"Make me a cool logo" produces a different result every time. This skill is brand strategy → form language → constraints → deliverable formata pattern for directing logo concepts through these stages. Don't create images right away; first draft a brief, design prompts, then generate.
Core premises (read first)
- AI image models are weak at text. Wordmarks (brand name text) commonly suffer from broken spelling and uneven letter spacing. So extract symbol marks, abstract marks, and monograms (single character) first, and post-process final characters, fonts, and colors in Figma/Illustrator/Canva.
- No abstract words. "beautiful, cool, stylish" don't work. "flat vector · strong silhouette · scalable · favicon-ready · geometric · balanced negative space" Speak with the same design-condition words.
- Generation is non-deterministic. The same prompt produces different results every time. Don't rely on a single image; generate multiple per direction and choose.
- Lock brand tokens. If the brand has
DESIGN.md(or a design system), read it first and put its hex, fonts, ratios, and prohibition list directly into the prompt. No vague terms like "brand color."
When to use
- When creating concepts for logos, symbols, app icons, favicons for a new brand/channel/product
- When you need
DESIGN.mdthat match the existing brand design system ( on-brand marks) - When you must perform the "logo/VI" task without wavering on a kanban card, etc.
Logo Director Workflow (5 steps)
1. Brief — Don't create images right away
Receive brand information and organize the logo design brieffirst. For items, use references/brief-and-eval.md's 10-item template as-is (brand core identity / target first impression / clichés to avoid / 10 visual metaphors / 3 suitable logo types / 3 palette options / 3 font directions / 5 symbol form directions / 3 final prompts / evaluation checklist).
If the brand has
DESIGN.md, quote the palette, fonts, mood, and prohibitions as-is rather than recreating them. Tokens are the brand's single source of truth.
2. Concept compression — 10 metaphors → 3–5 symbol directions
Narrow the 10 metaphors into 3–5 non-overlapping symbol directions. Priority by text risk: abstract mark > monogram (single character) > wordmark (all characters). If the goal is a demo and quick finalization, pull from the shorter one first.
3. Writing the prompt — 3 to 5 using the formula
Prompt formula: brand identity + industry + customer base + keywords + symbol direction + form style + colors (exact hex) + prohibited elements + output conditions. The completed English/Korean templates and the 4 directions (minimal geometric / premium abstract / friendly modern / strong tech) variations are references/prompt-templates.md. Always attach a negative prompt (references/negative-and-craft.md).
4. Generation — multiple images per direction with an image tool
Run the prepared prompt through an image generation tool. In Hermes, the built-in image_generate(such as gpt-image-2, in the profile config's image_gen.provider), and in the Claude environment kie-image-generator , etc. Square (1:1) by default, solid backgrounds such as white/transparent or parchment, flat vector oriented. 2 to 4 images per direction , generate and compare.
5. Selection and handoff — evaluate, then pass to vectorization
references/brief-and-eval.mdChoose using the evaluation checklist (simple, scalable, silhouette, whitespace, on-brand, text legibility). Final candidates are vectorization (Figma/Illustrator/Canva) hand off to, and the lettering, fonts, and color system are organized there. Spelling and brand hex are finally confirmed by a person.
Absolute constraints
- Do not start by making images right away. Brief and prompt design come first.
- Design condition words instead of abstract words. flat vector · strong silhouette · scalable · negative space · geometric.
- Always attach strong negatives. no 3D, no mockup, no photo, no gradient, no glow, no shadow-heavy, no stock-logo, no generic icon, no tiny details, no unreadable text, no watermark.
- Minimal text. Assume wordmarks will have broken spelling, and defer lettering to post-processing. Monogram/abstract first.
- Fix brand tokens.
DESIGN.mdIf available, use the hex, fonts, ratios, and prohibitions as is. If not, finalize the palette first in brief step 2 and embed it in the prompt. - Choose from multiple images. Acknowledge nondeterminism and do not rely on one image.
- Single accent color, strong silhouette, scalability(down to favicon, app icon, and profile) is required in every option.
Role handoff
Pass the selected logo candidates and evaluation notes to the designer/brand deck creator. The finalized vector version and the color and font system are reflected back into the brand design system (DESIGN.md) to update the single source of truth.
Reference files
| File | When to read | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
references/brief-and-eval.md |
Steps 1 and 5 | Logo brief 10-item template + symbol concept derivation method + evaluation checklist |
references/prompt-templates.md |
Step 3 | Prompt formula + completed English/Korean templates + 4-direction variations + examples by type |
references/negative-and-craft.md |
Steps 3 and 4 | Negative prompts, design condition word dictionary, avoiding model lettering weaknesses, vectorization workflow |