A logo for software has a hard job. It has to feel trustworthy, stay legible at favicon size and still be recognisably yours on a website, an invoice and a social profile. For ContractOven, an AI-powered platform for building, reviewing and signing agreements, we followed the same process we use on every identity project.
1. Sketch widely, on paper
We start with pencil, not software. The goal is quantity: dozens of rough marks exploring different ideas, metaphors and letterforms. Nothing is judged yet. Paper keeps us from polishing too early.
2. Narrow to a few concepts
From the sketches we choose a small set of genuinely different directions and develop each into a proper vector concept. Each concept comes with a short explanation of the idea behind it, so feedback is about meaning as well as appearance.
3. Feedback loops
The client reacts, we react to that, and the design improves with each round. The most useful feedback is specific: "too playful for a legal audience" is worth more than "I don't like it". We ask questions to find the real reason behind a preference.
4. Refine one direction
Once a concept is chosen we refine proportions, spacing, colour and how it behaves at small sizes. We test it in light and dark contexts and in single-colour versions.
5. Mock it up
Finally we place the mark in real contexts: the product interface, a browser tab, a document header, social avatars. Seeing the logo at work is the quickest way to spot problems and to build confidence in the choice.
What we took from it
The point of the process is that the client is never surprised. They see the thinking, steer it, and end with a mark they can explain to their own customers. If you are launching a product and need a brand to match, get in touch.