We're not shy about our love for logos at Peppermill Projects. It is always exciting to get a phone call from an entrepreneur looking to bring their business to life, a non-profit that wants to refresh their brand image and messaging, or a consumer-based company in need of a complete brand makeover. While the needs of our clients may differ, we never stray from the Peppermill process. To better understand the methods to our madness, we’ve outlined the Peppermill logo process below.

Before we start designing any project, we begin with the Brand Discovery process, which helps our team learn as much as possible about your company and the goals you have for your brand. Our team meets with you and your team and together, we brainstorm your brand's vision. On our own, we do some market research to learn about your competition and what sets you apart from direct competitors. This Brand Discovery phase is crucial, as it provides the foundation upon which the entire brand design process is built. This initial foundation work helps our team nail the logo on the first try.

Next, we create a moodboard of imagery based on our initial Brand Discovery meeting. Once approved, the moodboard sets the tone for the design process. Essentially, the moodboard is a collection of inspiration that visually explains our concepts and direction for the look, feel and style of future brand design. Armed with the task at hand, our research and some visual inspiration, we spend time sketching concepts. Yes, with a pencil! It's important to let the creativity run wild on paper before heading to the computer. Then, our team meets to narrow down the sketches and bring a few of the best logo concepts to life.

Now it's finally time for some decision making! We'll meet with your team once again to show you what our brains (and hands) have been up to.

We present 3-5 black and white logo design options in tight sketch format.

Why black and white? It's important to see how a logo works in its simplest form. Plus, color is extremely subjective. If you feel strongly about the color red, for example, you may dismiss a logo option based simply on the use of color, not because of the actual design. There are often logo applications where you may only need one color, such as a stamp, cup or pen. We implement color during our very last step!

Your team will choose the direction that is closest to your vision.

It's your logo after all! While our team may have our favorite option (we always do!), the ultimate decision is up to the client. We want you to be excited and completely happy about your brand new logo. During this step, we may make tweaks and revisions to perfect the mark.

After the black and white logo is approved, we begin color exploration. We show various color combinations and work together to choose a final color palette.

This is the fun part! We finally get to explore color palettes and add them to the logo design and other visual materials. Keep in mind, while you may have a favorite color, it might not be the best choice for your brand. Colors convey meaning on many levels and should add another dimension to your logo. There are countless psychological explanations about the perception of color. We do take that into account, but those explanations are often over-simplified. For example, blue tends to be a calming color, that's why it's used in healthcare so frequently. However. if you want your healthcare brand to stand apart from the rest, consider another less expected palette that accomplishes the same goal.

Your logo should be more than just a pretty symbol, it's the shortcut to your brand. Our process allows us to first learn about and define your messaging and positioning, so we can start to tell your brand story through your logo. By investing in a professional graphic design and branding firm, you'll know that a trusted process will ensure your new logo speaks for your brand conveys the right message.