How to design a minimalist logo in 4 steps

minimalist logo


A modern, minimalist logo can be a either a) a wordmark logo, a design that consists of text, or b) a logo with a simple, often geometric, logo symbol paired with a modern font. A minimalist logo often uses only one or two colors.

This quick tutorial will show you how to design a minimalist logo using an online logo maker that takes you from a simple logo idea to a professional design for a business or a personal brand.

minimalist logo ideas
Two examples for a typography logo, also called a wordmark or logotype. The top shows a sans serif font, the bottom shows a serif (with tails) font.

Collect logo ideas

Step one: Create a moodboard on Pinterest or Canva first by adding a collection of logos you like. A one-pager is best. Ten to twenty designs will give you a good overview of variations. Too many inspirational designs dilute the collection—keep adding and pruning back at the same time until the moodboard feels compact and cohesive.

Highlight the things that you like about certain logos and state why in two or three words. For example, the color palette, the spelling (uppercase or lowercase) or spacing (wide or narrow), font specifics (serifs, pointy letters, etc.), or the tone (friendly, sophisticated, etc.).

font choice: serif or sans-serif
For minimalistic logos, typography is even more important. Check out the details: Are the letter tips pointy? Should it be a sans serif or serif font? Rounded stems and circular i-dots?

Select a logo as a baseline

Step two: To get inspiration in a few seconds, you can use the Mojomox wordmark logo maker. To get started, type your brand name into the input field below this article to get simple logo ideas. Take screenshots of logo ideas you like and select one version to get started with and that you can use as a baseline to customize further inside the app. Another modern way is to design a simple wordmark by typing out your brand name in a cool startup font.

typography that is memorable
High-contrast typefaces Bauhaus Serif (top), alternative letter design for letter A (middle), Bauhaus Chez (bottom). From left to right: font weights Thin to Black.
minimalist logo symbols
Minimalist shape and letter-based logo symbols. Access any of these and over 1000 more in the Mojomox logo maker app and customize the boldness of the symbol.

Customize design

Step three: Now that you are in the logo maker app, click on one of the letters of your brand name inside the white editing area; this will pull up the alternative letter design menu from which you can select a different letter design—from minimalistic and organic to geometric shapes. If you’re not sure whether you should go for a wordmark logo or a logo with a symbol, you might find this article on typography logos helpful.

letter logo
When it comes to simple logo design, you have a lot more typography-related options to play with. It’s essential to get character into a wordmark. Consider the font weight of the logo: Is it thin or bold? Lighter font weights are more elegant and convey luxury, whereas bolder weights are younger, hipster, and more approachable.

Preview and review logo within brand kit context

Step four: Finally, use one of the color presets that look modern, and check out the automatic brand kit section right below the logo editor to see how everything comes together. To customize the three preset colors, go into the sidebar, open up the Colors section and click into one of the three fields. There, you can either select a new color or use the color picker to pull a color from another document or photo you have open on your computer.

It’s not possible to get your designs right from the beginning. A brand is a living project and you can refine your designs as you develop your business.

Consider the step-by-step development of building a brand “lean style” but in reality, building a brand is an ongoing process—for big brands too.

Adjust colors and font weights as you see fit in a gradual fashion. Let’s say that during your web design process you find that the light yellow you use could be a little lighter, adjust it and move forward with that tone instead. Over time, you build a rock-solid version that suits your real-life needs. That’s what good design is about: functionality.

minimalist logo brand kit
The Mojomox brand kit view: While you design a logo, select your font and pick your color palette, Mojomox creates an automatic brand kit right below the logo maker so you can preview your design at a glance. This makes it very easy to see how the basic elements of a brand identity work together.

1. Type company name2. Select design3. Modify logo