Most logo projects that go wrong do not fail at the drawing stage. They fail earlier, with a vague brief, or later, when the business discovers it has one JPG, no colour codes and no editable file for the signboard vendor.
This guide covers both ends. You will learn what to put in a logo design brief, how to review concepts without endless rounds, which files and colour codes to ask for at handover, and the checks to run on the name and mark before you sign off.
Quick answer: A good logo brief explains your business in one line, who buys from you, where the logo will be used, which competitors you must look different from, the personality you want and any must-haves. At handover, ask for SVG, AI or EPS, print-ready PDF and transparent PNG files in every version, plus HEX, RGB, CMYK and Pantone codes, font names and a written transfer of rights.
What to put in a logo design brief
A designer can only work with what you tell them. A one-page brief is usually enough if it answers these questions clearly.
- The business in one sentence: what you sell, to whom, and what makes you different. 'We make stainless steel kitchen equipment for hotels and caterers in North India' is more useful than 'quality products'.
- Your audience: who signs the cheque and who uses the product. A logo aimed at hospital procurement teams needs a different tone from one aimed at college students.
- Where the logo will live: list the real uses, such as shop signage, packaging, a mobile app icon, the website favicon, embroidered uniforms, vehicle branding, invoices and social media profile pictures. This decides how simple the mark must be.
- Competitors: name three to five, and say what you like or dislike about how they look. The aim is to stand apart from them, not to copy them.
- Personality: three words for how the brand should feel, and three it must never feel like. For example, 'reliable, precise, calm' and not 'playful, cheap, loud'.
- Must-haves and no-go items: the exact spelling of the name and tagline, whether you need a Hindi or regional-language version, colours you cannot use, and symbols with religious or cultural meanings to avoid.
- References: two or three logos you admire from any industry, with one line on why. The reason matters more than the logo itself.
- Decision makers and dates: who approves the final logo, when you need it, and any launch date it has to meet.
Brief mistakes that cause extra revision rounds
- Asking the logo to say everything: a mark cannot show your full product range, your city and your values at once. Pick one idea and let the rest of your branding carry the detail.
- Briefing by taste alone: 'I like blue' is a preference. 'Our buyers are banks, so we want to look established' is a direction a designer can work with.
- Too many approvers: when every partner and relative gets a vote, the result is usually the safest and least memorable option. Agree on one or two decision makers before concepts arrive.
- Skipping the real-world test: a concept that looks good on a large screen can turn into a smudge on a visiting card or a browser tab.
How to review logo concepts
- Re-read your brief first, and judge each concept against it rather than against personal taste.
- Look at each option at very small sizes, such as a browser tab icon, and at large sizes, such as a hoarding.
- Ask to see it in one colour, in black and white, and reversed out on a dark background.
- View it on mock-ups of your real uses: your signboard, packaging, app icon or visiting card.
- Show it to a few real customers, not just your team, and ask what kind of company they think it belongs to.
- Give specific feedback. 'The icon feels too playful for hospital buyers' helps a designer. 'Make it pop' does not.
Which logo files to ask for at handover
A complete file kit saves you from chasing the designer every time a printer, signage vendor or developer asks for 'the open file'. Ask for these formats, each in every logo version.
| File | What it is | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| SVG | Vector file for screens | Websites, apps and digital tools. It scales to any size without blurring and keeps file sizes small. |
| AI or EPS | Editable vector source file | Designers, printers and signage or packaging vendors who need to edit or resize the mark. |
| PDF (vector, print-ready) | Vector file that most software can open | Printers and vendors who do not use design software. |
| PNG (transparent background) | High-resolution image in several sizes | Presentations, documents, email signatures and social media. |
| Favicon and app icon set | Small square versions, often PNG or ICO | Browser tabs, app stores and home screen shortcuts. |
Ask for these versions in each format: primary logo, horizontal and stacked layouts, icon-only mark, full colour, single-colour black and single-colour white. Final vector files should have the text converted to outlines, so the logo looks right on computers that do not have the font installed. Keep a separate editable master as well.
Colour codes and fonts: the details that usually go missing
Colours look different on a phone, a laptop and printed card stock. Recording the codes is how you keep the logo consistent across vendors.
- HEX: the six-character code used on websites and apps, such as #0F4C81.
- RGB: the screen colour values used in digital design and video.
- CMYK: the four-ink values for standard print jobs such as brochures and visiting cards.
- Pantone (PMS): a spot colour reference for exact matches on packaging, signage, merchandise and uniforms. Pantone references come in coated and uncoated versions, so record which one applies.
For fonts, ask for the name of every typeface used in the logo and any brand fonts recommended for documents, and check the licence for each. Many fonts on Google Fonts are released under open licences that allow commercial use, while paid fonts may need a licence for each user or device. A short logo usage guide covering clear space, minimum size and incorrect uses is worth asking for as well.
Check the name and the mark before you finalise
A logo is only useful if you can keep using it. Before you print anything, run a trademark search for your brand name and for similar-looking marks in the classes that cover your goods or services. India follows the international Nice classification, which groups goods and services into 45 classes. You can search existing marks through the official IP India portal, which also lists the current forms and government fees.
Many businesses file the word mark (the name) and the logo (a device mark) separately, because they protect different things. The ™ symbol can be used to show you claim a mark, while the ® symbol is meant only for registered marks. Separately, the copyright in a logo drawn by an outside designer may not pass to you just because you paid for it, so ask for a written assignment of rights. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm the details for your case. If you want help with the search and filing, see our trademark registration service, and if you are still at the brief stage, our logo design team recommends running the search before you finalise.
How EthicsComputer can help
Our logo design service starts with a short discovery questionnaire and call, then presents original concepts drawn from scratch in vector and checked at small sizes, in a single colour and on dark backgrounds. First concepts typically arrive in 5 to 7 working days, and most logos are finalised within 2 to 3 weeks. You receive AI, SVG, EPS, PDF and PNG files, HEX, RGB and CMYK values, a mini usage guide and a written transfer of rights. If you need the full identity next, our graphic design team can extend it into brochures, stationery and brand guidelines.
Starting a new brand or refreshing an old logo?
Share your business, your audience and where the logo will be used, and we will suggest a brief and a scope for your project.
About the author
Vinay Grover founded EthicsComputer in Rohtak, Haryana in 2018 and leads its cybersecurity, software and AI work for clients across India and abroad. EthicsComputer is ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO 20000-1 certified.
