Commissioning your logo and brand identity: A guide for small business owners - Part 2

Part 1 recap: Selecting and briefing a designer

In part 1 of my article on commissioning a logo and brand identity, I discussed how to select and brief a designer.

1. Start with a clear understanding of your business goals and context. 

2. Choose a designer who meets your hiring criteria and whose style aligns with your vision. 

3. Then, and only then, create a brief that details your business background, target audience, positioning, values and personality. 

As an aside, I was at a digital marketing conference yesterday and one of the keynote speakers, David Fish, said something spot on: “Brand story before identity”. You need to establish your brand story first as it will influence every element of your visual identity. 

In Part 2, I’ll cover what happens next. How do you navigate the feedback and revision process once your designer sends back initial concepts?

Part 2: Providing effective creative feedback

After receiving my brief, my designer presented four options.

For brevity, I’m only showing each logo in isolation, but I want to acknowledge the effort behind each one. Each logo was part of a comprehensive brand identity concept presentation that included the inspiration, colour palette, typography, and examples of the logos being used in situ, such as in a website mockup, on business cards, as a laptop sticker, and so on. These types of proposals add lots of valuable context and help you visualise creative possibilities beyond a standalone logo.

Tips for providing constructive creative feedback

Tip 1: Take time to reflect.

One piece of advice I’ve taken to heart from designer Scott Voelker is to sleep on it. When you first see the concepts, note your gut reactions. They are valid responses, but give yourself room to ponder. What initially doesn’t appeal might grow on you, and what you loved at first sight might not turn out to be the best fit. Your business logo has to be about more than your personal taste and must be able to convey a message to your audience.

The first thing I did was send a message to my designer to acknowledge her work. I know designers usually develop thick skin, but I imagine that the moment when a designer sends a proposal to their client can be nerve-wracking. (A reminder to be kind.)

The message I sent:

How I felt on the inside:

Oh my, so many options!

(Credit: Saikor_shank on Tiktok )

[Video alt text: A video showing a person holding their hand in front of a cat. The person uses their fingers to rapidly switch between pointing in different directions, creating a 'multiple-choice' scenario for the cat. The cat is visibly confused. The cat’s expressive face and sudden reactions add a layer of comedic timing to the video.]

I was genuinely torn. For each one, there were elements I loved, just like there were elements I wasn't so keen on. I would lean one way in the morning and then change my mind after lunch. So, I gave myself permission to sit on it.

Tip 2: Identify your stakeholders and how much weight to give their opinion. 

I asked a few trusted people for their feedback – those familiar with my business, and those with just a cursory idea. A word of caution. Design by committee and trying to please everyone is how you get lukewarm, watered-down designs. 

So, before gathering input, determine key decision-makers and stakeholders, whether they’re a business partner, mentor, industry peer, early customer, or someone who represents your target audience. Asking family and friends is fine too, especially if your brand needs to have broad appeal. But be intentional about how much weight you give each opinion.

Tip 3: Be specific with your feedback.

Designers aren’t mind-readers. There's a reason why vague feedback like “make it pop” and “I’ll know it when I see it” top the list of frustrating and unhelpful feedback.

Be specific about what you like and dislike. For example, if you like the colour palette but find the font too formal, say so. If you like the reasoning behind a particular concept but want a different execution, ask the designer to explore that.

Summary of feedback provided to designer:

Tip 4: Focus on the positives, too. 

You’re the client and you should be happy with what you’re paying for, so be candid on what’s not hitting the mark. But feedback shouldn’t just be about what’s wrong. Pointing out what you like is important, too. After all, designers are human. Being respectful and professional in your communication should be the bare minimum. 

Highlighting the positives isn’t just a ‘feel-good’ thing. It helps the designer know what’s working and can carry it forward, or at least consider it in the next iteration.

Tip 5: Ask questions to understand certain design decisions.

If you’re unsure about a particular design choice, just ask. Understanding the reasoning behind certain decisions will help shape your feedback and might even change your perspective. For example, the designer might have picked a colour that has a strong affinity with your brand persona, or made a font choice for better legibility.

Tip 6: Provide consolidated feedback.

Send feedback in a consolidated manner. In the sense of not submitting it piecemeal, but also in terms of providing a cohesive overall direction. I gave detailed feedback on each design but honed in on one concept for the designer to refine. 

Initially leaning towards concept 1, I asked the designer to iterate on the spiral symbolism of concept 2, but with a more fluid and organic treatment. I let her know that I liked the concept 1 typeface best, but would also leave it to her to decide if it would suit concept 2.

Additionally, if you’re gathering feedback from others, consolidate their input, discard what’s not useful, and resolve conflicting opinions before sharing with the designer. The goal is to refine the design with each iteration, reducing the scope and number of revisions as you get closer to the final outcome. Having unambigious feedback really helps this process along.

Tip 7: Don’t tell the designer how to do their job.

Be specific, but don’t be overly prescriptive. You may be the expert on your business, but designers are experts in visual communication, design principles and colour theory. Trust their expertise. Rather than dictating solutions, articulate your concerns and let them apply their expertise and creative problem-solving to address the issues.

Tip 8: Don’t expect perfection. 

Your logo doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to align with where your business is at. Your logo is rarely used in isolation. The medium, context and messaging will always play a role in how it’s perceived, and consistency over time builds brand equity. As Sarah Wardlaw sums it up nicely, “A well-designed logo will create its own place”. 

There might be a time when a logo refresh or a complete rebrand is needed, so it’s futile to chase perfection. Even the brands with timeless and iconic logos didn’t start off that way; they were part of an evolution. Case in point, the earliest iterations of Uber, Apple, Coca-Cola and National Geographic’s logos look quite different to the versions we’re familiar with today.

The end result

A week later, my designer sent back revisions for logo idea 2. I’m not exaggerating; within five minutes of receiving her files, I responded, “That’s the one!”

You can see how she’s addressed my feedback, incorporating my favoured font from concept 1 with a more dynamic and balanced implementation of the upwards spiral concept, alongside a warm colour palette. 

We avoided lengthy back-and-forth messages because the communication on both sides was clear. She articulated the design inspiration and elements, and I responded with what I liked and didn’t like, and why.

Overall, I’m delighted with my new logo. It feels like a natural evolution in both quality and maturity from my old one.

And I couldn’t wait to get my logo out in the wild.

Conclusion

Obtaining a logo is an exciting milestone in any brand’s journey. And while this article is focused on how to give feedback to your designer on your logo and brand identity, many of these principles hold true when collaborating with designers in general.

Thoughtful reflection, specific feedback, clear communication, and having trust and respect for your designer should result in an outcome that captures your brand's essence while setting a foundation for future growth.

Need help defining your brand strategy or managing the creative process?

Digital Sublime helps solopreneurs, startups and tech-focused small-medium businesses clarify their brand story. Whether you need strategic support or someone to liaise with third-party designers, I’ll ensure your brand assets are produced smoothly, without the hassle of managing every detail yourself. Get in touch today to see how I can support your business.