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How to get a logo for a new business

Written by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo, the founders of Urban Media, Melbourne. Updated .

A logo is the cheapest thing to change before launch and the most expensive after. The order matters more than the artwork: name first, logo second.

General guidance from the studio, with the registration points checked against IP Australia on 11 October 2026.

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Step 1: lock the name

Do not draw a logo for a name you have not checked. Search the ASIC register, IP Australia's TM Checker, the domain and the social handles first. A logo built on a name you later lose is money gone.

Step 2: decide what it has to do

  • Where will it appear first: a website header, a shopfront sign, a van, a social avatar?
  • Who is it for, and what should they feel in the first second?
  • Does it still read when it is tiny, like a favicon or a profile picture?

Step 3: get the right files

  • A vector version (SVG or PDF) that scales to any size without going soft.
  • Full colour, all-white and all-black versions.
  • A square mark for avatars and a wide version for headers.
  • The fonts and exact colour values written down.

Protecting it

A logo can be registered as a trade mark with IP Australia, usually as a device mark, and protection covers the classes of goods and services you list. Decide this before you spend heavily building the brand on it.

A logo is not a brand

A brand is the logo plus colours, fonts, voice and the rules for using them. A one-page style guide keeps every post, sign and web page looking like the same business.

Where Urban Launch fits

Urban Launch builds the brand and the website together, so the logo is designed for the places it will actually appear. One Melbourne team, in order.

Official sources

This guide was checked against these official pages on 11 October 2026. Rules change, so confirm on the source before you rely on a detail.

More guides for new businesses

All of them are on the guides page.

Who is behind this

Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo, the founders of Urban Media, on a shoot in Melbourne

Urban Launch is built and run by Urban Media (ABN 28 169 446 902), a Melbourne studio founded by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo. Urban Media makes video, design and websites for clients including Box Hill United, Brighton Grammar and Porsche Club Victoria.

If you want to talk to the people doing the work, call 0456 785 904. More about who we are, and how to check us, is on the About page.

Jack Harrington, co-founder of Urban Media, on how Urban Launch works. Captions are on screen.

Common questions

Should I design the logo before registering the business name?
No. Check and secure the name first, so you do not build a logo on a name you cannot keep.
What logo files do I need?
A vector file (SVG or PDF), full colour, white and black versions, a square mark and a wide version, plus your fonts and colour values.
Can I register a logo as a trade mark?
Yes. A logo is typically filed as a device mark with IP Australia, and protection covers the classes of goods and services you list.
Is a logo the same as a brand?
No. A brand includes colours, fonts, voice and the rules for using them, not just the logo.

Start with a Launch Call

Live and generating enquiries within 45 days, or we keep working at no extra cost until you are. The Launch Call is where we check it is the right fit before we book anything in. For a real example, read the Airwize case study (12 conversions, meaning leads that became sales, in the first month of Google Ads from $70 of ad spend, our figures). You can also read how a launch package compares with hiring separately, or go to the packages and prices on the homepage.

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More: Brand and website package, Melbourne, Startup package for a new business, Melbourne, Branding, website and photography package, Melbourne.