Arek Dvornechcuck
Branding Expert
I'm a branding expert and graphic designer based in NY. I specialize in the development of brands: brand strategy, identity & web design. Need help with your project?—Get in touch
I'm a branding expert and graphic designer based in NY. I specialize in the development of brands: brand strategy, identity & web design. Need help with your project?—Get in touch
Do you wanna know how to create AI-generated logos?
MidJourney is an A.I. Art platform that can help you generate a wide range of unique and creative logo ideas, and it can do so in a fraction of the time a graphic designer would take.
They might not be perfect, but it’s a good tool to just get logo ideas, fast and easily.
How to write prompts for logo design in MidJourney?
In the realm of graphic design, artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the way logos are created.
The reason is simple: A logo that would take human designer hours, if not days to create, can be generated by AI in a few seconds.
Apart from getting multiple ideas fast, you can refer to specific genres, and techniques and you can even ask the A.I. to imitate your favorite designer!
PS. Before designing your logo, you might want to define your brand first—check out my other article on how to use ChatGPT for brand strategy development.
You can also consume this content in video form on my YT channel:
Also, check out my other article where I feature best AI art generators (Midjourney is just one of them).
The outcome will depend greatly on your input—but can start with a simple prompt like this (type /imagine first):
a mascot logo of a robot, simple, vector --no shading detail
However, the more data you give the A.I. to work with, the more accurate results you’ll get—and in this article, I will show you how to write better prompts.
Just note that Midjourney is NOT good with text, so you will have to use Illustrator, or Canva, in order to add text or refine your designs.
For that, I recommend you also check out my other article where I describe my logo design process in detail.
Update: Check out this massive collection of styles, genres and artists to use in your Midjourney prompts.
Now, let’s dive right into designing logos using Midjourney.
First of all, you need to decide on what type of logo you want, and again—keep in mind that MidJourney is NOT good with text.
However, you can use it to create letter-mark logos, mascot logos, emblem logos, and basically any type of pictorial mark.
Each type of logo has its own unique advantages and disadvantages, so you’ll need to decide on what type of logo you want.
The first example is the lettermark logo a type of logo that uses a stylized letter or multiple letters—here’s a prompt example:
a lettermark of letter A, logo, serif font, vector, simple --no realistic details
It’s usually either the first letter of the company name or the company's initials that have been somehow stylized to create a unique, distinct look & feel.
This type of logo is usually used by companies with long names or big corporations that operate in various industries and categories.
The second type of logo is the mascot logo, which is a type of logo that features a cartoon character or animal—an example of the prompt:
a mascot logo of a robot, simple, vector --no shading detail
Mascots help make the brand look more relatable and evocative, which in turn helps create a strong bond with the audience.
This type of logo is often seen in businesses related to sports, entertainment, and food and drink.
The third type of logo is called an Emblem logo—this kind of logo uses a symbol or crest as the main part of the design, usually with some text embedded in it.
an emblem for a motorcycle group, vector, simple --no photorealistic details
Emblems are often used by companies in industries like automotive, education, government, and the military—as it conveys a sense of legacy, tradition, and authority.
If you’re looking for some inspiration, probably the most famous emblem is the Harley Davidson logo.
Different art styles can create different feelings, and by referring in your prompts to some, you can get your logo made in a certain vibe.
For example, if you need your brand to create an old-school look and feel—then use the word like “old-school” and “retro”, but you can go a step further and indicate a specific genre, like Psychedelic Art for example.
Psychedelic art is a style of art characterized by bold, bright colors, abstract and surreal imagery, and dreamlike quality.
a logo for an ice cream brand, simple, vector, Psychedelic Art --no text realistic details
This style is often associated with the use of hallucinogenic drugs and reflects the mind-bending and consciousness-expanding effects of these substances.
A great style to create sweet designs, with spirals and other interesting “dream-like” effects.
The De Stijl movement is characterized by its use of simple geometric shapes, horizontal and vertical lines, and a limited color palette of primary colors.
a logo for an ice cream brand, simple, vector, De Stijl--no text realistic details
The prompt above will give you quite interesting results—I really like using this genre for logo design.
When designing a logo in the style of De Stijl, the A.I. will try to use shapes like rectangles, squares, and lines, as well as primary colors like red, blue, and yellow, besides black & white, of course.
Pop Art is characterized by its use of recognizable imagery from popular culture.
a logo for an ice cream brand, simple, vector, Pop Art--no text realistic details
This style incorporates elements such as advertisements, comic strips, and everyday objects, often rendered in a bold and colorful style.
Using Pop Art, or any of the above-mentioned styles for that matter, will definitely bring some sense of nostalgia and appeal to a certain audience who remember that era (the 1950s).
By using the names of some of the most famous logo designers, you can basically tell the A.I. to imitate a certain aesthetic or style of that artist.
I have found that only two logo designers are officially recognized by Midjourney, Paul Rand and Saul Bass (check the list here).
However, people generally get good results with other famous logo designers as well—here’s a great list of graphic designers to try with Midjourney.
The work of Paul Rand is characterized by a distinct minimalist, simplistic style.
a flat vector logo of a lion head, minimal, by Paul Rand --no realistic photo details
That’s why the lion’s head, in the example below, has been simplified and stylized to reflect Rand's minimal approach.
The goal is to create a design that is bold and memorable, while also being clean and straightforward.
It’s also a good idea to use the names of other artists—like Piet Mondrian, for example.
/imagine a flat vector logo of a lion head, minimal, by Piet Mondrian --no realistic photo details
Although it might give you similar results to using De Stijl movement in your prompt, however—you get the idea.
In this case, the lion’s head looks totally different from the previous example, which resembles more of the De Stijl movement that I described above.
Pablo Picasso is yet another famous artist, although his work spans multiple genres.
a flat vector logo of a lion head, minimal, by Pablo Picasso --no realistic photo details
I guess in this case, the A.I. went for Cubism as he is the most famous for that.
In this example, the lion's head looks kind of mean and angry as it has been built by using mostly just triangles and sharp angles, which are the elements that characterize the Cubism genre.
Another way to get better results with your prompts is to refer to some artistic techniques.
There are certain proven techniques that logo designers often use, like making an outline, using gradients or imitating a screen-print technique.
One way to design your logo, is to use the outline technique, it can be particularly effective in creating logos that are simple, yet recognizable.
a simple logo of a diamond, line, flat, vector--no realistic photo details
Using the outline effect is a good idea if you want to incorporate pseudo 3d elements into your designs, but without making them too complex (no shadows, gradients, etc.)
Secondly, logo designers often also use the gradient technique, which involves creating a gradual blend of color and tones, either transitioning from light to dark, or from one color to another.
a simple logo of a diamond, gradient, flat, vector --no realistic photo details
In the context of logo design, gradient techniques can be used to add a subtle, yet impactful style to your logo.
One of the most famous examples of logos using the gradient technique would be the Instagram logo.
Another technique you can use for logo design is the screen-print technique, (used for t-shirts, posters, bags etc.)—it’s basically about stacking multiple layers on top of each other to create a design.
a simple logo of a diamond, screen-print, flat, vector --no realistic photo details
It’s characterized by bold designs with clean lines and vivid colors, which makes it a great choice for logo design as well.
Screen printing is often used for the mass production of items like t-shirts, so if you’re planning on starting a new clothing brand—it makes a great choice.
When working with any AI tool, not only Midjourney, it's important to provide clear guidelines and criteria not only for what you want but also for what you don’t want.
Otherwise, if you leave it to A.I., it cane make your designs overly complex or cluttered.
--no text, realistic photo details, shadows
For the most part, when it comes to logo design you should use some of the above—excluding any text, shadows, and realistic details.
Additionally, by letting the AI tool know what you don't want, you can help it generate better logo concepts, that are more up to your standards.
Using AI tools like MidJourney can be an effective way to streamline your process and help you explore a lot of ideas, and so fast.
However, I believe that AI won’t entirely replace a logo designer’s job, it will rather help us, designers, to generate more ideas faster.
Ultimately, you will still need the expertise of a professional designer to tweak your designs and polish them up.
Whether you're a seasoned designer or just starting out, MidJourney can be a valuable tool in your logo design process, as long as you know how to use it.
PS. If you’re looking for more examples of logo design prompts—Check out my book of prompts—50+ Styles for Logo Design, for only $5!
The book consists of a Canva presentation with 50+ pages that include prompts and logo examples, done in a similar format as the images in this article.
I hope enjoyed my tutorial on how to use Midjourney for logo design, and if you did—you’ll enjoy this book of prompts too!
