Our Logo Design Process: From Idea to Iconic

Let’s be real: your logo design is not just a pretty little graphic—it’s the face of your business. It’s what people remember (or forget) when they’re deciding if your brand is the real deal or just another name in their inbox. And while we’ve all seen those $50 Fiverr specials floating around… your business deserves better than that.

At Skellydog, logo design isn’t just “make it cute and call it a day.” We treat it like what it is: the foundational piece of your brand identity. And we’ve got a damn good process to back it up.

Why a Logo Design Process Even Matters

Let’s put this upfront: a logo without a purpose is just decoration.

A logo with a strategic, collaborative, tried-and-true process? That’s a brand asset. The kind that gets remembered. That looks sharp on a business card and makes sense on a billboard. That makes your audience go, “Damn, that’s cool,” and “I trust this company.”

That’s the difference. That’s our standard. And that’s why our logo design process matters.

The Skellydog Logo Design Process

Our logo design process isn’t something we whipped up in a day—it’s the result of nearly ten years of real-world experience, research, and results. We follow six-ish phases to keep things clean, creative, and collaborative from day one.

Let’s walk through ‘em:

Phase 1: Discovery & Brand Strategy

We don’t dive into design until we know your brand inside and out. In our Discovery phase, we start with a deep intake process and a discovery call to get the lay of the land. We ask the right questions—about your business, your goals, your dream clients, your vibe, and your current brand struggles.

If we both feel like your brand needs a deeper foundation before design begins, we’ll recommend our Brand Strategy Workshop. That’s where we really go to work: nailing down your brand voice, your ideal audience, positioning, archetypes, values, and more.

Because trust us—if your brand isn’t clear, no logo will save it.

Phase 2: Research & Conceptualization

This is where we dig into the competitive landscape and make concepts or directions that your logo suite can go in.

We look at who your competitors are, what’s happening in your industry, and how your audience responds visually. We’ll identify visual gaps and strategic opportunities so you don’t end up with something that looks like the business next door.

We’re looking at fonts, color trends, styles, spacing, iconography—all of it. This stage is strategy-first design in action.

This is where the Skellydog magic kicks in—and where we go way deeper than your average Fiverr logo designer.

Here’s how we conceptualize with intention:

Research-Driven Moodboarding

We start with research. That means digging into your industry, audience, goals, and brand voice. From there, we create 2–3 distinct moodboards that each represent a viable, strategic direction for your brand. These aren’t “Pinterest vibes” or random collages. Each moodboard is backed by research and provided as an option for ways we can go in your concepts. Each are also a viable option that would meet your business goals.

What you’ll see in a moodboard:

• Strategic color palettes
• Typography inspiration
• Real-world applications (think packaging, merch, social content)
• A clear vibe that reflects your brand’s personality and positioning

Once complete, we walk you through each direction in a pre-recorded. video or live presentation, explaining how each one supports your brand’s success.

Typography & Color Strategy

After you select a moodboard direction, we get to work designing with consistency and accessibility in mind. We plan out the full typography system (headers, subheaders, paragraphs, accents) and build a color palette that looks great—and functions great too. We make sure:

• Fonts are licensed appropriately (you’ll never be left with surprise fees)
• Accessibility is considered (because everyone should be able to read your content)
• Colors are extended into usable tints, shades, and accessible contrast color pairings

We’re not just picking fonts and colors—we’re building a toolkit for your brand to thrive long-term.

Internal Collaboration & Quality Control

Before you ever see concepts, they go through internal review. Our Creative Director and designers sit down to check:

• Is this aligned with the chosen moodboard?
• Is this concept solving the right problems?
• Can we clearly explain why every decision was made?

We don’t move forward until the strategy is rock solid.

Concept Presentation & Feedback

Once we’ve developed strong concept directions, we package them into a brand presentation for you to review. This presentation is designed to give you full visibility into the thought process behind each concept. It includes a review of the moodboards, notes, and research that informed our design decisions, followed by two to three unique logo concepts—each with its own custom color palette and visual direction.

We also show you how each concept might look in action using mockups—think packaging, social media posts, signage—so you can better visualize your brand in the real world. You’ll be able to compare the concepts side-by-side, weigh how they align with your goals, and consider which one feels like the strongest fit for your audience. This isn’t about picking the “prettiest” option—it’s about selecting the most strategic and functional identity for your brand’s future.

Then it’s your turn: we want your feedback—but the kind that moves the project forward. We help guide your thoughts, keeping it strategic (not emotional or crowdsourced by your third cousin Larry who also does marketing). Because this isn’t just about what your mama likes, hell, it’s not even about what YOU like. It’s about what resonates with your audience, is geared to help you reach goals and stands the test of time.

Phase 3: Revisions & Fine-Tuning Your Logo

This is where we slow down and shape the final version of your brand identity together. Once you’ve chosen a direction, we’ll move into a focused phase of fine-tuning, which makes sure the logo, typography, and visual elements feel like you, while still speaking directly to your audience.

We include dedicated revision rounds in our process not because we expect to miss the mark, but because we believe that real collaboration takes time, clarity, and space. You might see something and realize, “That’s almost it—but not quite.” That’s exactly what this phase is for.

What happens in this phase:

• We’ll adjust spacing, balance, font weights, or color nuances.
• We may explore alternate layouts (stacked vs. horizontal) or taglines if needed and finalize the full logo family
• If something doesn’t sit right, this is your chance to tell us—we’re listening.

We’re also here to guide you. If you’re not sure why something isn’t landing, we’ll talk it through and ask the right questions to get to the heart of it.

A quick but important reminder:
We’re not just designing something that you love—we’re creating a brand that your ideal client will respond to. That means every design choice needs to feel aligned with your mission, but also make sense strategically for the people you’re trying to reach.

In short:
This isn’t just “tweaking” for the sake of perfection—it’s about refining with purpose, and making sure the final brand identity works, resonates, and feels like the best version of your business.

Phase 4: Final Files & Delivery

Time to hand over the goods.

Once your logo family is complete, we deliver a full folder of organized, ready-to-use files for print, digital, social, and more. No “screenshot from your website” energy here. You’ll have every version you need—and know when to use what.

You’ll also receive a brand consistency document that acts as a guide: showing logo spacing, colors, fonts, usage rules, and more.

Depending on your package, you might also get extras like social media mockups, icon sets, or launch graphics.

We want you to use your brand with confidence, so we don’t like to just hand it off without giving you all the details or without the open door to ask questions at any time after we’ve provided you the files.

What Makes Skellydog Different?

Let’s be real—there are thousands of people offering logo design, and some of them for way less of an investment. So what makes Skellydog worth it?

• We don’t believe in doing things twice. We make sure your foundation is good to go beforehand, so you don’t have to go through this process again.
• We don’t make pretty logos. We make purposeful ones.
• You’re part of the process. We bring you into the creative flow early with moodboards, brand discovery, and your feedback matters to us.
• We give a damn about your business. No templates, no shortcuts, and no ghosting after handoff.
• We build full brand systems, not just logos. “Just the logo” creates confusion in clients – we help with looking at the full picture first and how to bring your logo and brand system into the big picture.

This is creative strategy with teeth—and it works.

FAQs (Because You Were Gonna Ask Anyway)

How long does the logo process take?
Typically 3–6 weeks depending on client responsiveness, payment schedule and project complexity. If you add brand strategy or request extra deliverables, it may extend.

Do I own the copyright to my logo?
Yup. Once final payment is received, it’s all yours. We’ll provide you with a usage rights document to make it official. Please note this does not ensure that it is trademarked, but we can explain that to you, too.

What if I don’t like any of the first concepts?
That’s rare—but if it happens, we circle back to strategy. We’ll pinpoint what’s missing and revise accordingly. We don’t do unlimited redos, but we do prioritize getting it right.

Can I use a sketch I made as a starting point?
Sure! We love when clients have ideas. Just keep in mind, we may evolve it to make sure it works across all your brand needs & we encourage you not to Frankenstein our concepts to match a vision that may not be working.

Can you recreate my old logo in higher quality?
We can re-vector old logos if needed, but we highly recommend refreshing or rebuilding outdated designs. Your brand deserves better than a blurry throwback.

What files will I receive?
You’ll get:

• High-res PNGs (transparent background)
• Vector files (AI, EPS, PDF)
• Web files (SVG, JPG)
• Full-color, one-color, and reversed versions

Plus: a brand consistency doc to keep your brand looking chef’s kiss across platforms.

Final Thoughts: You Deserve a Logo That Hits Different

You’re not just launching a business—you’re building a brand. You’re solving a problem for clients. One with goals, a story, and big-ass dreams. So why settle for a logo that barely scratches the surface?

At Skellydog, we bring bold vision and sharp design together to create logos that last. Logos that get remembered. Logos that actually work.

Ready to build something iconic?
👉 Book your free discovery call today and let’s get to work.