Sketch Your Ideas For Logos
Why should a Logo Designer Sketch their Ideas?
If you have ever visited a logo designer’s blog you may well see images of initial thoughts for a Logos development in the form of a sketch created by the Logo Designer. I believe that this is really an essential stage in a logos development if you are looking to find the best possible solution you can create for a logo.
It is possible for a logo designer to sit at their computer and just design on screen but really I believe the computer should be seen more as a tool for visually creating existing ideas rather than trying to use the computer to create ideas. Designers that usually skip the sketch pad stage often have very computer based work in that the logos they design are often created using different computer based effects. I believe that this is done as there is less thought behind the concepts and so they have opted for a more visually focused design rather than a design that is based on a most thoughtful concept. If a logo does not have a strong concept behind it the only way to make it appealing is to make it visually attractive but if a logo has a strong concept behind it then it can be appreciated from a different angle in that it can be appreciated for the concept.
I feel I should say that I am not saying every great logo was created in a sketch book first but I believe that most probably were. From experience I have seen a big improvement in my own work due to spending more time using the sketch book and less time clicking away on the computer during the early stages of a logos development.
So why is it that many designers find it more productive for idea generation to use a sketch book? I believe that this is because when people sit staring at a computer screen they develop tunnel vision. The mind stares with a blank focus at the uninspiring screen waiting for the idea to be presented rather than actively and consciously looking for a solution. This is much like when people watch TV, they stare with a blank focus at the screen waiting to be presented with information.
A designer needs to think sideways to develop creative ideas and to actively and consciously search for a solution. A sketch book is less visually stimulating and mesmerizing than an illuminated computer screen so the individual has to bring something to the sketh book to make it appealing.
I am not saying that the computer is not an essential tool when it comes to designing logos in this digital age but if the computer is used more as a tool for expressing your creative ideas that were initially created on paper the results are often greater. These ideas need only be rough sketches as it is the idea that is important and the visual representation of this idea can always be developed further but if you do not have a good concept for a logo in the early stages it is very unlikely that further visual development will enrich the concept. I believe it is best to begin with a solid foundation that you can really build something impressive on.
The above is only my opinion based on my own experience and so I would be very interested to hear from other designers with regards to their approach towards initial idea generation. Thank you for reading.
