How to Present your Logos to Clients

Every designer is like a snowflake, no two are alike. When a designer creates a logo, they have a vision in mind how that logo would look in the wild and translate onto various platforms.

But here is the thing to remember, Clients cannot read your mind.

Not all clients are visionaries like you are, as the designer. Sometimes they can’t see how their logo will be used or will look on their social accounts, their website, and their business cards.

To help remove some of this uncertainty that are all valid points, I have written this post to help you on your next logo pitch to your clients.

PRESENTING THE LOGOS

Starting out, I would compose a PDF with the designed logos. This was a great start, but as I grew as a graphic designer, I learned that I needed to provide more in my presentations. This is when I switched over to Keynote presentations and then would jump on a call with them to walk them through.

STEP 1

I open up Keynote and begin with a short description of the creative direction that the client and I discussed initially. This is great for helping you and your client remember the strategy and goals that were discussed in the beginning of the project.

Clients can’t read our minds as we are designing and creating our logos. We need to walk them through our thought processes and nuances that created our ‘why’ for the designs.

Provide a mood board after the description, also helps them get into the ‘mood’ that was previously created.

STEP 2

This is where you explain the concepts behind each logo and the inspiration that went into designing. I like to show the logos in this step in black and white, without any color. This helps the client see the logo form and shape without getting hung up on the colors they may or may not like.

STEP 3

Reveal the colors that you are suggesting in this stage. Remember that when you are showing your logos, do not have the logos large and fill the page. Place them with enough white space and air to breathe on the page. This helps the logos speak for themselves and shine!

I know this doesn’t always seem exciting, but this is a step that helps you as the designer showcase your knowledge of good design principles.

I like to present the logos with steps 1–3 in the first round of presentations. This helps them to narrow down what they enjoy and what they do not. Remember, not everyone is a visual person like us (designers). A lot of times just showing the possibility of different logo concepts helps them to begin to visualize how their brand/name could look.

STEP 4

Here is where I love to show the possibilities of the logos. This is one of my favorite parts in the logo journey! Showing your logos in mockups such as business cards, social media profiles, billboards, and t-shirts, just to name a few.

Today as graphic designers, we have so many resources and tools at the end of our fingertips. This is especially great for presenting the logos to clients. Mockups are a great way to showcase your designs!

There are so many mockups available to really showcase your designs and help your clients see how their logo will be used. In this step, also think about large and small formats that the logo will be used. For instance, a huge billboard design vs a small business card.

STEP 5

I end the slides with the logos in color, all on one page, so they can get a great overview of the entire presentation.

I know this seems like a lot of steps, but I have found through experience that these presentations keep the conversations moving forward with no awkward silences.

Remember, a lot of your clients are not designers. They need you to walk them through your process and creative thinking.

Give these steps a try in your next presentation and let me know! I would love to hear how it shaped your work!