Logo Design Foundations: Idea Generation and Concept Routes

What “Concept Routes” Mean in Logo Ideation

A concept route is a repeatable path from a brand idea to a visual direction. Instead of hunting for “the” perfect idea, you generate many small ideas quickly, then cluster them into a few strong families you can develop into sketches and vectors later. This chapter focuses on producing volume with structure: 20–40 tiny ideas, organized into concept families, then narrowed using criteria.

Set Up: Your Ideation Brief (5 minutes)

Before you start generating, write a compact “ideation brief” so your ideas stay on-brand without redoing earlier strategy work.

• Brand attributes (3–5 words): e.g., “precise, friendly, modern, dependable”
• Audience feeling: what should a person feel in 2 seconds? e.g., “calm confidence”
• Category cues to consider/avoid: e.g., “avoid generic leaf/rocket icons”
• Practical constraints: must work at 16px, one-color version required, etc.

Keep this visible while you run timed exercises.

Timed Ideation Methods (Generate 20–40 Tiny Ideas)

Use the methods below as separate sprints. The goal is not polished sketches; it’s tiny ideas: a 3–8 word description or a thumbnail scribble. Aim for at least 20, ideally 30–40.

Method 1: Mind Mapping Sprint (10 minutes)

Mind mapping helps you expand outward from the brand’s core meaning into related nouns, verbs, environments, tools, and outcomes.

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Steps

• Write the brand name (or category) in the center.
• Create 6 branches: Benefits, Audience, Process, Values, Objects, Opposites.
• For each branch, add 5–8 words quickly (no judging).
• Circle 6–10 words that feel visual (objects, actions, textures, shapes).
• Convert circled words into tiny logo ideas (one per word).

Timed prompt: Set a timer for 10 minutes. You must produce 12 tiny ideas from your map.

Example conversions

• Word: “calibrate” → Idea: “needle aligning to center mark”
• Word: “shield” → Idea: “soft shield made from two rounded brackets”
• Word: “bridge” → Idea: “two pillars connected by a single arc”

Method 2: Word Pairing (8 minutes)

Word pairing forces unexpected combinations that can lead to unique marks. You pair a brand attribute with a concrete object/action and see what visual hybrids emerge.

Steps

• Make two columns: Attributes (from your brief) and Concrete nouns/verbs (tools, animals, materials, motions).
• Randomly pair one from each column (point with your pen, roll a die, or alternate down the list).
• For each pair, write a tiny idea that merges them visually.

Timed prompt: 8 minutes, produce 10 pairings and 10 tiny ideas.

Constraint tip: Write “one silhouette” or “two strokes max” above your page to keep ideas logo-like rather than illustrative.

Method 3: Metaphor Lists (12 minutes)

Metaphors help you express abstract attributes (trust, speed, clarity) through concrete visuals. The key is to generate many metaphors first, then select the ones that can become simple shapes.

Steps

• Pick 3 attributes from your brief.
• For each attribute, list 8 metaphors (objects or scenes) that represent it.
• Mark the metaphors that can be simplified into basic geometry (circle, triangle, square, line, arc).
• Turn the best 6–10 into tiny logo ideas.

Timed prompt: 12 minutes total. Produce 24 metaphors (8 per attribute) and convert at least 8 into tiny ideas.

Metaphor examples

• Clarity: lens, window, spotlight, clean horizon, open book, prism, water surface, white space
• Speed: arrow, cheetah, wind lines, comet, streamlined fin, slingshot, downhill slope, fast-forward icon
• Safety: lock, shield, seatbelt, nest, helmet, checkpoint, umbrella, safe deposit box

Translation rule: If you can’t describe the metaphor as two or three shapes, it’s likely too complex for a primary mark.

Method 4: Attribute-to-Form Translation (10 minutes)

This method converts brand attributes directly into formal design decisions (shape language, geometry, weight, symmetry). It’s especially useful when you want a mark that feels “right” without relying on literal icons.

Steps

• Create a table with attributes in the left column.
• For each attribute, choose form cues: shape, line quality, proportion, symmetry, negative space.
• Combine 2–3 cues into a tiny idea (e.g., “rounded square + centered dot + thick stroke”).

Timed prompt: 10 minutes. Produce 10 form recipes and 10 tiny ideas.

Concept Route Matrix: Attributes × Symbols × Actions × Shapes

This matrix is a structured generator. You intersect what the brand stands for (attributes) with what it could show (symbols), what it could do (actions), and how it could be built (shapes). Each intersection becomes a concept route you can sketch as a direction.

Step-by-step: Build and Use the Matrix (15 minutes)

• Step 1: Choose 4 brand attributes (rows).
• Step 2: Choose 6–8 candidate symbols (column set A). Keep them category-relevant but not cliché.
• Step 3: Choose 6 actions (column set B): connect, protect, guide, grow, simplify, accelerate, balance, reveal.
• Step 4: Choose 6 shape systems (column set C): circle, triangle, square, hexagon, monoline stroke, modular grid, negative-space cut, ribbon.
• Step 5: Roll through combinations: pick 1 attribute + 1 symbol + 1 action + 1 shape system and write a tiny idea.
• Step 6: Repeat until you have 12–16 matrix ideas.

Matrix Template (fill with your own words)

Worked Example (format only; replace with your brand)

Rule: Each concept route must be drawable as a thumbnail in under 60 seconds. If it takes longer to explain than to draw, simplify the route.

Production Target: 20–40 Tiny Ideas (and How to Count Them)

To ensure you generate enough variety, count ideas by distinct visual premise, not by minor variations (like “same icon, different corner radius”).

• Minimum: 20 tiny ideas
• Recommended: 30–40 tiny ideas
• Distribution suggestion: 12 from mind map + 10 from word pairing + 8 from metaphors + 10 from attribute-to-form (some may overlap; keep the best 30–40)

Format for each tiny idea (fast and consistent):

• Label: A01, A02, A03…
• One-line description: “Interlocking arcs form a bridge-like initial.”
• Optional note: “Works as icon-only; could pair with wordmark.”

Group Tiny Ideas into Concept Families (20 minutes)

Concept families are clusters of ideas that share the same underlying route. Grouping prevents you from choosing between 30 scattered options and helps you develop 3–6 coherent directions.

Step-by-step: Clustering

• Step 1: Lay out all tiny ideas (paper thumbnails or a digital board).
• Step 2: Group by primary metaphor (e.g., “bridge,” “beacon,” “knot,” “container”).
• Step 3: Within each group, sub-group by form language (monoline vs solid, geometric vs organic, symmetrical vs asymmetrical).
• Step 4: Name each family with a short route title: “Guiding Beacon,” “Connected Knot,” “Stable Container,” “Precision Grid.”
• Step 5: For each family, pick the top 2–3 representatives (the clearest, simplest thumbnails).

Target output: 3–6 concept families, each with 2–3 best candidates (about 10–15 thumbnails total).

Family Health Check

• Does the family have range? (At least 3 distinct thumbnails that still feel related.)
• Is the route flexible? (Could it work as icon-only, badge, or app mark?)
• Is it ownable? (Does it avoid default category symbols?)

Criteria-Based Selection (Narrow to 2–3 Directions)

Now you select which concept families deserve refinement. Use a simple scoring pass to reduce bias and avoid falling in love with the first “cool” sketch.

Selection Criteria

• Concept fit: Does the idea clearly express the intended attributes and audience feeling?
• Uniqueness: Does it avoid common, easily confused motifs in the category?
• Simplicity: Can it be drawn from memory, described in one sentence, and reduced to few shapes?
• Scalable execution potential: Will it hold up at small sizes, in one color, and across contexts?

Scoring Table (use 1–5)

Decision rule: Advance the top 2–3 families to refinement if they score well on simplicity and scalability (these are hardest to fix later). If an idea is unique but complex, rewrite the route using fewer parts rather than forcing detail.

Quick Rewrite Prompts (when a concept is close but not there)

• Make it simpler: “What is the minimum shape set that still communicates the route?”
• Make it more ownable: “What unexpected twist can be added via negative space or geometry?”
• Make it more scalable: “Can the idea survive at 16px with no interior detail?”
• Make it clearer: “Can the action be shown with one gesture (tilt, cut, overlap, enclosure)?”