Finished Work: Mels-Vida - Logo Design for a Hair Salon

We love going back to our roots and get our teeth into a branding project. Melanie has been a hair stylist for almost 20 years and this year she opened her own salon. And we got to dig in and create a new identity for her business. A well-crafted logo and cohesive branding can significantly impact the success of a business. It builds brand recognition, and creates a sense of trust.

Logo design and branding are crucial elements of a business’s identity. They go hand in hand to create a cohesive, recognizable presence in the market and communicate the values, mission, and personality of a company. We created a brand new logo for her business and created various graphic designs. The inspiration for her logo came from her two biggest passions in life: travel & hair. We wanted to make a cute and inviting visual, complementing her radiant character. Fun, playful, and creative. We also created a surface pattern for her give-aways & business related product line.

Need a logo for your business too?
A logo is a visual symbol or graphic that represents a brand. It is the first point of contact between a business and its audience and serves as the foundation for the overall brand identity. If you are also looking for a logo designer who can create a strong visual identity? Reach out and send us a message. Let's get to know each other!

Finished work: Days of Gold - Day Care in the Woods - Logo Design

Rainbows & Sprinkles has been one of our long term clients. We created hundreds of prints for Lucy’s sportswear brand. Last year we created a logo for her basic line of sports pieces before she decided to change course and sell her business. While creating designs we discussed our mutual love for animals and her biggest dream was to be surrounded by animals all day. In the summer of 2023 she found a large plot of land with stables, horses, right up the hills and surrounded with woods. She decided to change everything and start a Day Care. A place to grow up and play surrounded by nature and animals. 

We were so sad to see her leave Rainbows and Sprinkles, but she’s such an inspiration. She turned her life around and has worked on opening up her day care for months. For her new business we created a brand new logo design reflecting the surroundings of her new Nature day care: Days of Gold. We created some really crisp clean cut designs, freehand logo’s and some designs with badges reminding us of the scouts. Did you join them when you were a kid?

As a kid I grew up in the country side with lots of space to play. Take care of animals, build bridges over streams and little huts. So this logo was a fun piece to create. Something I could personally relate to. Here we’ll explain the logo designing process, so you can have a little insight on how we work. In case you need something for your branding swell.

Step 1: The Business Before we start we want to know everything about the business. Is it already ‘out there’ as an established brand? What are the core values. Some insight about the philosophy is key to create something that really connects. A logo should reflect your brand in a flash. What makes you different than others in your branch. We ask all the questions before even making a quote. For Days of Gold it was a smooth process since we know Lucy personally. This step was quickly taken. But most people we create logo’s for need some time figuring this out first. And we are happy to guide and assist when you still need to find out your business identity. It’s all part of the branding.

Step 2: Who’s your customer For Days of Gold we knew it would not be attracting the usual parent. Playing outside in the mud all day is a little different than your usual day care. Knowing your customer is really important. You have to understand what it is they’re looking for and what connects them to your brand.

Step 3: The Quote We have several packages for logo design and branding. Some of our customers just look for a catchy visual that sticks. Some want the whole shebang with a website and all the graphic elements attached to branding. This particular job was reduced to a logo design only to start with.

Step 4: The Design process When we have a clear agreement and laid down the basics above we start the design process. Usually this starts with a brainstorm and a free sketch routine in which shapes, notes and illustrations are put down on paper. For some designs we create everything by hand on paper. So did we for the first drafts. From there we translate those sketched onto the computed and create new vector sketches in Adorable Illustrator. For every logo design process we create a minimum of 3 design options, and branding directions, to choose from.

Step 5: The first presentation In our first presentation we put all sketches we made and create a story on how the design was developed. And how it involved during the process. Resulting into three proposals that are ready to use. We create some mock-ups and color versions for each proposal and explain why we made certain design decisions. Because it’s not all drawing. A logo design has an entire philosophy attached that will lift up your business. And normally you can’t see that in a blink. So we create a little guidance so a design makes sense for everyone.

Step 6: An hour of tweaks In our pricing we include an hour of changes after the first presentation. Usually it only takes some small tweaks. For Lucy, it was almost an immediate go on the first draft. She chose the circular logo. Easy to use as a badge on clothing and versatile. the premises also has a glamping on it, so with this shape we could also expand to logo versions per business. For this project we didn’t even need that extra hours but for some projects we need some more time to tweak and adjust.

Step 7: Payment In case you haven’t worked with us before. We never send out any finished artwork before we get paid. After we receive our payment in full we wrap things up.

Step 8: Finishing Up The last step is creating files that are workable for our clients. We have clients that need different types of files and versions. We all include those. Logo files for web. Logo files in high resolution for print. And Pantone colors. If you work on an entire branding project with us this is the moment we can go further and talk website & graphic items.

Need a logo for your new start-up or project? Or does your business need a re-vamp? We would love to take on your branding. Check our website for more info & rates. You can contact us there directly by filling out the contact form.

Finished Work: U bird - Travel Podcast Logo Design

We love making logos. Combining type & image and coming up with a strong visual identity is a wonderful process to work through. When we get plan a logo design job we usually take an extra week to prep, just to let things ‘cook’ a little. We start with researching our client. Determine the brands core values, aesthetic. Some logo designs only take a few hours. Others may take weeks. No logo design or branding job is the same and that’s what it’s so much fun to take on the challenge to create something. 

For this logo design we only had a couple ingredients to work with. The business is a start up so it’s not fully visual & shaped just yet. But we did get a good idea of the people behind this new project. Pam & Nicole are both addicted to two things: travel and explore the world & roaming around bustling cities.

They both love to talk and they wanted to join their experiences in this new podcast in which they’ll be chatting about the most beautiful places in the world, different cultures and how to explore it all in a more grounded conscious way with less impact on it’s surroundings. Pam has a degree in the Arts and is obsessed with bright colors. Nicole has a degree in Interior design and has a soft spot for neon signs. They asked to have these quirks reflected into their new Podcast logo.

The chatty bird hidden in the visual is a metaphor for how both ladies live their lives: Enjoying their freedom to the fullest. They’re ready to fly away any time. Their passion for the city was beautifully translated into a neon sign style logo design using some & catchy bold colors. To get the logo connected to their podcast the shape outlines a microphone.

Need a logo for your new start-up or project? Or does your business need a re-vamp? We would love to take on your branding. Check our website for more info & rates. You can contact us there directly by filling out the contact form.

Behind the scenes: The logo design process

We love making logos! And this year we’ve made a whole bunch of fun logo designs. For a new Russian baby nursery textiles company, for a sing and sing writer, an education business. And at the moment we are working on the branding: logo design and graphics for a new climbing gym. With every logo design process we create 3 or more different logo concepts. So most of them are never used and don’t get to the final stage ever. We wanted to show you some logo designs we created this year that didn’t make the cut. Some minimal shapes we just love!

Sova is an education business and its products are targeted to school kids. They develop tools to help kids with learning, and all tools are used by adults who are guiding these kids through the process. For Sova Learning we needed to create a visual logo that should both be attractive to kids and adults. We used the owl as a metaphor for the educated brainiacs. We wanted to make a logo that was both professional and cute. The logo here didn't make the cut. If you're curious which one did browse over to Sova. The logo shown here was our own personal fave. A geometric minimalist owl with black outlines with our signature dot representing the tip of an ink pencil. Merging old & new in one visual. Yeah, we love hiding secret messages, or did you already see these two unite?



For a company, specializing in nursery textiles, we were asked to create something very abstract. Can you tell what shapes and messages were hidden in these three proposals?
We also added our signature dot. The same dot we use in our own logo. In our studio logo, it's the eye of a bird but for these logo sketches, this dot has a completely different meaning. For all miro lovers out there; you can probably guess! The little circle represents fertility and life. A perfect touch, adding a little quirk on a minimalist visual like this.

Looking for a logo designer?
80% of our working days are filled with print designing. But we love working on branding for small companies too. If you’d like to know more about this process, please take a look on our website. And if you just love what we do and think we could be a great match on getting you started with some cool visual design please fill out the contact form on our website. We’d love to have a chat!

How to create a logo for your business // 5 tips for new business owners // love your branding

written by Maaike Boot / Founder Little Smilemakers Studio
Since Little Smilemakers Studio started we mainly focussed on creating surface pattern designs. But every now and then we love to create a logo for fellow entrepreneurs and creatives. And since we notice a logo is always a struggle, we wanted to give you 5 tips to get this process started and make it a smooth one. Hopefully this will give you some insight.

I am a big fan of hiring the right peep for the job instead of choosing cheap or quantity over quality. And when I stared my business I didn’t have to worry about the logo, branding and other graphic elements; I could do these all myself. I studied graphic design and worked in the industry for a couple of years before starting my own business, and back in the day I made a bunch of logos. I think my style was already the same mix of minimal quirky as it is right now. But since I have worked with so many new businesses on their logo. I do have a broad experience you might be able to learn something about my experiences.

1 // A logo as a reflection of both you and your business
What is a logo? And what should a logo do for you? Logo’s in business can be a way to catch a quick glimpse of what you’re doing. They usually contain a small visual element, mixed with text. You can also create a full typographic logo of course and skip the illustration. Or go non-text. That's all up to you. An illustration might be a fun way to hide a message. A strong visual speaks louder than any text. A good example it the Nike logo. But if you are not as 'famous' yet. Text might come in handy.
The first question you’d like to ask yourself is simple, who am I? If you start a small business this is a great way to start showing the world what you are doing. Who are you? What is your style? Do you enjoy new trends? Or are you more a contemporary style kind of girl? Do you love a rainbow of colors or would you choose a crisp black and white over color? Try to implement all of you into your business and logo. If you are working with a skilled designer they will filter any color doubt or color mayhem overkill to create something professional.

2 // Make a list
What used to be very helpful for me as a designer to start the logo design process, and I still ask this to new clients when I start custom projects on surface pattern designs: lists. Make a list of the things you really don’t like. Colors you have, fonts that make you go iek. Making a list of what doesn’t work is a great way to tackle any drafts that would never work for you personally. This makes the process a whole lot easier, faster and more cost-effective.

3 // How to find a pro
Ask yourself what is important for you and your business? Does your logo have to tell a story? Consider thinking about your branding and marketing, should your logo be a main visual for this? If you are running a product-based business the product is usually the thing to sell. But a logo can be the start of an entirely new branding strategy and visual language. if you want to set up your business as a whole, considering hiring a designer that knows about marketing and positioning. Look out for the way they present their logo designs: is it just a logo, or do they have advertising, folders, web included in their portfolio? If they have a range of graphical elements and they are coherent: this might be your designer to plan your visual strategy with. They most likely have thought about how to implement your logo and style into more than just the right corner of your website. They’ve done research on you and your customer, have the insight and knowledge how to use image, type & color for your target group. Look for the logo designers that hide a message in the logo, or tell a story.



4 // Logo on a budget
I understand most businesses that start out might not have the resources to splurge on too pricy things. Oh I sure didn’t when I started out. But I did do my research and set up a financial plan in order to have a little bit of an idea of how much I would spend the first year: webdesign, software, fonts. Don’t be too quick to save on a logo though. I do want you to consider saving up a little, even if you don’t have much cash, there’s always a way to not buy that pair of jeans or skip some lattes to save up for the future. Your business is worth it. Because outsourcing a logo is one of the best investments to building your future for you and your company. There are a lot of ways to create something. Even if you are on a tight budget. You can use an app like Canva to create something yourself, or put your job on the 99designs website and let designers pitch designs to you. But if you are willing to look beyond the logo, let a pro handle your visuals. Just to have an idea about the costs; our logo design process is around €1200. Including of course the logo design process, implementing the design on 4 graphical elements and building a branding language to use for your socials etc. This strategy is presented in a report. You can call it a little branding manual.

5 // Definite don’ts
Make sure to tackle these rookie mistakes. If you are creating a logo yourself keep in mind the legals! If you are using stock vectors: most stock websites don’t allow logos to be made from their images. So make sure your ‘images’ used to create your logo are originals and ask permission to use these for your design. Stay away from the competitor, and don’t copy something because you just like it. Don’t be ugly! The grass is not greener on the other side. Do your own work and trust your own way to success. Don’t just copy. Up until today, I have to explain this to my clients too when they tell me ‘we want a print design like this.’ If you like to copy something that’s already there, use an illustration or font: ask the original creator for permission. Be chic! You don’t want your logo to say: I stole this but please trust my business anyway. Trust is everything.

Robosto

Logo design for Robosto Theater Group.