Concept

The concept is the underlying idea or story behind a logo design. A strong logo concept is what elevates a design from a merely attractive arrangement of shapes and type to something with genuine meaning and resonance. The concept might draw on the brand's heritage, its product or service, its values, its founder's story, or the needs and aspirations of its audience. It might involve visual wordplay, a hidden symbol within a letterform, a metaphor expressed through shape, or the use of negative space to suggest a secondary meaning. The best logo concepts are those that reveal their intelligence gradually — a viewer might appreciate the logo aesthetically on first encounter, then notice the clever concept, deepening their appreciation and making the logo more memorable. Communicating the concept clearly to the client during presentation is important; designers who explain the thinking behind their work give clients a framework for evaluation that goes beyond subjective taste.