designing a logo: STHLM SONGS

There is a new record label in town, Sthlm Songs, and it is run by my husband Petter Näse and his business partner Markus "Black" Sjöberg.  I was happy to help them with the logo. Here is my process in designing a logo.

1. Research
I try to get a good feeling and knowledge of what the client want in a logo. I ask for guidelines, pictures or any reference that can give me an understanding of what they want aesthetically. I also ask questions about company values, thoughts and what message they want to come across to their audience. This way I can come up with a good result already at the sketching stage. Having a good dialog with the client is very important.

2. Sketching - the initial stage
I spend a good hour brainstorming and sketching a variety of logo designs. Trying not to be too critical at this stage.

When I am done sketching I choose the best ones, most often 3 to 8 designs, depending on the project, and show the client. These are the initial sketches for Sthlm Songs:

Early in the project they liked the ones with serif capitals on the right. They had come across some of my print designs and wanted to try and take the logo in that direction. Their reference designs were the straight letters and tangled words of "color the world" and the simplicity of a text within a shape, like the apple:

3. Redefining - the middle stage
Now I take the chosen sketch and try to implement the client's wishes and new references into the logo. When done redefining I have 2-4 designs to show the client.

4. Perfecting - the final stage
The record label directors decided to go with their first choice, the bottom right. So we just needed to perfect it to make it work wherever the logo need to be seen. In this case getting the logo out on social media was most urgent.

This is the final design:

Hope you enjoyed following my logo designing process. I really like the process, it is not easy and it shouldn´t be. You have a great responsibility creating a big part of a brand for a company or a private person.

Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about logo designing. This is my way of working, someone else might do it another way. The most important thing is that you communicate with your client to get the best result and happy customers. You will not agree on everything and you don´t always get to show your own personal style, depending on what the client want, but you always get to be creative!


I wish you all a great week!

Love,