Logo Design Process — From Idea to Final Presentation
Curious how professional logos are made?
In this episode, I’ll show you the full logo design process — from idea to final presentation. Whether you’re a beginner designer or a creative professional looking to refine your process, this guide will walk you through how I create a logo step-by-step.
The Story Behind the Project
Hey guys! I’m Lemon, a creative designer based in Manila. I design logos, brands, websites, and apps, and I’ve been in the creative field for over 15 years, working across industries like digital entertainment, e-commerce, telco, and fintech.
One day, I had a lightbulb moment 💡 — why not create a design series where I can share my creative process and knowledge? That’s how the idea for my project Aslan was born. I wanted to build a Super AI App — from logo to product design — while documenting every step so that aspiring designers can learn from real-world creative work.
Why “Aslan”?
I named the project Aslan because it symbolizes strength, wisdom, and creativity — inspired by the lion from The Chronicles of Narnia.
It represents courage and leadership — the same qualities I want to bring into my design projects.
When you look closely, the word Aslan even contains “AI” — a perfect fit for this AI-powered concept! So let’s start the first step of Project Aslan: designing its logo.
Step 1: Creative Brief
Before jumping into design tools, you need a creative brief. Think of it as your north star — it guides your direction, purpose, and design decisions.
A good creative brief includes:
1. Project goals and objectives
2. Target audience
3. Brand personality and tone
4. Visual direction and inspiration
For Aslan, I wanted something strong, modern, and intelligent, symbolizing the balance between creativity and technology.
Step 2: Moodboarding
Next comes moodboarding — the research and inspiration phase.
Here, I gather visual references, styles, and elements that capture the brand’s tone. You can find inspiration:
1. From your environment (shapes, textures, or even pets)
2. Or from online sources like Pinterest, Behance, and Dribbble
Tip: Don’t copy. Be inspired, remix ideas, and create something original.
For Aslan, I explored concepts that mix technology + courage + wisdom, using shapes inspired by lions, crowns, shields, and futuristic gradients.
Step 3: Sketching Ideas
Now that the moodboard is ready, it’s time to sketch.This is where your creative energy flows — no pressure, just draw ideas freely. You can use a pen and paper or tablet, whichever feels more natural. Personally, I prefer sketching by hand because it keeps my ideas fluid and spontaneous. I usually make 3–5 rough sketches, exploring different shapes and forms inspired by the lion concept.
Step 4: Design Execution
Once the sketches are done, it’s time to digitize them in Adobe Illustrator. Start by scanning or photographing your sketches and importing them. Then, use the Pen Tool or Shape Builder Tool to vectorize and refine. I use grids, lines, and sometimes the Golden Ratio to ensure perfect symmetry and proportion. This method gives your logo a professional, timeless, and balanced feel — just like the world’s most iconic logos.
After vectorizing, I test different variations:
1. Color palettes
2. Typography combinations
3. Layouts (icon, horizontal, stacked, monochrome)
Step 5: Presentation
Many designers stop after making the logo — but presentation is key. You need to show your thought process, your story, and how the logo works in real life. Use mockups (business cards, app icons, website headers, etc.) to help clients or audiences visualize your design. This helps them understand your vision clearly and approve faster. Presentation isn’t just showing your work — it’s telling the story behind it.
Conclusion
So there you have it — my 5-step process for designing a professional logo:
1. Creative Brief — Your north star guiding the project
2. Moodboarding — Collect and refine inspiration
3.Sketching — Let your creativity flow freely
4. Design Execution — Vectorize, refine, and perfect your logo
5. Presentation — Showcase the story behind your design
Through this process, you’ll create not just a logo — but a brand identity that tells a story.
What’s Next
This is just Episode 1 of the Project Aslan design series. In the next episode, we’ll use this logo to design the Aslan Super AI App interface. Stay tuned — it’s going to be an exciting ride!
🎥 Watch the full video on YouTube
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About the Author
Lemon is a creative designer based in Manila specializing in branding, UI/UX, and digital design. He’s the creator behind Art of Lemon — a creative series that blends design, storytelling, and lifestyle.