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Logo Design: The YouTube Videos I Wish I Had 20 Years Ago

youtube graphic designer

Starting a freelance web and graphic design career 20 years ago was a different ball game. Resources were scarce, and YouTube wasn’t even around to save us. Today, I want to share some of the YouTube videos I wish I had back then. These videos are focused on logo design for beginners and advanced users who use Adobe Illustrator daily. Let's dive into the self-learning journey and the valuable resources available now.

The Struggle of Self-Learning

Post-High School Challenges

After high school, finding a graphic design school or university course was a struggle. The early 2000s didn’t offer the plethora of online and offline resources we have today. It was a constant battle to find relevant information and learn new skills.

Developing a Self-Learning Path

Determined to pursue my passion, I developed a self-learning path. However, it wasn’t easy to learn everything, and the limited resources made it even more challenging. I had to rely on books, occasional workshops, and a lot of trial and error. Oh, how I wish YouTube had been around then. The good news is that by creating an effective self-learning strategy, you can gain valuable knowledge without sacrificing time for other important activities. In this blog post, I’ll share some tips for building an effective self-learning strategy so you can become a lifelong learner without having to put everything else on pause.

Build a Vocabulary: Self-learning can be made more effective by expanding your vocabulary. Incorporating new words and phrases into your conversations while keeping a dictionary handy is an excellent way to help you comprehend the material better, as well as refine your communication skills. Trust me, having a broad vocabulary can do wonders not just for understanding complex design terms, but also for impressing clients and colleagues. Plus, who doesn’t want to sound a bit more sophisticated?

Choose Tested Learning Methods: To ensure my self-learning journey is successful, I focused on tried and true methods. By leveraging resources that had worked for others who've come before me and avoiding courses without evidence of their efficacy, I optimized my learning experience in the quickest way possible. This meant sifting through numerous books and attending the occasional workshop that actually added value. It's all about finding what works and sticking with it.

Understand the Context of What You're Learning: Taking the time to understand why you're learning something and what context it holds is an essential part of building an effective self-learning strategy. I made sure to evaluate all sources, from entertainment snippets to infotainment pieces and even YouTube video clips, to gain a comprehensive understanding that I could build upon over time. Understanding the "why" behind the "what" can make all the difference.

Build Layered Knowledge: Learning systematically can be very effective. Build a structured foundation and add new layers. As I have learned, developing a comprehensive self-learning strategy can be extremely effective. My approach started with laying down the groundwork by focusing on building up essential knowledge and gradually adding new layers from there—enabling me to take my learning process to even greater depths of understanding. Think of it as constructing a multi-layered cake, where each layer adds to the overall flavor and experience.

Start with General Curiosity: My learning strategy starts with a general curiosity, which I then use to dig into more specific details. This helps me gain an in-depth understanding of the subject and encourages my dedication to self-improvement. Curiosity might have killed the cat, but it definitely nurtured my design skills! By allowing myself to explore various aspects of design, I stayed motivated and continually found new areas to improve upon.

Building an effective self-learning path isn’t a walk in the park, but with the right strategies, it can be incredibly rewarding. These tips helped me navigate the challenging terrain of self-learning in the early 2000s, and I hope they’ll guide you on your journey too.

youtube graphic designer

The YouTube videos I Wish I Had

Here are some of my favorite and most useful YouTube videos focused on logo design. These videos are invaluable for beginners and average advanced users who use Adobe Illustrator daily.

Dansky

Dansky’s tutorials are perfect for beginners. His step-by-step approach makes learning Illustrator a breeze.

dansky

12 Advanced Logo Design Techniques

Dansky

12 Logo Design Tools in Adobe Illustrator

 

Satori Graphics

Satori Graphics offers in-depth tutorials on various design techniques, making it ideal for those looking to enhance their skills.

Satori youtube

7 Worst Logo Design Cliches to Avoid

logo design

Perfectly Match a Logo to a Font

logo design

Using Grids For Next-Level Logo Designs

logo design

Logo Design - are you ready?

Will Paterson

Will Paterson’s videos cover logo design from start to finish, providing practical insights and tips.

will paterson

5 Mind Blowing Lodo Design Tips

The Futur

The Futur by Chris Do focuses on the business side of design, offering valuable advice on how to build a successful freelance career.

The Futur

Logo Design Process with a Client


Adobe Illustrator and Vector Graphics

Introduction to Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is the go-to tool for logo design. It’s a vector graphics editor, which means it uses mathematical equations to create scalable graphics, unlike raster images in Photoshop.

illustrator

Adobe illustrator for Beginners (4 hours course by Bring Your Own Laptop)

Advanced Logo Design Techniques

Illustrator offers a range of professional tools for logo design, including the Pen Tool, Shape Builder Tool, and Pathfinder Tool. These tools allow you to create precise and scalable logos.

logo design

Advanced Logo Design Techniques

Proportioned Logos and Grids

Using a grid to proportion your logo can make a significant difference. It ensures balance and harmony, although it’s not mandatory. The grid helps align elements and create a cohesive design.

logo design

Why I love using Logo Grids

Customizing Typography

Manipulating and customizing typography is crucial for creating a fully custom logo or logotype. Illustrator provides robust tools to adjust kerning, tracking, and other typographic elements. By the way, I applied this method for my Puglia Tips Logo re-design.

logo design

How to manipulate and customize typography for a logo design


Advanced Techniques

Animating Logos in After Effects

Animating a logo in Adobe After Effects can add a dynamic element to your presentations. Learn how to morph shapes and create engaging animations.

logo design

How to Morph Shapes - After effects tutorial

Modern Logo Design Process

From initial sketches to the final product, a modern logo design process involves several stages. This includes brainstorming, sketching, vectorizing, and refining the design.

logo design

The Modern Logo Design Process From Start To Finish

Conclusion

Sharing these YouTube resources and my professional experience aims to help beginners, starters, and graphic design logo lovers navigate the world of logo design. With the right tools and knowledge, the process becomes much more manageable. Remember, every expert was once a beginner, and the journey is just as important as the destination.

About the author

Andrea Riezzo

I'm Andrea Riezzo, and I want to share my passion for creativity, inspiration, and design with you. As a creative, I've always been fascinated by the power of graphic and web design, social media, and photography to tell engaging stories and capture the imagination.

With 15+ years of experience in the industry, I've developed a deep understanding of what it takes to create designs that grab attention and leave a lasting impression. My expertise as a freelance graphic - web designer has enabled me to work on some truly incredible projects, and I've had the pleasure of collaborating with some amazing clients over the years.

So let's dive in and create something truly amazing - because when it comes to creativity, the possibilities are endless.

You can find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Behance or Threads