Good logos convey the core tenets of an organization and what that organization does. Professional logo designers will perform industry and client research, brainstorm ideas, and create sketches with their client while following principles of good logo design.

Even though they’re often just small images, logos carry a whole lot of meaning — and designing one comes with a whole lot of responsibility, too. Logos are usually the most recognizable representation of a company or organization. And with more information available to the average consumer today, logos also have to quickly and effectively communicate on behalf of their brand.

To tackle such a complex challenge, many brands choose to hire outside help. But for those of us who are brand new to the logo design process, working with freelancers to design a logo can be a challenge in itself.

We thought it’d be interesting to talk to a few of these designers who know what it’s like to create logos from scratch. From the concept stage to the final product, what goes into designing a logo? How are designers able to capture an organization’s mission and personality into a single, simple image, especially when they aren’t a part of the organization themselves? Read on to find out.

What’s in a Logo?

When a designer first takes on a new logo project, he spends a lot of time trying to understand both the organization and its audience. We’ll get to the process of learning what a logo needs to “say” later, but first, let’s talk about what makes a great logo in the first place.