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Creating a unique, professional logo is a lot like getting dressed in the morning. What's your mood? What image do you want to communicate? What type of look will make people comfortable being around you?

Having solid answers to fundamental questions like these, provide a good logo designer what he or she needs to make your logo unique, professional and a reflection of who you are.

When it comes to a logo, or visual identity, get answers to the following questions, and your designer will easily be able to come up with several creative ideas, or concepts that will form a foundation for logo design.

What's your market position?

Who are you, what do you sell, and who do you sell it to? Are you Mercedes, Lexus, Honda or Saturn? All sell different products, at different prices ranges, to different audiences. But, they are all good brands because they know who they are. Think about your target market and how you serve them. This is one of the most relevant pieces of information your designer will need.

What image do you want conjured up when someone says your name?

Are you expensive, cost effective, or do you sell to the bargain hunter? Are you Saks Fifth Avenue or The Gap? What's the image you want people to think of when you recite your company name? What's the first thing that you want them to think of? That's your desired image.

If you're like BMW, you conjure up a driving experience. You focus on excitement and rush. You don't sell on price. If you're Saturn, you're quite the opposite. If you're Honda and Toyota, you focus on practical, reliable cars. Everyone has a desired image. What's yours?

Are you conservative or edgy?

How aggressive are you? Do you tend to be conservative? Or more middle of the road? If you're a bank, you probably don't want to get too edgy. Your customers want to know their money is safe. But if you're a hedge fund, you're aggressive, and your customers expect high risk, high reward. This question helps designers select colors, lines and style. You look good when you dress in certain colors. So does your logo.

Think through these questions, then have your logo designer deliver at least three directions. Pick the direction that you believe responds the best to the answers you've provided. Then, iterate at least three times on one direction.

You'll get a great logo, but try not to shortcut the process.

Learn more about this author, Richard Fouts.
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