How to present a logo design to a client | Logo Design samples
8 minute read
August 11, 2021
I have just finished a logo and am preparing to present it to the client. This process has me thinking, what is the best way to present a logo to a client?
Presenting a great logo could go two ways, a good presentation will help avoid further refinement and help bring this project to a close. However a bad presentation might have you going back to the drawing board as the client cant see the vision!
So spending a little extra time on making a great presentation is worth it in the long run!
I have an example template and other samples of great logo design presentations down the bottom.
First off DON’T send your finished logos in a PDF over email! This is a great way to throw away all your great work, and get an email back saying ‘Hmm could we see some other options?” I have personally learnt this the hard way.
Sending an email with just the images takes away your ability to explain the story of the logo and show all of the benefits of it. You need to remember your client isn’t a designer - that’s what they are paying you for!
You run the risk when you send a logo, of not hearing anything for a week and then you get back an email said "Oh my uncles brother thinks it doesn’t look right"
When a client is given free reign to mull over their logo and show as many others as they please, they are going to end up confused about what they actually want and will stray from the originally brief they gave you.
This is why you present face to face. This could be in person or via video software.
I know it seems scary at first, but it really isn’t! If you are proud of the work and really believe it is the best choice for the client, what are you actually afraid of? It's human nature to be afraid of face to face criticism, but this isn't always a bad thing!
The benefit of being live is you can address these issues straight away! Instead of receiving an email with a list of negative feedback. You can talk through it and figure out what is actually wrong. You can explain exactly why you have made the choices you have made, from colouring to style, and exactly how these fit their originally brief Maybe it’s just they couldn't immediately see the connection or subtleties it, the colouring isn’t working. This is a much faster fix than having to start from scratch!
Start this by referring to your initial brief, if that was a strategy session or a questionnaire refer back to it. Get everyone on the same page and remind them of what we are trying to achieve with this project.
Show the strategy you have conducted, you did competitor research, colour theory, etc..! Advocate for your logo by reminding them of what they initially hoped for, and then how the logo you have created fits this.
When presenting you are doing more than just showing it and calling it a day. You need to take them on a journey and explain the story to them. Show how you got from a to b, why this colour gradient is the best, how that little negative space cut out is intentional.
You need to remember the client hasn’t been inside your brain. They might not yet understand the process you have gone through to achieve the logo form. From there perspectives they sent you a brief and now are seeing a logo.
You need to take them on the journey. This is a good place to show sketches and explain the process you have gone through.
Now you have past the strategy, you can move onto the logo. This formula can be followed if you are presented one logo, or multiple choices, just repeat the process.
Start with a slide of the logo by itself with plenty of white space around it in full colour. This puts your logo in a power position, showing it can stand alone. Give the client time to look over it and start to explain your concept. Don't rush the explanation, give things time to simmer as you carefully explain and walk through it.
If you are designing a responsive identity and more than just a logo, this is a great time to showcase it across all its forms in colour. Explain how each version works and what its ideal fit would be e.g. the icon is good for small mediums like a social media.
Show how you have really thought this through and the versatility of the logo you have created.
After this, show a slide showcasing the logo in its most simple black and white configurations. This shows the client how good your logo really is! You aren’t relying on colour but the logo works great on a white and a black background.
You would also be surprised how many clients hadn’t thought about this before, and didn’t realise that there would be situations where you need to have it in black and white.
This part is super important. A lot of clients struggle to visualise the full effect of the logo when it is flat in its 2D form. This is where mockups come in! Mockups can be great to bridge the gap and help make a stronger emotional connection with the logo. Here is where they see the logo in action.
You want to use mockups that make sense for the company, if they are a corporate business showcase it on things that make sense to them, stationary, letterheads, envelopes. If they are a cafe you could use coffee cups, wall signage & menus!
A great mockup can help communicate a lot of emotion! It will help the client feel the brand essence and how the logo will perform in reality.
Here are some great mockups that I love to use for brand presentations.
Here are some of my favourite mockups I have used
This is the time where you can see how they are feeling about it. This might seem scary at the start but just remember you are the professional who was hired to do this, so act like it!
If they bring up concerns or are not sure about certain things, address them now! If they are not sure about something, refer back to your research and how this logo solves problems that were presented in the brief.
This is where it really shows if you were on the same page and the importance of getting the discovery phase correct! If you have solved all problems that arise in the meeting there shouldn’t be any room to complain as the logo is fulfilling there needs!
Sometimes people need time to sit on a logo, it is ok if they need to think about it for a day or so. The important thing is to make sure that you pull out of them any isssues they might have with it and address them there in person so they do not go off and dwell on them.
Here below is a logo presentation example from a recent job I completed.
