The Feedback Problem
Every designer has experienced it. Every client has done it. The logo concept arrives and the response is some version of: "I don't know... it's not what I had in mind. Can you try something different?"
That feedback costs you a revision. And it gives the designer almost nothing to work with. They will try "something different" — but without knowing what specifically was wrong, they are guessing. The next version might be even further from what you want.
Good feedback is a skill. It is also the single biggest factor in whether your logo project ends in one round of revisions or five. Here is how to do it right.
The Feedback Formula
Every piece of design feedback should answer four questions:
What is working? Tell your designer what you like. This is just as important as saying what you do not like. If you love the icon but hate the font, say that. Otherwise the designer might change the icon too.
What is not working? Be specific. "I don't like it" is not feedback. "The font feels too playful for a financial services brand" is feedback. "The colors feel dated compared to our competitors" is feedback.
Why? Explain the reasoning behind your reaction. "The icon feels generic" is good. "The icon feels generic because it looks similar to three competitors I see every day" is better. The why helps the designer understand your perspective and make smarter creative decisions.
What direction should they explore? Reference examples. Send links to logos you admire. Share competitor logos and explain what you do or do not like about them. Visual references eliminate ambiguity in ways words cannot.
Common Feedback Mistakes
"Make the logo bigger"
This is the most cliché client request in design — and it is almost always a symptom of a different problem. If you feel the logo needs to be bigger, ask yourself why. Is it because the logo lacks visual weight? Because the surrounding design elements are competing for attention? A good designer will address the root cause, not just scale up the logo.
"Can you make it pop more?"
Pop is not a design term. It means different things to different people. Instead, try: "The logo feels flat — could we try bolder colors?" or "The logo gets lost against the background — can we increase contrast?" Specificity is everything.
"My spouse/friend/neighbor doesn't like it"
Design by committee is how good logos become mediocre ones. Everyone has opinions about logos. Most of those opinions are personal preferences, not strategic assessments. Your designer is making decisions based on your brand, your audience, and your market. Your neighbor is reacting based on whether they personally find it attractive.
If you want outside opinions, ask specific questions: "Does this logo feel trustworthy?" "Does this look like a company you would buy from?" These questions generate useful data. "Do you like it?" does not.
Designing by description
"I want a lion holding a shield with a crown on top and our company name in an elegant script font." This is not a brief. This is a completed design described in words. If you prescribe every detail, you remove the designer's ability to do their job — which is to translate your brand into a visual that works.
Instead, describe the feeling you want: "We want to feel established, trustworthy, and authoritative — like a company that has been around for decades." Let the designer figure out the visual execution.
The Best Framework for Revision Requests
When you receive a logo concept and need revisions, structure your feedback like this:
Keep: List everything you want to stay the same. "Keep the icon style, the overall layout, and the color palette."
Change: List specific changes with reasoning. "Change the font to something more modern — the current serif feels too traditional for a tech startup."
Explore: Suggest directions for the designer to try. "Explore a version with the icon above the text instead of beside it. I think a stacked layout might work better for our social media profiles."
This framework gives the designer a clear map. They know what to protect, what to change, and where they have creative freedom. The result: faster revisions, fewer rounds, and a final logo that actually matches your vision.
How to Evaluate a Logo Objectively
Before giving feedback, run the concept through these five tests:
The squint test. Squint at the logo until it blurs. Can you still make out the general shape? If yes, the logo has strong visual structure.
The thumbnail test. Shrink the logo to the size of a social media profile picture (about 40x40 pixels). Is it still recognizable? Logos that fail at small sizes need simplification.
The black-and-white test. Remove all color. Does the logo still work? If it relies entirely on color to be effective, the underlying form is weak.
The memory test. Look at the logo for 5 seconds, then look away. Can you describe it from memory? Memorable logos have one strong idea, not five competing elements.
The context test. Imagine the logo on your website header, a business card, a social media post, and a T-shirt. Does it work in all four contexts?
Setting Yourself Up for Success
The best logo feedback starts before the project begins — with a clear brief. The more your designer knows about your brand, audience, competitors, and preferences upfront, the closer the first concept will be to your vision.
At Logomint, every project starts with a structured brand questionnaire that captures exactly this information. It is designed to give your designer everything they need before pencil hits paper — so the revision process is about refinement, not starting over.
Good feedback turns a good logo into a great one. The formula is simple: be specific, be strategic, and trust the process.
