taste-brand-identity

A logo is a memory aid, not a drawing. This skill makes sure the identity survives a favicon and a billboard.

1. THE CONCEPT (Before Any Drawing)

One idea, two words: the mark reduces to a single association ("north + needle", "record + flower"). If you can't say it in two words, the concept isn't there yet.
Literal is the last resort: a generic icon of the product category (spark, rocket, chat bubble, gear) is what every other mark does. Reach for the abstract idea behind the product.
Test at 16px before loving it: the mark must read as a favicon first. If the concept needs 3 colors or fine detail to live, it fails the test.
Two colors, hard ceiling: one ink + one accent (or monochrome). A mark that needs its gradient to exist is not a mark.

Prefer modifying a strong existing face over inventing a font: letterspacing (−0.03em), case, a punctuation detail (. in "skittie.dev"), or one cutout/glyph swap.
One typographic move per wordmark: track tight OR case change OR a single altered glyph. Two moves = a novelty logo.
Test the wordmark in: caps, sentence case, and at 12px. If it doesn't survive small, tighten or accept a secondary lockup.
Never letterspace lowercase (it breaks the word shape). Never stretch type (use the real condensed family).