A step‑by‑step process for creating responsive logo designs

What is a responsive logo

There are several good articles on the Internet about what responsive logos are and why they are needed. In this article, I will not go deep into history and consider various examples in detail, but I will tell you how we do it at the Unfold agency. To do this, I will take our real client case and walk through all the stages step by step.

If you’re not familiar with the concept of a responsive logo, here’s a brief description:

A responsive logo is a logo with design elements that differ slightly depending on the device or screen size on which they are displayed.

A responsive logo is a logo with design elements that differ slightly depending on the device or screen size on which they are displayed, without compromising the brand identity. Design elements considered may include icons or symbols, company names and slogans, colors, backgrounds, outlines, and other details.

Let’s now move on to the project where I will show how we developed a responsive logo.

Logo for new generation testing tool

Some time ago, we were approached by the guys from Testmo, who created a next generation test management tool to help teams create high-quality software. The founder of Testmo explained that “software is getting super complex; users demand flawless apps. We help teams get there”.

We did complex branding for Testmo. As always, we did deep research, developed Archetype, defined Voice & Tone, and more. In this article, I will not examine the stages of working on branding, but will only focus on the nuances of creating a responsive logo.

So, after a direction has been agreed with the client, we started developing the logo.

Since I was directly working on this project, I plunged headlong into the study of images and symbols associated with testing software and related areas. In the course of my research, I came across an article called “Hexagonal Architecture for Testers” and decided to make some sketches with a hexagon to develop a logomark. This idea turned out to be quite successful, so as a result of its refinement, the following concept was obtained.

Before presenting this concept to a client, we first need to think carefully and test everything to make sure that the logo will work in different conditions.

Mono Color Version

Firstly, we do a mono color version of the logo, because if the logo does not work in black and white, then either it is not a logo or it requires a certain degree of stylization. For example, on Dribble, you can see a lot of beautiful pictures titled as logo. However, a logo is not a beautiful picture or illustration, but a sign that should work in a variety of conditions.

Besides, sometimes, often due to production costs, only one color of ink is available and so the Logo must be reproduced using only one color. In this scenario, the logo, logotype, or symbol must be used following the convention of using a light color type on a dark background or in a dark color type on a light background.

Also at this stage we select the text part for the symbol. We select suitable fonts, test them and, if necessary, modify them for the logotype and the logo mark to look as one whole.

Full color version

If the mono color version works well, then we start developing the full color version. Most often it is the horizontal basic version. The horizontal version is mainly used on the website, for creating business cards, advertising on billboards, advertising and sponsorship products.

The main challenge here is to find the right color combination for the logo to work on light and dark backgrounds. Colors from a selected palette are mainly used for backgrounds. I must say, this is not always a simple task, as sometimes the logo is perfectly readable on white and light backgrounds, but not so on dark ones. And vice versa. When this task is solved, you can move on with a clear conscience.

Small size version

When it comes to logo design, in Unfold we adhere to the following rule: “less is more.” In other words, making a logo simple, memorable, and at the same time unique is quite difficult, but as a result, such a logo will not lose its relevance even after several decades! However, even simple characters in small scale sometimes lose their readability. Therefore, we make an additional version of the logo mark for use in especially small sizes.

We do detailed tests and define the scale for scaling the logo. Most often, we do not recommend using the main version of the logo in less than 24 px, but to use an additional one for this. However, everything here will depend on how many details the logo contains.

When creating a small version of the logo, we basically remove the details without sacrificing the overall concept. For example, we delete lines and shapes, or get rid of unnecessary colors.

Greyscale version

If more than one color is used in the logomark, we make a grayscale version. Firstly, this is necessary when, due to some restrictions, only shades of certain inks are available. Secondly, in order to not reduce the logo to a mono color version when it is necessary to place it on a colored background.

Below, I have placed together 4 versions of the logo that cover most of the application aspects.

Vertical version

After we have completely worked out the horizontal version of the logo (all the steps outlined above), we now create a vertical version, the so-called stacked version.

The vertical version is used for square and vertical layout formats. For example, for printing typographic products, t-shirts, mugs, for instant messengers, social networks, signboards.

I wrote a detailed article on how to keep a good balance in building a vertical version, in which you will find many examples and a ton of useful information.

Other Versions

Testmo is a typical project in which I showed how we make a responsive logo. We also create other versions depending on the project. For example, a full version of the logo with a description at the bottom, or a round version, etc. It all depends mainly on the style of the logo, the scope of its application, as well as the wishes of the client.

This article was originally published on Dribbble