Before you begin to design a new logo for any client, it’s essential to get a solid understanding of the brief. This means you’re going to have to ask a lot of questions to draw out as much information as possible. Doing so will help pave the way to a successful outcome, bring the client’s vision to life and hopefully build a long lasting relationship that will result in repeat business.
Many of our recommended questions cover all grounds and help you to figure out the client’s background, its target audience, its strengths and weaknesses and its goals – everything that you really need to know to satisfy the client’s needs. Here are 50 questions to ask a client prior to designing a logo. Obviously, you won’t have to ask every single one, so just use this guide as a helpful checklist…
About the company
- What is your company/organisation/product/service name?
- How long has your company been established?
- Can you describe your business?
- Why was your company started in the first place and what was the motivation?
- If you had to describe your business in one word, what would it be and why?
- Who are your main competitors?
- What sets your company apart from the competition?
- How do your competitors market themselves?
- What services or products do you provide?
- How big is your company? (number of employees? revenue?)
- What are the strengths of your company?
- What are your weaknesses?
- What are the long-term goals of the company? Where do you see your company in 5 years? 10 years? 30 years time?
About the target audience
- Who is the primary target audience?
- What is the target audience’s age group?
- Are they mainly male or female?
- Where do most of your audience live?
- What is the average household income of your target audience?
- Are there any new markets you’d like to break into? If so, what would they be and why?
- If your customers had to describe your company in one word, what would it be and why?
- How do most of your customers find out about your company?
- How do you plan to communicate with your target audience?
About the branding
- What are the values and/or mission statement of your company?
- What is the current logo?
- What do you like and dislike about the current logo?
- Why are you looking to change the logo? What do you want the new logo to accomplish?
- Do you have a strap line or slogan that goes along with your logo?
- What words describe how you feel when you look at your current logo and branding?
- What three attributes would you like your target audience to think of when they look at your new branding?
- Which of these words is a better fit for your brand? Traditional or modern?
- Which of these words is a better fit for your brand? Friendly or corporate?
- Which of these words is a better fit for your brand? High end or cost-effective?
- Which of these words is a better fit for your brand? Consumer or Trade?
- Why does your current branding use those colours, fonts, etc.?
Design Preferences
- What colours or colour palettes do you like and why?
- Where will the logo be mainly used? Print, web, etc.?
- Are there any elements from the existing logo that you’d like to keep and why?
- In your opinion, what defines a successful logo?
- Are there any restrictions to consider when designing the new logo?
- Is there anything that must be included, like existing brand elements, words or icons?
- Looking at other people’s branding, what logos do you like and why?
- Are there any logos that you particularly dislike and why?
Budget, Timescales & Management
- Do you have a budget in mind for the new logo?
- How many revisions or concepts would you like to see? (consider how many you can offer – this varies from designer to designer)
- Do you have a deadline that needs to be considered?
- Who will be the internal decision makers on this project? Giving feedback and approvals? (Stress to the client that the less decision makers, the better!)
- Will there be anyone else involved in this project? Any third party sub-contractors or other agencies/freelancers?
- How frequently would you like to meet? Weekly? Monthly?
- Is there anything else you’d like to add that we haven’t already covered?
- Finally, what would you like the final work to produce? What materials would you like to see as a result of this new logo? Would you like a ‘brand guidelines’ pack for future reference?