Watch a Designer Who Really Knows What He's Doing Create a Logo From Scratch

If you've ever wondered how logos get made, who makes them, and where the people making them draw their inspiration—here's a great little glimpse into that world.

Aaron Draplin, a freelance designer in Portland, Ore., accepted a logo design challenge from Lynda.com to create a mark for slab concrete company and made this short tutorial. Draplin, a bearded, burly 40-year-old veteran design dude with a canon of really diverse work, makes it look easy. But his ease and demeanor are the result of years of experience.

In the video below, we get a rare glimpse into the process of the artist—from concept to execution, through sketching to prototyping and every iteration in between. It's truly fascinating to watch him sketch out his ideas in his Field Notes notepad all while calmly but emphatically waxing philosophical about design and his career.

A note to clients who see this and think they'll get a new logo in 15 minutes: In a word, no.

UPDATE: And if you're into this, check out more videos with Draplin.

Most logos aren't designed in fifteen minutes, but most designers aren't Aaron Draplin. Aaron's a Portland fixture by way of the Midwest, the owner of Draplin Design Co., and an advocate of "blue collar" design: design that works. Here he takes our logo design challenge, creating a dozen iterations of a logo for a fictional construction company. Not inspired? Just wait. Watch as he sketches, brings his ideas into Illustrator, and tests and tunes the different iterations. The logos Aaron creates prove design can elevate any company or brand. Along the way, he provides tips for freelancing, finding inspiration, and providing clients context for logos that won't just live in PDFs.