Jacob Cass, a designer from Australia, has some useful steps for designing a logo. I completely agree with him, the steps are the same ones I use.

Here is a short version, but for the full article and examples visit Just Creative Design.

Steps for creating a logo that works:

1. Learn what a logo is and what it represents – logos exist in order to represent a non visual contraption. For example a company is not visible (their offices are), nor is the name of a product. You have the product being represented by itself because it is an object, but its name – it needs to be represented by a logo.
2. Learn the rules and principles of logo design – the logo must show what it represents clearly, it must work weather it is in color or black and white, it must be easy to remember & the logo must be recognizable at 1 inch in size.
3. Learn off others past mistakes – in other words, just look around you. You will see great logos to follow and “ugly” logos that you should learn from in order not to do the same mistakes.
4. Establish your own design process – most designers would stay in these steps in order to make a great logo and satisfy the needs of the customer.
   1. Meet with the client – learn their needs and business
   2. Research & Brainstorming – you MUST search for other logos in the customer’s industry and dissect them, understand them and know what makes them work or what makes them fail.
   3. Sketching - sure, many designers jump this step and go straight into the computer to design the logo. But computers limit you and if you get used to be limited, then creativity can be compromised. Don’t do what the computer limits you to; make the computer work for what you want to achieve.
   4. Prototyping & Conceptualizing – actually create the logo in the computer and do as many revisions as possible until you are comfortable to present it to a client.
   5. Send To Client For Review - moment of truth, be open to any and all criticism.
      
   6. Revise & Add Finishing Touches – take the customer’s feedback and convert it into the process with which you refine the logo. Be careful here, clients rule – but they might not know what is required from a logo. If you know that what they are asking is wrong, speak up!
   7. Supply Files To Client and Give Customer Service – always have your logos sent to the client on a CD or a file. They will be using the logos later on so the presentation you give to your designs is just as important as the designs themselves.