My Step-by-Step Design Process

Brand Design

Sep 13

Written By Haley

Even though the process always looks a bit different, I’ll go over what I usually do when designing passion projects.

Based on the brief, I create a Pinterest board full of font inspiration, photography, colors & patterns.

I take the best images & create a simplified but juicy mood board in Illustrator that represents the direction of the brand.

The final mood board will act as a reference point & inspiration for the entire brand identity to come.

Along with the mood board, I create color palette options.

These colors might change throughout the process.

I want to make sure colors contrast well & complement each other, so it may take some tweaking.

Sometimes I have to start with a sketch, but other times, I start with gathering font options.

Many font options.

Before getting into the logo variations, I customize a few fonts to see what works with the vision.

After narrowing down my options, I get into logo variations.

Primary logo: take up the most space & has the most elements but is usually the main logo.

Secondary logo: a condensed version, simplified just enough to fit other layouts where the main logo doesn’t work.

Submark logo: an even more condensed version of the logo, showcasing its most memorable element.

Think Instagram profile pic or app icon.

If the direction includes some sort of illustration or symbol, I get started on it here.

Sometimes I start with a sketch, other times it’s straight to Illustrator.

I either make a brand pattern out of the brand icons, the submark logo, or both.

Icons & patterns are a great way to easily spread brand awareness without using your logo.

Some design briefs require packaging, print design, social media or all of the above.

With all the logos, colors & patterns, I can get started on these additional elements.

I start with photography & social media graphics before looking for mockups.

I like to find some good ones before I start designing so I know the dimensions & layouts.

Mockups are what bring the brand to life.

Sometimes the design process runs smoothly & these are my exact steps.

Other times it’s drawn out & all over the place, but it’s always being refined.

I hope you found this helpful & feel free to share if you did!

Click the image below to pin directly to Pinterest ↓

The Process Behind Designing a Sportswear Brand