Your company logo makes up just one element of your branding, however this "mark" is a very powerful component that has broad reaches in developing your full brand identity.

This particular blog post focuses on the logo design process for one company, Little Note Card...

A professional logo design represents the appropriate mark that truly identifies a company's organization. This process involves research, design development and application. The logo symbol is then applied to all your printed items, including advertising, communications, stationery, products, signage, buildings and packaging. At the same time, your online logo design will be prepared to maximize your online visibility; it must translate appropriately to this digitized medium. Regardless of the circumstances, your logo must work equally well in both digital and print.

Little Note Card is an ONLINE boutique specializing in whimsical note cards, greeting cards, invitations and art posters. It also wholesales its stationery line to a select group of retail boutiques. Little Note Card offers fanciful and unique ink on paper items perfect for sending messages and greetings around the world.

The company honors the craftsmanship of artisans and artists and specializes in items that are handmade or produced in limited production runs. All the paper items are designed and printed locally in the Hudson Valley in the New York region.

The company wanted a sweet and stylish mark to complement the charming, whimsical name, Little Note Card. The hand-drawn illustration of a small envelope was created as the symbol to accompany the name. The logo was to reflect this hand-made, artsy aesthetic. The classic old-style Serif font, Goudy, was selected for its grace and elegance and its lightness in color juxtaposed against the soft watercolor illustration of a note card envelope. The tag art on paper was set in Times italic in a percentage of black.

The stationery elements follow a clean and simple design reflecting the company's perspective of its products and audience—artsy, original, "like" one-of-a-kind elements of handmade art on paper.

The treatment of the logo was consistent throughout the labeling applications as illustrated here.

Product hang-tags, shipping labels, invitation and boxed card sets, packaging stickers and gift stickers applied the basic design formula. It's important to remember in the design process, that the logo design be adaptable and multipurpose to interact with the rest of the branding, as it only represents one element, but a strong and important one.

In certain instances, the package labeling needed additional information. As an example, a note card collection featuring 2 each of 4 different images, required additional information, which was accomplished with the use of thumbnails. In some instances, simple descriptions sufficed.

These posters were used as signage at Fairs and Trade Shows. They depicted two different collections, the Vogue Collection featuring illustrated shoes and boots on note cards and invitations, while the Sweets Collection highlighted birthday and wedding cards and invites.

Once the logo is designed, a blueprint covering everything from color options, sizing, positioning, space and more will be included in the Brand Usage Guidelines. This allows for consistency and brand recognition. The logo must be constant; without guidelines, you may see your logo appear too small or squashed or in the wrong color.

The process of logo design is an important step in developing your brand. The research, the design concept work and the application will inevitably create a well rounded and comprehensive mark that gives your company a focused vision and identity.