So people kept asking why bother with logo design crap, right? Figured I should actually try doing one myself before yapping. Grabbed this LSG project totally random – friend’s cousin’s startup or whatever. Didn’t even know what LSG stood for at first. Coffee in hand, slumped in my busted office chair thinking “how hard can this be?”
The “It’s Just A Shape” Phase
Started scribbling. Like actually pen-on-napkin stuff. Made:
- A fancy L overlapping some weird S
- G trying to hug both letters
- Random abstract blob that looked like mold
Took photos, sent to client. Silence for two days. Then one text: “Doesn’t feel like us.” Back to zero.
Actually Talking To Humans (Shocker)
Met the LSG folks at some noisy cafe. Listened while they bickered about their “vision”. Key takeaways:
- “Not corporate but professional” (helpful)
- “Green but not leaf-green” (obviously)
- “Simple but makes you stare” (naturally)
Drank three coffees. Head buzzing. Realized logos aren’t shapes – they’re visual handshakes.
Digital Disaster Zone
Fired up design software. My process:
- Drew 50 versions of L-S-G dancing together
- Deleted 48 immediately – looked like alphabet soup puke
- Made one where the G became a speech bubble (??? why???)
- Almost threw laptop when software crashed saving Draft 23
Slept on the floor that night. Woke up seeing letters in the ceiling cracks.
The Breakthrough (Or Coffee Overdose)
Fourth day. Empty pizza boxes everywhere. Suddenly realized – don’t spell the damn letters. Suggest them. Grabbed Draft 7: Three brush strokes forming peaks and valley. Slapped LSG text under it clean and tight.
Sent without explanation. Got reply in 11 minutes: “YES. That’s the handshake.” Almost cried into cold pizza.
Why This Pain Matters
After surviving logo war, get it now:
- First Impressions Are Lazy – Your logo gets 2 seconds before people swipe
- You Can’t Describe Culture – But show ’em mountains made of confident lines? They feel it
- Every Sticker Is A Billboard – Saw client slap that thing on laptops, trucks, water bottles – free real estate
Still hate design software though. Might draw next one with crayons.
