I’ve mastered this presentation methodology from years of experience working with some of the best design agencies.
So if you’re wondering how to present logos to your clients, you’re in the right place. !
Before I get into the details of submitting logo design work, it’s first worth mentioning that:
If you follow my proven process, You won’t have to sell anything to your client, they will sell themselves.
If your logo is the product you sell, then the presentation of your logo is the packaging of that product.
As we all know, we buy with our eyes, so the presentation of your logo as well as the packaging must be very attractive.
How you present your logos is just as important as the logo designs themselves.
PS. If you prefer to watch a YouTube video, check out my channel.
5 Steps to Presenting Logos
- Prepare Your Client li
- Start with goals
- Explain your process
- Unveil logos
- Get feedback
Of course, Before you go any further, you should have some logo concepts to show off and someone to show them to.
I’m not going to talk about how to design a logo here, just focus on presentation. itself, so let’s say you have some logos designed.
First, it’s important to lay down some rules – let’s talk about the do’s and don’ts of submitting logos.
Common mistakes when presenting logos
The first big mistake you can make is presenting too many options.
I’ve heard of designers coming up with as many as 20 or 30 concepts, that’s too many!
My client called me recently and told me that another designer came up with With 15 logos.
All of which were really bad, none of them liked.
You may be thinking that the more logos > present, the more likely your client will like one, but the reality is that it will only confuse them.
Not to mention the energy and creativity you have to dilute in those 15 concepts, it is most probable that You might end up with mediocre concepts.
It’s much better to focus on coming up with just three strong logo concepts!
Behind the scenes, you can draw hundreds of logos; no problem, just don’t show them all to your customer!
The second biggest mistake you can make is emailing them l, in an attachment.
I better submit identity and logo design projects, either by phone or in person .
I usually present my logo design work >via a Zoom video call, after which I send my client the link to that logo submission via email.
That way I get a chance to describe my logos, explain my ideas, and say what I have to say, before I let the customer to express their opinion.
Now, let’s talk about some of the best practices when it comes to presenting logos.
Best practices when presenting logos
The first best practice to follow when presenting your logo concepts is to start with a solid strategy session.
These sessions will provide you with all the words you need > that you can use to translate the strategy into visual concepts.
This is basically about extracting important information from the client, but also involving the client in the process and generating some ideas.
Learn more about developing and then translating the strategy into visual design in my other article.
The second b Best Practice to follow when presenting your logos is to take smaller steps with your client.
You see, logo and identity design is often a long and winding road to the right solution.
It’s not like you just design something quick and there’s a big reveal where you hope to WOW your client.
It’s more of a sequential process where you are building towards the final logo in a series of steps.
One of the best steps you can take is using inspiration boards or style landscapes .
Taking smaller steps will steer you (and your client) in the right direction with confidence.
So remember: never submit your logo submission by email and never submit more than three concepts.
Tools for preparing your logo submission
There are many ways you can successfully present your design work.
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It could be a high-resolution PDF, a PowerPoint or Keynote, or you can just use an online view dual board tool like InVision.
First, I make PSD mockups, then I embed these mockups in Indesign (one mockup per slide).
So that when I make changes to my mockup in Photoshop, the presentation will automatically update in Indesign.
Next, I don’t export a PDF as you might expect, but I prefer to publish that PDF in the cloud directly from InDesign, so I can send a link to my client later.
That way, if I want to change something in my presentation , I just republish it with one click right from InDesign and my client can see the changes.
You can also download the PDF for your own record or just to print if you like. they want.
That said, let’s start creating the logo presentation.
1. Prepare your client
First, before you show off your logo work, you must prepare your client for what is to come.
You must put your client in the right state of mind before I show them anything.
I like to remind my client of two things: what is a logo and what makes a good logo strong>.
So I open my presentation with a great designer Sagi Haviv (who I had the pleasure of working with):
The reason to say that’s simply reminding your customer that logo design is NOT about personal preference.
A logo doesn’t have to communicate or illustrate everything, so it shouldn’t try to saying too much with it.
A logo is more like an empty vessel and meaning can be added to it over time, with consistent use and following the brand promise .
I say this to prevent the client from trying to do q make the logo look too busy and therefore confusing.
Next, I continue with a slide that talks about logo design principles: what makes a good logo or bad.
Clients generally tend to be a bit subjective, so you should remind them of some of the basic principles of logo design.
This should prevent you may hear meaningless suggestions later that could ruin your great work.
We as designers have a good sense of aesthetics and generally know why one logo is better than another.
However, sometimes it is not easy to explain it to our client.
That’s why I use the next slide with three logo design principles (again, developed by Sagi Haviv).
I say this out loud when I show this slide.
I briefly describe each below:
- Appropriate: Is your logo appropriate for the company?
- Simple: Is your logo simple enough to work in all sizes?
- Memorable: Is it so it can be easily remembered?
I also explain that I use these rules to determine what logos might work (I use it as a checklist).
Now , with those two opening slides, I’m not going to show the logos yet.
2. Start with goals
Before you showcase any of your logo design concepts, you should start with some basic facts.
You can start by saying something like this :
Your goal here is to remind the client of the goals and objectives of this project or what kind of problems we are trying to solve.
Here are some examples of reasons people need a new brand identity.
- repositions you for more sales li>
- increase your revenue
- better connect with your target audience
This should have been developed long before you start work, on your first sales call.
So if you follow my other guides on how to develop a brand strategy and how to translate the strategy into images, then you should already know what I’m talking about here.
By remembering your client about the goals for designing the logo will put you back in buying mode, which can be a powerful thing when it comes to approvals.
This is also a great way to assure the client that you understand the problem and that you really want to help it succeed.
Other than that, it will help you remove your or your clients’ design preferences from the equation.
They are more likely to go with a logo that they don’t necessarily love, but that they know can work effectively for their business.
3. Explain Your Process
Once I’ve established the goals of the project, I then brief them on the strategy we took to achieve these goals.
Here, you simply want to summarize what you’ve done so far , I usually say something like:
Here I am simply referring to our strategy session and the report that came out of it.
First, I show you the words we chose to describe the brand, and then I show you the moodboards we created to express these words visually.
Here I just want to remind you of what we’ve been through together, from the initial phone call, through the brand strategy, to the brand brief with inspiration boards.
I do this because it’s much harder to disagree with yourself than with other people.
So if you remind them of something they said earlier in the process (such as during the strategy session), it they are more likely to win Do not refute the results of those decisions.
For example, if you chose the word “credible” to describe your brand during the strategy session, and then use colors or fonts to reflect that ” credibility” – it’s much easier for me to explain my designs.
This full rundown shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes, it’s just a good way to get everyone on the same page.
This will help your customer be objective when you start showing them your logos.
Also, it will it will give your customer a sense of ownership; After all, it’s your ideas that drive your decisions.
4. Revealing the Logos
It’s finally time to unveil your logos and explain your thoughts behind each concept.
For example, this is how I unveiled my first logo concept:
First I say this as I show the first slide, which is just the logo centered on a white background.
The second slide is usually the logo on a dark background with some photo behind it.
So as I keep going through the slides, I’m describing my work:
The next, third slide, is a split screen showing the logo on a white background on the left and a black background on the right.
As I navigate through the slides (3-5 seconds each), I also say a few words about the designs and the decisions I’ve made.
For example, when i get to the slide with the boss n, I say this:
And then when I go to the next slide, I follow up with:
Remember that a big part of a successful presentation is your ability to articulate your design choices (the style, fonts, and colors you chose).
Here, you can prepare yourself by reading design reviews, for example: I like reading the BrandNew blog.
This will help you develop your knowledge of design, so describing your work will become much easier.
Of course, whatever you say must be supported by the strategy and decisions you have made with your client in the past.
Therefore, the following slides are a collection of different models relevant to your client.
You should already know which models to use based on the discovery session (the sixth exercise in my strategy guide).
However, typical mockups s would include something like business cards, envelopes, stationery, maybe a website, maybe >social media graphics, a signage and so on.
All the things your customer expects to see the logo on.
Here, it is important to display a couple of small format mockups like pins, icons, pencils, cufflinks, as well as large format mockups like signage, wayfinding, interior graphics , billboards, etc.
Your client needs to see what the logo will look like when used at a small size and at scale, in a large format.
Here you can even go beyond what they would normally do, use the logo and add a couple of extra mockups.
That way you can really help them envision this logo being used in real life.
Beginning designers often ask me: how to find the best logo presentation mockups?
There are many places where you can find free mockups, but the problem is that they tend to be everywhere just because they’re free.
A much better way is to buy premium mockups – they won’t cost you a fortune, but you’ll end up with a gorgeous logo presentation.
Alternatively, you can create mockups yourself by searching for stock photos and then using Smart Objects in Photoshop.
I always try to include at least one or two realistic photos, for example a billboard on the street or on the side of a building.
As I move through these slides, I am NOT asking for feedback yet: I just lead the presentation and navigate the slides while describing the designs.
If the client interrupts me, I just stop them by saying:
Once I’m done After presenting the first concept, I go directly to the second.
As I already mentioned, the ideal number of logos to present is three.
And each of the three logo concepts should be explained in the same sequence of slides.
What it means is that you should use the same prototypes for each concept just to make the comparison fair.
Your client will probably reject one of them and then lean towards either of the other two.
Rarely will clients make a decision on the spot, but that’s okay, that’s why we’re putting together such a beautiful logo presentation.
That way the client can sleep on it, show it to other people and reply back with some feedback.
So do the same for the other two concepts – you should have about 5-10 slides by concept.
And again, as you prepare those mockups, try to describe your thinking behind each concept.
For example, This is how I described the concept for my third logo:
and then as I go through the slides, I add:
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When I get to to the slide with the markup, I add:
When I’m on the slide with the book c Also, I talk about typography:
I’ve just given you some a few examples of what I say when presenting logos to my clients and I hope it gives you an idea of how to describe their logos.
Remember: have a story behind each piece helps you sell it easier.
And finally, at the end, you should add one more slide to compare the three options.
Once I get to this comparison slide, I follow up with a >tension release question.
A good question with the that you can finish your logo presentation is:
After all, I’ve been presenting for the last few minutes and I still haven’t let them talk.
Now , time for some feedback.
5. Get feedback
Once you’ve finished your presentation, let your client talk, but don’t push them into a decision yet.
The worst thing you could say at the end is:
Instead, you should refer to the strategy and ask them to put themselves in the customer’s shoes.
I usually say something like:
This will help you get the client away from subjectivity (once more) and help them see it through the customers’ eyes.
Every time your customers say something like “I don’t like this” or “I like that,” help them get back into the right mindset.
Just remind them that while you understand that they pay and should like the new identity, we really need to focus on the target audience because ultimately it’s for them.
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We really should think about how customers would respond po potentials when you play by changing these logo concepts.
Even if your client has an immediate favorite, chances are they won’t tell you yet and you shouldn’t force it either.
A much better The best way is to continue with something like this:
Usually, customers will reach a consensus on a concept that we could cross off the list.
Sometimes clients can give you an immediate answer like “I’m leaning towards the first concept.”
However, I usually want to give them some time to sleep. and invite them to discuss these concepts internally.
Say something like this:
By saying that, you will take the pressure off your customer and give them more time to make the final decision.
Just don’t leave the meeting without scheduling a specific time to talk.
Whether it’s a call or an email, ask them when they could be ready.
Conclusions
When you introduce your work as a graphic designer, you may feel a little anxious and unsure, but this is normal.
Only you know the amount of time and effort you put into designing these logos, please which is natural to fear that the client will reject them all.
Sound familiar?—Happened to me so many times when I was starting my career as a designer of logos.
But eventually, over the years I’ve developed this process that makes my logo presentations seamless.
Not just the presentation of the logo, but the entire process of working with the clients who come to me for the logo design.
From the initial discovery call , to the strategy session, execution and presentation, my process m It allows you to be super effective and efficient.</p
So if you follow my logo submission process then you should get it done early on strong> with a beautiful presentation that is hard to refuse.
My client chose the first logo concept, then we refined the brochure a bit, polished the designs, and then I delivered the logo design and brand guidelines.
You can see the final work for Medihuanna in my portfolio.
Need a custom logo? Just send me an email.
Download My Template
Looking to save time, create your own logo presentation template? Look no further.
Now, you can download my InDesign files: the presentation I made for Periti Digital (project newer than Medihuanna).
For only $29 you can get all the files (2.1 GB ): the template is made in InDesign with Photoshop and Illustrator files embedded in it (including mockups and logo files).
Simply customize the template, >change the logo and branding (colors, fonts), and you can use it with you, our customers right out of the box!
In any case, I hope you Enjoyed my tutorial on how to prepare a successful logo design presentation.
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