Logos & Brand Visuals prompts

Write a logo design brief.

THE BUSINESS: [WHAT IT DOES]
WHO IT SERVES: [CUSTOMERS]
WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT: [POSITIONING]
WHERE THE LOGO APPEARS: [website, signage, packaging, app icon, print, embroidery, vehicle]
SMALLEST SIZE IT MUST WORK AT: [e.g. 16px favicon, embroidered on a shirt]
EXISTING BRAND ELEMENTS: [colours, typefaces, anything fixed]
WHAT I LIKE AND DISLIKE: [ANY DIRECTION]
WHO WILL EXECUTE IT: [designer / me / AI-assisted]

Produce:

1. WHAT THIS LOGO MUST DO - the practical requirements before any aesthetic ones. A logo is an identifier that must work everywhere, not an illustration.

2. THE CONSTRAINTS TABLE - every use I listed, with what it demands: minimum size, whether it needs a horizontal and a stacked version, single-colour version, reversed on dark, and whether fine detail survives. The smallest and the most constrained use should drive the design.

3. THE TYPE DECISION - wordmark, lettermark, symbol plus wordmark, or symbol alone. For a new business, a symbol alone rarely works because nobody recognises it yet. Recommend one and say why.

4. THE ATTRIBUTES - three or four words describing what it should communicate, each with a visual translation: what would make a mark feel that way in form, weight, geometry and colour. 'Trustworthy' is not a design instruction; 'stable, horizontally balanced, low contrast' is.

5. WHAT TO AVOID - the visual clichés in this sector. Name them specifically, because whoever designs this will produce them by default.

6. THE COLOUR BRIEF - it must work in one colour first. Colour comes after the form works in black on white. State the primary colour direction and why, and confirm the single-colour requirement.

7. THE COMPETITIVE CHECK - what competitors' marks look like, and the risk of resembling them. Distinctiveness at a glance matters more than beauty.

8. THE DELIVERABLES LIST - the file formats and variants actually needed: vector master, horizontal, stacked, icon-only, single colour, reversed, and the raster exports at specific sizes. Missing these is the most common gap in a logo handover.

9. THE TEST CRITERIA - how to judge the result: does it work at 16 pixels, in one colour, embroidered, and is it distinguishable from competitors at a glance?

10. THE AI CAVEAT - if generating this, note that image models produce raster images with imprecise geometry and mangled text, which is not a usable logo. Generated output can inform direction; the final mark needs to be drawn in vector.

Help me explore logo directions with image generation.

THE BUSINESS: [WHAT IT DOES]
THE ATTRIBUTES I WANT: [THREE OR FOUR WORDS]
WHAT IT MUST NOT LOOK LIKE: [CLICHÉS AND COMPETITORS TO AVOID]
SYMBOL IDEAS I HAVE: [ANY CONCEPTS, or 'none']
MODEL: [WHICH]

Start with the honest framing: image models cannot produce a usable logo. They generate raster images with inconsistent geometry, wobbly curves and unusable text. What they can do is help you see directions quickly. Treat the output as mood and concept exploration, and expect the final mark to be drawn properly in vector.

Produce:

1. THE CONCEPT LIST - ten symbol or mark ideas derived from what the business does, not from generic sector imagery. For each: the concept, what it communicates, and its risk (too literal, too abstract, too common, hard to render simply).

2. THE PROMPTS - for the strongest five concepts, prompts written for logo exploration:
   - Ask for a simple vector-style mark, flat, single colour, black on white
   - Ask for geometric simplicity and few elements
   - Specify no text, since models render it badly
   - Specify no gradients, no shadows, no 3D, no photorealism
   - Ask for the mark centred on plain white

3. WHAT TO IGNORE in the output - the text, the exact proportions, the fine geometry, and the colour. None of it will be accurate.

4. WHAT TO LOOK FOR - the underlying idea, the silhouette, whether the concept reads at a glance, and whether it feels right. Judge it squinting and small.

5. THE SQUINT TEST - view every generated option at thumbnail size. Anything that becomes a blob is not a logo direction regardless of how it looks large.

6. THE CLICHÉ CHECK - the generated results will include the sector clichés I asked to avoid, because they dominate the training data. Identify them and discard them.

7. THE NEXT STEP - taking a direction into vector. Whether that means hiring a designer, or drawing it yourself, and what to give them: the concept, the reference images as direction only, and the brief.

8. THE ORIGINALITY CHECK - a generated mark may resemble an existing logo closely. Before pursuing any direction, search for similar marks. State plainly that this is necessary and that a trademark search is a professional task.

Do not present generated output as a finished logo.

Critique this logo.

DESCRIBE THE LOGO: [FORM, COLOURS, TYPE, WHAT THE SYMBOL IS]
THE BUSINESS: [WHAT IT DOES AND WHO FOR]
WHERE IT WILL BE USED: [ALL THE PLACES]
COMPETITORS' LOGOS: [DESCRIBE THEM, if known]
WHO MADE IT: [designer / me / generated]
WHAT I AM UNSURE ABOUT: [YOUR CONCERN]

Assess against practical criteria, not taste:

1. THE SMALL SIZE TEST - will it survive at 16 pixels, on a phone app icon, and on a browser tab? Identify which elements disappear. Detail that vanishes at small size is detail that is costing you nothing but complexity.

2. THE SINGLE COLOUR TEST - does it work in solid black, and reversed in white on dark? A logo dependent on colour to be legible will fail on invoices, embroidery, engraving, fax-quality print and single-colour signage.

3. THE DISTINCTIVENESS TEST - against the competitors described. Would someone glancing at it confuse it with another? Distinctiveness beats attractiveness for a logo, and sector clichés fail this badly.

4. THE MEMORABILITY TEST - could someone describe it after seeing it once? Could they sketch it roughly?

5. THE LEGIBILITY - if there is text, does it read clearly at all sizes, and is the typeface distinctive without being difficult?

6. THE PRODUCTION CONSTRAINTS - for each of my stated uses: embroidery cannot render fine lines, engraving needs solid shapes, screen printing has limits on colour count, and vehicle wraps need to read at distance. Flag any use where this mark will be a problem.

7. THE CROP AND SCALE - does the symbol work alone, separated from the text? Can it be the app icon and the social avatar?

8. THE DATING RISK - elements that mark it as a specific period: gradients, particular effects, a typeface currently in fashion. A logo should last a decade.

9. THE ACCIDENTAL READING - any unfortunate shape, negative space, or resemblance to something else. Look at the negative space specifically; it is where these hide.

10. THE HONEST VERDICT - works / needs specific changes / start again. With reasoning, and separating what is a real problem from what is my preference.

Be specific about problems rather than offering general impressions.

Help me define a basic brand identity.

THE BUSINESS: [WHAT IT DOES AND WHO FOR]
THE LOGO: [DESCRIBE IT, or 'not done yet']
WHERE THE BRAND APPEARS: [website, documents, social, packaging, signage]
POSITIONING: [premium / accessible / technical / friendly / other]
WHO WILL APPLY THIS: [ME / A TEAM / EXTERNAL SUPPLIERS]
BUDGET AND SKILL: [WHAT IS REALISTIC]

Keep it minimal. A large brand guidelines document that nobody follows is worse than a one-page system that everybody does.

Produce:

1. THE COLOUR SYSTEM - the smallest workable set:
   - One primary colour, with its hex, and where it is used
   - One accent for calls to action, used sparingly
   - A neutral scale: text colour, secondary text, borders, background, raised surfaces
   - A dark mode equivalent if anything appears on screen
   For each: the exact value and the rule for when to use it. Check text and background combinations meet contrast requirements and say which pairs are safe.

2. THE TYPE SYSTEM - two typefaces maximum, and one is often enough. For each: where it is used, and the size and weight scale. Specify a system fallback, because web fonts fail and documents get opened on machines without your font.

3. THE SPACING SCALE - a simple numeric scale used consistently. Consistent spacing does more for a coherent look than any other single decision, and it is free.

4. THE PHOTOGRAPHY OR IMAGERY RULE - what images should look like: subject treatment, colour, lighting, and level of realism. If there is no budget for photography, say what to do instead.

5. THE LOGO USAGE RULES - clear space around it, minimum size, what not to do (stretching, recolouring, adding effects, placing on a busy background), and which variant to use where.

6. THE VOICE IN ONE LINE - how the brand writes, condensed to something people will remember.

7. THE ONE-PAGE REFERENCE - everything above on a single page. This is the deliverable; the rest is explanation.

8. THE APPLICATION EXAMPLES - how this looks applied to the three most common things I will make: a document, a social post, and a web page.

9. WHAT NOT TO SPECIFY - the things a small business does not need rules for, and should not spend time on.

10. THE CONSISTENCY MECHANISM - templates, saved styles, or a shared file, so applying the brand is easier than not applying it. This is what actually produces consistency, rather than a document.

Help me choose brand colours.

THE BUSINESS: [WHAT IT DOES AND WHO FOR]
POSITIONING: [HOW YOU WANT TO BE PERCEIVED]
WHERE COLOUR APPEARS: [screen / print / packaging / signage / all]
COMPETITORS' COLOURS: [WHAT THEY USE]
ANY FIXED COLOURS: [EXISTING ELEMENTS YOU MUST KEEP]
CULTURAL MARKETS: [WHERE YOU OPERATE]

Produce:

1. THE DISTINCTIVENESS CHECK first - if every competitor in my sector uses blue, using blue makes me invisible. Assess the competitive colour landscape and identify the gaps. Being memorably different matters more than being conventionally appropriate.

2. THE PRIMARY COLOUR - two or three options, each with: the hex value, why it suits the positioning, and what it risks. Avoid colour-psychology claims stated as fact; associations are cultural, contextual and weaker than commonly asserted. Where you mention an association, frame it as a convention rather than a law.

3. THE FULL PALETTE for each option:
   - Primary
   - Accent, for actions and emphasis. It should contrast with the primary, not harmonise with it.
   - Neutrals: a scale from near-black to near-white, slightly tinted toward the primary so they feel related
   - Semantic colours: success, warning, error, where the product needs them

4. THE ACCESSIBILITY CHECK - for every text-on-background combination, whether it meets contrast requirements. This is a hard constraint, not a preference. Give the combinations that pass and flag the ones that do not, with adjusted values that do.

5. THE DARK MODE VERSION - if anything appears on screen. A palette designed only for light backgrounds breaks in dark mode; a primary colour that works on white is often too dark on a dark background.

6. THE PRINT CONSIDERATION - if printing, that vivid screen colours are frequently unreproducible in print. Say which of my options carry that risk and what to check with a printer.

7. THE MATERIAL CHECK - colour looks different on a screen, on coated paper, on uncoated paper, on fabric and on plastic. Note where this matters for my stated uses.

8. THE CULTURAL NOTE - for my stated markets, any colour with a strong or unexpected association. Flag it as something to check locally rather than asserting it confidently.

9. THE RESTRAINT RULE - most strong brand palettes use one colour prominently and everything else neutral. A palette of six colours used equally looks unconsidered. State the proportions.

10. THE TEST - view the palette applied to a realistic layout rather than as swatches. Colours that look good together as squares often do not work as an interface.

Help me prepare a complete logo file set.

THE LOGO: [DESCRIBE IT - what variants exist, what format you have it in]
WHAT I HAVE NOW: [FILE FORMATS AND SOURCES]
WHERE IT WILL BE USED: [ALL USES - web, print, social, documents, signage, merchandise]
WHO WILL USE THESE FILES: [ME / TEAM / EXTERNAL SUPPLIERS / PRINTERS]
SOFTWARE AVAILABLE: [WHAT YOU HAVE]

Produce:

1. THE MASTER FILE QUESTION first. If the only version is a raster image (PNG or JPEG), it is not a usable logo master: it cannot be scaled, recoloured or printed at size. If that is my situation, say so plainly and that the mark needs redrawing in vector. Everything below assumes a vector master exists.

2. THE VARIANT LIST - every version needed:
   - Primary, full colour
   - Horizontal and stacked arrangements
   - Symbol or icon alone
   - Single colour: solid black, and solid white for reversing
   - On-dark version, if the full-colour one does not work reversed

3. THE FORMAT MATRIX - a table: Variant | Format | Use | Notes
   Cover: SVG for web, PNG with transparency at several sizes, a vector source file (AI or EPS) for printers, PDF for documents and print, ICO or the platform's icon set for favicons and apps, and a high-resolution flat version for anyone who needs a simple file.

4. THE SIZE EXPORTS - the specific pixel sizes needed: favicon sizes, app icon sizes, social profile dimensions, and email signature width. List them for my stated uses.

5. THE COLOUR SPECIFICATIONS - the exact values in every system a supplier might need: hex for screen, RGB, CMYK for print, and a spot colour reference if anything is printed in spot. Note that a colour will not look identical across these and which is authoritative.

6. THE CLEAR SPACE AND MINIMUM SIZE - defined numerically, in a form a supplier can follow.

7. THE NAMING CONVENTION - consistent, self-describing filenames so nobody has to open files to find the right one.

8. THE FOLDER STRUCTURE - organised by use, with a readme explaining which file to use when. Most logo handovers fail here: the files exist and nobody can tell which to use.

9. THE FONT QUESTION - if the logo contains text, the type must be converted to outlines in the final files so it renders correctly on machines without the font. Confirm this and note that a separate editable version should be kept.

10. THE ARCHIVE - keep the editable source permanently, with the fonts used and a note on how it was constructed.

Help me refresh an existing logo.

THE CURRENT LOGO: [DESCRIBE IT]
HOW OLD: [AGE]
HOW WELL KNOWN IT IS: [nobody knows it / customers recognise it / widely recognised]
WHY I WANT TO CHANGE IT: [looks dated / does not work technically / business has changed / I dislike it]
WHAT IS WORKING ABOUT IT: [ANYTHING WORTH KEEPING]
WHERE IT APPEARS: [INCLUDING ANYTHING PHYSICAL - signage, printed stock, vehicles, products]

Produce:

1. THE HONEST QUESTION FIRST - is a change warranted? The reasons that justify it: it fails technically at required sizes or in required formats, the business has genuinely changed what it does, or it is causing confusion. The reason that usually does not: the owner has grown tired of it. Customers see it far less often than you do, and recognition is an asset you are spending. Say which applies.

2. THE EQUITY AUDIT - what people recognise about the current mark. Usually one or two elements carry almost all the recognition: a shape, a colour, or a distinctive letterform. Identify them, because those are what you keep.

3. THE SPECTRUM - options in order of risk:
   - TIDY: same mark, better executed. Fix proportions, spacing, curves, and produce proper files.
   - REFINE: simplify, drop effects, update the typeface, adjust colour. The mark remains recognisably itself.
   - REDRAW: same core idea, contemporary execution.
   - REPLACE: a new mark. Only warranted when the business has fundamentally changed or the old mark is unusable.
   Recommend one, given how well known it is.

4. WHAT TO FIX REGARDLESS - the technical problems: gradients and effects that fail in single colour, detail that disappears small, a missing icon-only version, and no proper file set. These can usually be fixed without changing the mark's character at all, and often that is the whole job.

5. WHAT DATES IT - the specific elements that mark it as a period piece, and whether removing each costs recognition.

6. THE TRANSITION COST - I listed where it appears. What has to be replaced physically, what it costs, and how long before the old version disappears from circulation. Signage, vehicle livery and printed stock are the expensive ones and are frequently forgotten in the enthusiasm for a new mark.

7. THE ROLLOUT - whether to switch everything at once or replace things as they are renewed. For a small business, gradual is usually right and is far cheaper.

8. THE INTERNAL RISK - people are attached to logos. Say who needs to be brought along and how.

9. THE TEST - the refreshed mark shown beside the old one at small size. If it is not clearly better at the sizes it is actually used, it is not an improvement.