Logo Design Masterclass: Learn Logo Design and Illustrator

In this introduction to Logo Design and Illustrator course, you will learn the overarching topics and learning objectives of the class, including

• Qualities of well-designed logos
• Logo design principles
• Using Adobe Illustrator to create effective logo designs
• Brainstorming and sketching logos
• Meeting with a logo design client for a design brief and contract
• Finding work in logo design
• Illustrator logo design techniques

I explain how to get Adobe Illustrator, in order to follow along in the Illustrator lesson and logo design projects.

In this logo design lesson, you will learn a few quick Adobe Illustrator techniques by looking at well-known corporate logo designs and practicing a few quick logo design techniques.

In this lesson, you will learn about the qualities of effective logo design. Logos should stand out but not be too trendy, they should be able to be reproduced in various media and still be effective. Logos should also be unique and fit the client's brand. Logos should be simple but not overly simplistic. People should be able to recall a brand by looking at the brand's logo. Finally, logos should be aesthetically pleasing.

In this quiz, you will be assessed on what you have learned about qualities of effective logos.

In this activity, you will learn to recognize how logos are ubiquitous in everyday lives of people in the developed world. You will then post a photo of a logo to the course discussion board and critique it using the criteria described in the earlier lesson Qualities of an Effective Logo.

Join our Facebook group and community to get feedback from me and others!

In this lesson, you will be introduced to the topics within this section on client discussion and research in logo design.

In this lesson, you will learn about researching and becoming familiar with the logo design client and its real and potential audience.

In this lesson, you will learn about the importance of field research and how it can lead to more ideas for logo design and other branding ideas.

In this lesson, you will learn about the importance of interviewing real and potential customers of a client. You will also learn how focus groups can be conducted for research purposes.

This handout includes example questions to ask during focus group sessions.

You will learn from how I interact with a client as well as discuss and brainstorm some ideas for a logo design.

This handout includes example questions to ask a client during a logo design brainstorming session.

In this lesson, you will learn about how competitive research can help inform a logo designer's creative direction.

You will learn why logo designers and logo design clients need a design brief. Creative design briefs help make sure both the logo designer and the client are on the same page.

This is an example client brief for a logo design.

In this lecture, you will

• Learn how to calculate how much to charge for your logo designs.
• Understand what value a client pays for, including time, idea, and the final product.

In this lecture, you will

• See and download a sample logo design contract.
• Know what to consider when writing the contract, such as percentage paid up-front.
• Know what types of files to include and describe in the contract.

In this lesson, you will learn another helpful way to create a logo design or other graphic design contract. You will use the template or web form from AIGA to create a logo design contract for your client.

In this quiz, you will be assessed on how much you have learned about discussing, researching, and contracting logo designs.

In this lesson, you will be provided an overview of the brainstorming and sketching techniques we will go over in this section.

In this lesson, you will learn how to screenshot on a PC or Mac to compile inspiration or competitive logos.

You will learn mind mapping, freewriting, and word association techniques to produce more logo ideas.

You will learn the simple yet effective process of sketching logo designs in thumbnails.

In this lesson, you will learn how to sketch a monogram logo. Sketching the client's company initials can lead to a simple and distinct logo.

In this lesson, you will learn some tips relating to using letters as shapes in logo design sketching techniques.

In this lesson, you will learn about simplifying objects as shapes in logo design sketching techniques.

In this activity, you will sketch and then scan or take a photo of your sketch and post to the discussion board for critique.

In this short demonstration, I explain how Adobe does update Creative Cloud but that most of the tools and functions have not changed much in the past few versions. I also explain the two primary differences between the Mac and PC in Adobe Illustrator and how to customize or reset the toolbar.

Download the support files in the additional resources link of this lesson in the upper right corner.

This printable PDF handout includes common Illustrator keyboard shortcuts.

In this lesson, you will learn how to use and customize panels and workspaces in Illustrator.

In this lesson you will learn how to zoom and navigate around Illustrator documents. Different tools and keyboard shortcuts are covered.

In this lesson, you will learn how to create custom documents in Illustrator. Options and settings to consider when creating new documents in Illustrator are included.

In this lesson, you will learn how to work with multiple documents in Illustrator, including various ways to move and arrange documents in Illustrator.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to add, remove, adjust, and lock guides. You'll also learn about using grids and snapping shapes to the grid. You'll learn the purpose of smart guides for better alignment in illustrations.

In this lesson, you will learn about paths and points in Illustrator. Anchors, anchor handles, and other parts of vector illustrations are covered.

In this lesson, you will learn how to apply fills and strokes to objects in Illustrator. Various options and styles are included.

In this lesson, you will learn how to use the selection tool, the direct selection tool, the group selection tool, and how to use isolation mode in Illustrator.

In this lesson, you will learn how to use the Pen Tool in Illustrator, including how to draw straight and curved lines and how to reset angles of paths. You will also learn how to add and delete anchor points and use the Anchor Point Tool.

You will learn how to use the Curvature Tool in Adobe Illustrator in this lesson. Keyboard shortcuts and tool options are included. The Curvature Tool is similar to the Pen Tool in Illustrator, but a little different. I explain how they differ and how they are similar in this lesson and when to use the Curvature Tool.

You will learn how to use the Line Tools effectively in Adobe Illustrator in this lesson. Lines can be customized and adjusted. You will also learn how to use the Arc Tool and the Spiral Tool, as well as the Rectangular Grid Tool and the Polar Grid Tool.

In this lesson, you will learn how to use the various shape tools in Adobe Illustrator, including the Rectangle Tool, the Rounded Rectangle Tool, the Ellipse Tool, the Polygon Tool and the Star Tool. You will also be able to customize rounded corners in rectangles and use the Polygon Tool and Star Tool to create more shapes than just the default shapes. For example, you can create a triangle and a diamond shape or a star burst shape used often in advertisements. Shapes can also be stylized and the fill and stroke can be changed.

In this lesson, you will learn how to use the Paintbrush Tool and the Blob Brush Tool in Adobe Illustrator, including keyboard shortcuts and best practices. You will learn how to customize and adjust paths after they are drawn with these tools and when each one would be used. Using these tools we can add to currently selected objects or create new ones. It is also easy to adjust the options for the Paintbrush Tool and Blob Brush Tool.

In this lesson, you will learn how to effectively use the Pencil Tool, the Smooth Tool, the Path Eraser Tool, and the Join Tool in Adobe Illustrator. Differences between the Pencil Tool and the Paintbrush Tool are explained. You will also learn how to update options in some of the tools.

In this activity, you'll practice tracing and stylizing a city landscape with Illustrator.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use the Type Tools, including the Type Tool, the Area Type Tool, the Vertical Type Tool, the Vertical Area Type Tool, and the Touch Type Tool. Various ways to resize and adjust text are included, including changing the size and style of text.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to create type on a path in Illustrator and how to adjust the type, including placement and orientation, once it's typed in. Use this method to create type in a circular pattern or on a custom path created with the Pen Tool.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to modify character and paragraph settings of text in Illustrator, including font size, style, alignment, and more.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to outline text and then add effects to text in Illustrator.

In this activity, you'll create a stylized logo.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use the Magic Wand Tool and Lasso Tool in Illustrator in order to select objects.

In this lesson, you will learn how to use the Eraser Tool, Scissors Tool, and the Knife Tool in Adobe Illustrator, to create new shapes or adjust and modify shapes and paths.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use the Rotate Tool and Reflect Tool in Illustrator.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use the Scale Tool in Illustrator. You'll also learn how to use the Shear Tool and the Reshape Tool in Illustrator.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use the Width Tool, Warp Tool, Twirl Tool, Pucker Tool, Bloat Tool, Scallop Tool, Crystallize Tool, and Wrinkle Tool in Illustrator. You'll also learn how to customize the options in the tools such as size, angle, and more.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use the Free Transform Tool in Illustrator.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to apply and adjust a gradient in Illustrator.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use the Eyedropper Tool to copy attributes such as fill and stroke from one object to another. Using a keyboard shortcut to apply multiple changes is also included.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use the Blend Tool and how it can be used to create custom color schemes as well.

In this activity, you'll practice creating vector art in Illustrator by using the Width Tools, the Rotate Tool, the Eraser Tool, and applying gradients.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use the Appearance Panel to toggle and adjust effects and styles of various objects in Illustrator.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to stylize shapes, including adding drop shadows, round corners, the scribble effect, and more. You'll also continue to use the Appearance Panel to adjust these effects.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use the Envelope Distort effect by creating a new look using a top object and some text. Warp effects are also included.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use the Transform Each command in Illustrator in order to create unique patterns.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use the Pathfinder Tool in Illustrator, in order to combine and customize shapes. For example, Unite, Intersect, Merge, Outline, and other custom effects can be used to modify shapes in Illustrator.

In this activity, you'll practice creating warped text and a radial pattern in Illustrator.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to save, export, and package files in Illustrator, including reasons for using the various functions. File types described include the default AI format as well as EPS, GIF, JPG, PNG, PDF, and more. When you package files it's to include placed images that are linked in an Illustrator file as well as to include fonts. Otherwise, the type should be outlined in case the printer or other person doesn't have the same fonts that you have.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to print in Illustrator, either to PDF or a regular printer. Settings such as fitting to page and orientation are included.

In this lesson, you will learn from the first step in my logo design process in Adobe Illustrator. I use some scans of logo sketches and then create some designs in Illustrator and brainstorm along the way.

In this lesson, you will learn how to sketch a monogram logo in Illustrator. I continue my design of a client logo.

In this lesson, I add color to the logo designs for my client. You will learn about what types of color modes are available in Illustrator and why we want to use specific color modes for specific uses. You will learn about RGB, CMYK or process colors, as well as Pantone or spot colors.

In this lesson, I show various logo designs I created in Illustrator for my client and how I finalized some designs to send to the client.

In this lesson, you will learn what raster version (PNG, JPG, PSD), vector version (AI, EPS), and other files (such as a PDF copy) to send to the client.

This is a sample invoice for a logo design, so you can learn from this example to write and use a logo design invoice for a client.

You will learn how to find logo design clients, including reaching out and networking and getting discovered with a logo design portfolio.

You will learn the differences between and pros and cons of traditional clients and third-party clients in logo design.

You will learn how to use logo contests to build your logo design portfolio.

You will learn an overview of these bonus logo design techniques in Illustrator.

You will learn about using negative space in logo design effectively in Illustrator. By looking at case studies of negative space in logo designs, we then use some techniques for negative space in logo design in Adobe Illustrator.

You will learn how to use custom shapes in Adobe Photoshop to use as vector shapes in Adobe Illustrator. You can then customize the shapes for specific logo designs.

You will learn how to create freeform shapes in Adobe Illustrator to create symbols in logo designs.

You will learn how to draw over a photo to design a logo in Adobe Illustrator. By using layers and the Pen tool, we can create an effective and stylized logo from a photo.

You will learn how to create a custom brush to use in a logo design in Adobe Illustrator.

You will learn how to use the Shape Builder and Live Paint Bucket tools for logo designs in Adobe Illustrator.