Recent Logo Design Projects

Here are some recent logo designs I have worked on that I felt were worth sharing.  Enjoy!

Women's Clothing Boutique

Photographer and Artist

New York Law Firm

Multi-language Vocabulary Wiki Website

ZoneOne Design Contest - Logo Tutorial

This post is a little different from my typical logo design posts.  Instead of showing a progression from the first draft to the final product, I'm giving step by step directions on how I created the first draft.


I only used simple shapes (ovals, rectangles, triangles).  It probably took me more time to plan and write this tutorial than to actually create the logo!  It's really quite easy once you have a concept.

What Designers NEED to Know About File Formats

Clients look to you, as an expert logo designer, to provide the proper file formats.  Yet, if you are just starting out in the graphic design world, some key terms (such as vector, raster, and encapsulated postscript) may not be an integrated part of your vocabulary quite yet.
Yes, the client could probably use Google to find the answers to their file format questions, but they are paying you not only for your ingenious designs, but also for your experience.  If you, as the designer, take the time to search for information on various file formats (or simply read the rest of this post), you can show off your knowledge to countless future clients!

Ute Droste Design Contest

The Company: Ute Droste is a single person company/coach and consultant aiming to give people a closer look at situations, problems, and conflicts in order to support their careers.  Ute Droste helps clients reflect on their professional lives and to work more effectively.

The Project: looking for a logo portraying: trust, competence, confidence, broad appeal, nothing harsh or too busy, reds, greys, lilac

My Thought Process: The CH seemed to like circular and flowing logo submissions so I wanted to create something using a circle.  At first I planned on taking the initials of the company (UD) and overlaying them in a circle.  I would then subtract the shapes (U and D) from the circle so the background (white in this case) could show through.  I ended up making the UD a dark grey and a little larger than the circle.  It was awkward to have the UD inside the circle due to their proportions.  I also like the more loose feeling with the UD partially outside the perimeter of the circle.

I placed the graphic to the left of the text because "Ute Droste", with the first letters capitalized, has the large, upper case "D" off center, so centering the graphic above looked off.

How to Become a Logo Designer

Today is September 11th.  It is actually the tenth anniversary of the attack on the United States that has affected all of our lives.  At the time I was in seventh grade, living in the suburbs of New York City.  As we went to our church that night, we could see the New York skyline and we could see the cloud of smoke were the towers used to be. 

I don't mean for this post to be a story of my experience on 9/11.  I just want this to represent how a day where so many lives were lost and innumerable lives were forever altered screamed a message to every person: Do not waste your life doing things you are not happy doing; live life like you may die tomorrow, because you might.  OK, so that was a very sad and direct statement, but I think it's fitting.  9/11 was a very sad and shocking day.

If you want to try logo design or any kind of graphic design, go for it.  Submitting logos for DesignContest.com does not mean you have to quit your job and risk losing your life savings.  It is a wonderful way for you to make a little extra money.

Deciding What Contests to Attack With All Your Designing Fury

...and Which Ones Aren't Worth Your Time

Intro: What Contests Should I Do?

(Most of the details are specifically for DesignContest.com, but the concepts can be applied to any contest site.)

Most people creating logo designs for contests (rather than as part of their business) probably have other obligations.  This article will show you how the different levels of involvement contest holders put into their contests should affect your decision to work with them (or not work with them).

Part-time freelancers have the coveted ability to pick and chose what to work on, how much effort they put in to each submission, and how much time they will devote to a given contest.  Since your winnings are probably paying for dinners out and movies, not the electric bill, you can even take a leave of absence.  The only thing you may sacrifice is your rating (more on this later).

Are you an artist in need of money? Design logos!

Who might find logo design fun AND profitable?

The Doodler
It's the night before an exam.  You finally open your notebook to study.  Instead of scribbled notes on the Peloponnesian War, you find a rather impressive collection of abstract shapes and swirls.  You shrug and hope Wikipedia will provide all the facts you need to pass.

If your papers are filled with little doodles, even if they don't represent anything (most logos are stylized/abstract representations), you may want to consider cleaning up some of those random scribbles.

The Traditional Artist
I had 7 years of traditional art lessons.  My art teacher gave me so much knowledge of color and shape.  This experience has certainly helped my logo design submissions.  A logo design is a piece of art.  Many times the client wants a shadow, 3-D effect and you have to know how light would create shadows or the design will simply look off.

The challenge with moving from painter to logo designer is that you must design for the client.  You have to balance giving your expert opinion and giving them what they want.

The Digital Artist
Above is a digital painting I did a couple years ago.  This was part of my transition from pure, traditional artist to graphic designer.  Learning to paint using a touch pad was a challenge but it allows for the easy fix: Ctrl+z.  If you are already a digital artist, it would not be a far jump to move into logo design.  Just like the traditional artist, you have to be able to work for a client and with the client. 


Basic moral of the story: If you are an artist you probably already have an eye for shape, proportion, and color.  This knowledge will certainly make your jump into graphic design easier than, let's say, you're friend who's greatest piece of art is a poorly drawn stick figure.  This is not meant to discourage anyone who wants to try their hand at logo design.  Some clients want something only involving their initials in a pleasing font.  If you can tell what looks nice together but are not particularly amazing at painting portraits, you may certainly excel at these logos.  But having a background/experience in art has definitely helped me create a wide range of logos.