creating a professional logo
A logo is more than a nice graphic. It’s the foundation of your brand identity. It should look great on everything from business cards to billboards, be legally yours to protect, and speak clearly to your audience.
If you've been using a logo made in Canva, picked something quick from a template, or haven't thought much about logo design at all, you're not alone. Many new businesses start that way. But as your brand grows, the need for a professional logo becomes clear.
work with a professional designer or agency
Free templates, online generators, or DIY designs may seem convenient, but they come with risks. Many reuse the same styles or icons, which can make your brand look generic or even similar to another business nearby. Worse, some of these assets are pulled from stock libraries, which means you don't legally own the design and cannot trademark it.
Working with a professional logo designer or agency ensures originality, usability, and consistency.
the logo design process
The logo design process is guided, detailed, and built around your brand. It starts before any sketch is ever drawn. Without using templates or shortcuts, each logo idea is built from scratch using the client’s ideas and wishes as the foundation.
Before You Say “I Do”
Discovery
It’s important for the designer to learn about your business, your audience, your goals, and your vision before a sketch is made. You’ll be asked about your mission, what makes you different, and how you want to be perceived. And you don’t need to have all the answers—that’s what agencies like us are here for.
Visual Direction and Mood Boards
Before jumping into design, visual exploration is key. This includes reviewing style preferences, colors, typography inspiration, and competitor research. This might even include mood boards to help align on the direction of your visual identity. These serve as a reference for the tone and feel of the brand.
This stage helps designers understand your aesthetic and ensures they’re not just designing what looks good, but what looks right for your brand and audience.
Initial Logo Concepts
Once the direction is clear, now begins sketching and developing the first set of logo concepts. Original designs based on everything learned about your brand. Typically presented as three to five strong options, each with variations and the creative thinking behind each one.
And although we always recommend talking to a trademark attorney for any legal executions, agencies like ours also run checks on trademark sites and local competition to help avoid similarities and potential copyright issues down the road.
Feedback and Revisions
No one expects to fall in love with the first draft. Most logo projects go through two to three rounds of refinements before landing on the final version, although bigger brands may require more refinements and a longer timeline.
Client feedback is the most integral part at this stage, ensuring that the final logo feels just right—visually, emotionally, and practically.
Final Logo and Brand Files
Once the logo is approved, the designer will prepare all the final files you’ll need. These may include full-color, black and white, and inverted versions of your logo for use on different backgrounds. You may also need horizontal and stacked layouts, as well as various file types for both digital and print use.
create your logo with us
Timelines for a full logo process can range from two to six weeks or longer, allowing time for discovery, concept development, revisions, and final file delivery. You can explore our full logo packages and pricing at adaportillo.com/logos.
When you invest in a professional logo, you’re setting the tone for how your business shows up in the world—visually, emotionally, and strategically. Our Baltimore local team helps guide you through the process step by step. Whether you’re starting from scratch or rebranding an existing business, we’re here to bring your vision to life.