Your logo is the signature of your brand, and one of your company's
most valuable assets. It is the single element that will symbolize your
brand more than anything else. A well-designed logo is one that reflects
your business and communicates your message. It needs to be simple,
unique, memorable, versatile, and able to work without colour.
In
order to choose a logo, there are important steps to go through, both by
yourself and with a graphic designer. In this post, I outline the logo
design process and some important guidelines to keep in mind when
choosing a logo that is perfect for you.
For the creation of
your logo, you are free to choose either a freelance designer, a design
firm, or perhaps an advertising agency. Throughout this post, for the
purpose of convenience and readability, I will use the term "designer"
to include whichever type of business or individual is applicable to
your case.
Choose a budget
First off,
you should decide on your budget for your new logo. They can cost
anywhere from $300-1500 (USD), and sometimes more. Just remember that
you get what you pay for, and a designer's fees will reflect experience,
client history, and professionalism. Investing in a logo (and a
corporate identity to go with it) is one of the most important first
steps you can take when building a brand. A logo is worth much more than
the hours it takes to create it.
You can find logo banks and
contest sites online and get one for around $150. There are even
different freelancer sites where people bid insanely low prices-like
$50. Just be aware that choosing a logo for a cheap price online can be
disastrous. Inexperienced designers may take forever, not communicate
well, use clip art images (a definite no-no), and may not provide you
with the correct files you need for both print and web use.
Locate designers
There
are so many places you can find graphic designers. Choosing the right
designer for you is definitely a lot harder (and we'll get to that in a
minute). You can locate lots of candidates by using different methods.
- Ask around. If you know someone with a great logo, simply ask them who did it. Most of my freelance design work comes from referrals.
- Search graphic design firm directories such as the one on GraphicDesign.com.
- Browse design galleries and portfolio communities like The Behance Network.
- Search for "logo design" and "logo development" on social networks like Twitter, Google Plus, and Facebook.
Choose a suitable designer
After
contacting a number of designers and requesting quotes, make sure you
look at more than just the price when deciding who gets the job.
Consider the designer's previous logos and the corporate identities they
have created around those logos. Look for good design presentations
because it shows how much they care about their own professional
appearance. Read the descriptions that go with each of their logo
projects because a logo may look great and all, but it has to meet the
specific design requirements to be effective.
More importantly,
choose a logo designer whose style of design fits your own preferred
style. By doing this, you'll be happy with the logo you end up with, and
the designer will be happy because that style is what they're most
comfortable with.
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