for a few hours without even touching a design program.

After I've got a couple of ideas in my head, then I hit the design program and generally map out my idea. The next step is making some changes, perfecting angles and spacings.

I ALWAYS leave color for last. It's just something that I do.

[Artistport]

I start with a series of sketches because I need to find as many possibilities for a design so I can present my best to the client

[~V~]

I like researching before starting a project, I find it helps spark ideas. Also a bit brainstorming helps a lot, I'm a list maker, kinda like jesse. Then I'll grab my sketch pad to help visualize the ideas. After that I take the concepts I like best to the computer.