Table of Contents
Quick Answer
Create a production-ready logo in 20 minutes using Looka for speed, Brandmark for brand kits, or Midjourney + Illustrator for custom work.
- Looka = fastest but generic
- Midjourney = creative but needs vectorizing
- Human designer still wins for $10k+ brand investment
What You'll Need
- Business name + tagline
- Color + style preferences
- Looka ($20-96) OR Brandmark ($25-65) OR Midjourney ($10/mo) + Illustrator
- Vectorizer.ai for MJ → SVG conversion
- A brief or moodboard
Step 1: Write a Brand Brief
Before any tool: answer these 5 questions.
- Business: what do you do in one sentence?
- Audience: who buys from you?
- Tone: playful / premium / technical / warm?
- Competitors: 5 logos you like, 5 you hate?
- Forbidden: what MUST the logo avoid?
Step 2: Option A — Looka (Fastest, Generic)
Go to looka.com → enter brand name → pick industry → select 5 liked logos → get 100+ auto-generated options. Cost: $20 for logo only, $96 for full brand kit.
Best for: quick MVP, side hustles, limited budget.
Step 3: Option B — Brandmark (Brand Kit Included)
Go to brandmark.io → enter brand + keywords → select color palette style → receive 50+ options with matching fonts + colors + card mockups. $25 basic, $65 with brand guidelines PDF.
Best for: solopreneurs wanting a complete mini-brand system.
Step 4: Option C — Midjourney + Illustrator (Custom)
Prompt Midjourney: "minimalist vector logo for [brand name], a [industry] company. Simple geometric shapes, two colors max, clean, scalable, flat design, white background --v 7 --style raw"
Generate 10-20 → pick 2 → use Vectorizer.ai to convert PNG to SVG → refine in Illustrator.
Best for: founders with taste who want unique.
Step 5: Test the Logo at 5 Sizes
Export at: 16x16 (favicon), 32x32, 256x256, 1024x1024, 4000x4000. If it's illegible at 32x32, it's too detailed. Simplify.
Step 6: Test on Real Contexts
Mock it on: business card (Canva template), website header, T-shirt, app icon. If it breaks at any, iterate.
Step 7: Finalize Brand Colors + Typography
Pair your logo with:
- Primary color (hex)
- Secondary color (hex)
- Primary font (heading)
- Secondary font (body)
Lock in a Brand Kit doc. Share with team/designers.
Step 8: Export Proper File Formats
Required exports:
- SVG (scalable, for web)
- PNG transparent (256, 512, 1024, 4096)
- PDF (print)
- Favicon (.ico)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using Midjourney PNG directly on websites (pixelates)
- Too many colors (2-3 max)
- Text-heavy logos (tiny at favicon size)
- Following trends blindly (today's gradient = tomorrow's dated)
- Skipping trademark check (use USPTO TESS free tool)
Top Tools
| Tool | Use Case | Free Tier | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Looka | Auto-logo | Trial | Speed + generic |
| Brandmark | Logo + brand kit | Trial | Full brand |
| Midjourney | Custom creative | No | Unique design |
| Vectorizer.ai | PNG → SVG | Yes | MJ vectorizing |
| Canva | Mockups | Yes | Brand testing |
Conclusion
A logo in 2026 is not a status symbol — it's a 20-minute job. Pick the right tool for your stage, test at favicon size, and ship. You can iterate later.
Try Assisters free →