When your new logo isn’t love at first sight: How the right branding process turns it around

If you’ve ever thought, “What if I spend all this money on branding and I don’t like the end result?”, you’re not alone.

In fact, one of my recent clients had this exact experience. But it turned into one of my favorite branding success stories.

As a brand and website designer for women service providers, I wish I could say every client instantly falls in love with their first round of logo concepts. But sometimes, creating a brand identity that truly reflects you (and resonates with your ideal client) takes a few twists and turns.

This is the story of how we went from “not what I anticipated” to “exactly what I didn’t know I needed” - and why the right brand strategy makes all the difference.

The client’s starting point

My client liked her current logo. It wasn’t terrible, but it was… generic. It had stock-style graphics of a person raising their hands to the sun. There was nothing unique, nothing that reflected her brilliance or the level of service she provides.

One of her team members agreed with me: she could do better. So she decided to go all-in on a rebrand.

Why brand strategy comes first

Before opening Illustrator or playing with fonts, I had her complete my in-depth brand questionnaire. This digs into her:

• Target audience

• Brand message

• Visual preferences

• Core values and positioning

  
  

From there, I built her brand strategy document, which provides the blueprint that guides all visual design decisions.

During our strategy session, she literally stopped me mid-call and said, “I’m buzzing. I can’t wait to do this.” That excitement was a sign we were on the right track.

The first round of logo concepts

With the strategy approved and mood board ready, I designed three custom logo concepts. Each came with:

• Strategic explanation of the design

• Multiple mockups showing real-world use

• A video walkthrough of my thought process

• A feedback questionnaire

  
  

Then… I got her reply:

“Thank you so much for your work on these. Unfortunately, they are not what I was anticipating.”

Oof.

She wanted something “more cohesive.”

I wasn’t panicked. Because this is exactly why I build flexibility into my branding process.

Why some logo concepts miss the mark

In my experience, when a client doesn’t love their first round of concepts, it usually falls into one of three categories:

1. Strategy Gap – The visual execution doesn’t fully translate the agreed-upon strategy, or they chose the wrong moodboard.

   
   

2. Communication Gap – Words mean different things to different people, and creative preferences can get lost in translation.

   
   

3. Expectations or Knowledge Gap – A client realizes they were picturing something completely different than they thought. Or they want something that might not work for them long-term.

   
   

In this case, it was mostly a miscommunication.

The power of conversation

I revisited her original questionnaire and noticed she had said she liked logos that integrate initials with the full name. I thought she meant a wordmark (a typography-based logo), which fit her luxury, less-tangible service offering.

Turns out, what she really wanted was the icon and text integrated, not stacked or separate. That nuance can be easy to miss in writing, so we hopped on a call.

That conversation changed everything.

The revised logo (and happy tears)

With her clarified vision, I refined the design, keeping it aligned with her brand strategy while integrating the icon and wordmark in a new direction we had brainstormed together.

When I presented the updated version, she lit up:

“It’s exactly what I didn’t know I wanted.”

In our final meeting, she got emotional. Her brand finally felt like her. It was unique, strategic, and a perfect fit for her audience.

The takeaway: Controlled wandering is part of the process

Branding can feel subjective, but that’s why strategic brand identity design matters. A thoughtful process ensures we don’t wander aimlessly. Instead, we take a guided path that allows for collaboration, refinement, and those magic “YES!”moments.

If you’re holding off on rebranding because you’re afraid you won’t like the first version, remember: that’s okay. It’s normal. And the right designer knows how to navigate that.

Ready to create a brand identity that truly reflects your brilliance?

Let’s talk. Book a free consult and we’ll explore how to create a brand that not only looks incredible, but also works to attract your dream clients.

📅 Book your call here.