Logo design for students: a 40-minute three-second logo test, 6–8

1. Show 3 simple shapes (a circle, a leaf, a lightning bolt). Ask what each could mean for a business.
2. Students choose a pretend business and sketch three different logos on index cards: one using a letter, one using a picture, one combining both.
3. Rules: no more than two colors, no tiny details, no copying real company logos.
4. Partner test: flash each card for 3 seconds, hide it, and ask the partner to describe or quickly redraw it.
5. Students tally which logo was remembered best and shrink it to the size of a stamp to check it still reads.
6. Each student presents the winning logo and explains how it fits the business.

Differentiation: students who need support start from a shape bank. Students who are ready also create a simple brand guide: two colors, one font style and a slogan. English learners can explain their logo using the frame "The ___ shows ___."

Quick check: ask a student: "Why should a logo still work when it is very small?"

More on UpOnly Learning (linked below): Free business printables in color and black and white: pretend shop price tags, lemonade stand profit, idea planner, customer survey, profit and loss, and logo and brand design.

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