How to Find Good Logo Designers… Logos For a Dollar! Good Idea?

October 18, 2016 - 6 minutes read
Logo designers can sometimes produce cheap logos, but is this a good idea for you? (c) Alberts Illustration & Design

A cheap logo from an online “mass-production” site will have you looking unremarkable in no time. And you’ll save money!

Logo Designers May Offer: “Logos For a Dollar!”

The pitfalls of the “25-dollar logo” are well documented. When searching for logo designers, crowd-sourcing solutions like logo “contests” and 1-hour logos will never produce an exclusive, well-planned image that represents your brand. In fact, they can result in problems such as confusion with other brands, a forgettable image, and even legal risks over copyright. So even though you can find logo designers who work cheaply, is this really a good idea?

“Your” Logo is Also Sold to Others

As I pointed out earlier, if you do a search for “logo design,” the top-ranking results will be sites that mass-produce or crowd-source logos. Those sites only make a profit by selling quickly rendered and already-rendered (“stock”) designs, as many TIMES as possible, to as many people as possible. Their business model: volume, mass production, process as many customers per hour as possible. So even if your logo is an original creation, there is still the likelihood that it can be sold again and again!

Your Brand Needs More than a Few MINUTES

The branding process takes market research, logo research, consultation between Client and Designer, and concept development in the form of sketches and notes over many hours of collaborative work. In the case of “competing artists” — such as Fiverr® — any number of anonymous, competing artists submit their designs, without the benefit of personal communication with you, the customer. Your “discount designer” is going to spend MINUTES on your brand, not hours, days or weeks. And the discount designers who attract the greatest number of logo shoppers are the ones who can crank out the greatest number of “ideas” in as little time as possible.

No Time for Insightful Treatment

Once you decide against using a discount designer, you can expect the process used by a logo designer like me to take several weeks, at a minimum. After taking notes and performing research, I create sketches of multiple concepts. This is the part where I get to draw all sorts of things for you, just to see which of them will be thrown away! Even when you have a mental picture of your idea, at this stage it is still a matter of “I’ll know it when I see it.” We then explore different typefaces and color schemes, with many digital proofs for side-by-side comparisons. This is how we zero in on a winning design for your brand.

You Are a Brand, Not a Commodity

I am a bargain shopper par excellence. My wallet is filled with coupons and rewards cards. I split the grocery shopping between at least 3 stores based on this week’s prices. And I only buy my World Market® coffee on Wednesdays when it’s double credits. I understand the concept shopping around for a lower price; obviously. That’s how I shop for a commodity such as a gallon of milk or a gallon of gas, for example.

You are not a product, but a brand — the sum total of many intangible and emotional factors. The “Discount Logo Warehouse” approach to buying a logo is an attempt to reduce the branding process to a commodity. It’s a way to sell logos by the pound. It’s my hope that I’ve at least gotten you thinking that there is more at stake than finding the lowest bidder (spoiler alert: he’s at Fiverr®).

Logo Designers Should Provide Variations Your Logo. (c) Alberts Illustration & Design

What else will you need? When you interact with your designer during the design process, you can anticipate needing variations to your logo. These are other versions that you’ll need later for print, Web and packaging applications.

After We Have a Logo, Then What?

Personal, ongoing service will be needed. Most of my logo customers have returned with questions and technical needs, for months and even years after we’ve created their logo design. I used to provide an array of files on disc (and still do on request), but I’ve found that most customers did not know which file to use, or how. And why should they? — that’s my job! That means you will need support after the sale, in the form of:

  • Multiple file formats, and a dependable archive of logo files and art.
  • Technical assistance when dealing with sign companies, screen printers and web designers, to name a few.
  • Alternate versions of your logo for light vs. dark backgrounds.
  • Revisions to your logo as needed (often the addition of a tagline or “LLC”).

You will want to have access to your designer any time, for any issues related to your logo.

Your brand deserves a comprehensive, professional treatment that results in a unique logo design that is truly your own. That takes time, thoughtful planning, and personal attention. In short, it takes a creative partnership.

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