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Forum - Logo design and creation
Logo design and creation
Wed, 27/05/2009 - 16:29 — Anonymous
Am currently looking to start my own company, and one of the things I don't have is a good logo.
How much should someone expect to pay for something like this?
I did have a look at http://www.logomaker.com but the stock logos seem mostly horrible.
Is a logo even important? It doesn't seem to harm Sony, Philips or Panasonic (none of them have one I can think of).
Thanks in advance for your help.
Ben
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Thanks for sharing. i really appreciate it that you shared with us such a informative post..
http://www.brandaver.com/graphic-design/logo-design/
http://www.brandaver.com/advertising-design/
Without repeating myself - please have a look at http://www.marketingdonut.co.uk/forum/logo-business-cards-letter-head-etc
for reasons why to use a independent, local graphic designer.
And sadly I am afraid yes Sony, Philips or Panasonic do have logo - or should we say logotypes, as they are type/font based and probably very strictly controlled by branding guidelines. That's the sign of good brand, you don't notice it!
Steve Pitt http://www.stevepitt.com
Without repeating myself - please have a look at http://www.marketingdonut.co.uk/forum/logo-business-cards-letter-head-etc
for reasons why to use a independent, local graphic designer.
And sadly I am afraid yes Sony, Philips or Panasonic do have logo - or should we logotypes, as they are type/font based and probably very strictly controlled by branding guidelines. That's the sign of good brand, you don't notice it!
Steve Pitt http://www.stevepitt.com
Hi Ben,
I suggest you go to 99designs.com. It is website that conducts a logo competition for designers. The good thing about this is that you'll get the best design from different artists. Plus you can award a prize for like $100 or less...depending on your budget. If you post it, designers will just come.
I hope this helps. :)
Hi Ben,
I'm a new creative Web Design and Graphic Design agency in Cheltenham, UK - and similarly to you just starting out. If you manage to come up with an idea for a logo on your own but need an oppinion/ some advice advice, drop a line on my website, more than happy to give it a glance over for free and have some input.
http://www.platform6.co.uk
My own logo is only lettering but think it works well, you may start with something very simple and will see over the months how the business develops, might get some ideas you don't think of this early on.
Good luck & kind regards,
Eva
Here's the kicker; Sony Philips and Panasonic DO have logo's! There are text logo's which Sony has for example but it is not suggested that a new company have a text only logo because how will your customers know what you do or who you are? Others just have picture logos.
What I think you should do is put your company's name into perspective, look at it and find a picture or object that fits your company then possibly find a college kid online who can design it for you for cheaper amounts then high cost design companies. Often time you will find a very talented designer online who is looking to build their portfolio! Start by searching Twitter.
Zanade,
www.twitter.com/zanade
Hi there,
I work for a hotel & short breaks specialist and we are looking for a cost effective way to re-jig our logo incorporating our 10 year message - we are ten this October.
Does anyone know of any reputable and professional logo designers that will meet the needs of a small business without a massive budget?!? We don't want a complete redesign, just a re-working.
Thanks in advance.
Leanne
Marketing Assistant
Hi Leanne
We would be very interested in having a chat with you on this. We do lots of re-branding work from simple logo reworks to complete new identity and application. We have worked with hotels and specialist tour operators for many years. Drop me a line at nick@creationdesign.co.uk
Nick
Hi Ben,
I'm probably going to get flamed for posting this in the face of a million businesses trying to sell you a brand or an identity.
As a new business, the most important things are cashflow and customers - it is _not_ brand. If I have the choice between spending my last £500 between client contact and branding, choosing the first is a no-brainer. If I had the choice between keeping £500 to ride out late payments and spending it on coordinated and beautifully produced logos and stationary, I'd still choose the first.
Also, to echo some of the guys on there too - the type of business you are in means that it is crucial in determining whether you even need a strong brand. There is a lot of hot air around brand being essential - but for example, if you compete on price and sell exclusively to businesses, I would argue that brand is only a minor worry.
My final point would be to bear in mind that brand can be much much more than design or art - sometimes the balance between appearance and reputation has to be understood. I once spent nearly £20K on a product from a small company who's name means nothing to me - I only need to know the handful of guys running the company by their first names and that they are offering me a good solid product for the price. Similarly, the last place I spent £2K of my own money at, didn't even have a website or a logo, but they were very good and I remember that.
Regards,
Will
ConveneWorks Ltd.
As Sara correctly states, the logo is more than just a graphic.
In the brands you highlight all have a corporate image and presence identifiable by colours and fonts.
Returning to your question though, which is more about a standard graphic.
There are a number of websites that can help keep the costs down on this front. One that I use regularly for both my IT business and my life as an author is www.istockphoto.com
On this site photographers and artists (and even flash coders) can upload their work and offer it for sale to the general public on a global basis. It is sort of an online agent :-) You pay istockphoto for the rights to use the artwork and they pay a royalty to the creator. So everyone benefits, the artists, the website and you (by getting access to cost effective imagery).
There are various licenses available so read the details. For most uses the standard cost is applicable (and relatively low starting at under £1 per image), but for a logo you probably need the enhanced licensing which is a little more expensive.
Images vary in size and resoltuon and hence in cost. The site works by the buyer purchasing blocks of credits which are then used against the purchase of images. 1 credit is currently £1.03.
Istockphoto are not alone in this service. A search for 'almost royalty free images' in Google will show other providers but beware as prices can vary greatly.
Good luck.
Taff
Hi Ben,
In short a logo is a must. It's brilliant that you are considering this at the start because so often start ups completely ignore this and hash a few things together.
Firstly,Sony etc do have a logo and brand identity - the specific fonts, colours and everything you experience about them is consistent, so every time you see, hear, touch, something about them it's making you more and more aware of them because the more you see the same thing the more it is embedded in your mind. Trust me, they have though carefully about how to attract their target audience differentiate themselves from their competitors and build trust in their customers.
Secondly, a clear identity will help you to achieve your goals in your business much faster. Often business owners think it is all OK because they have made some progress but they sometimes don't realise how much further they could be if the got their identity right! It's challenging at the start up stage because of budget constraints so see if you can get a design student to help you (that's what Nike did and they later rewarded her with a diamond ring I think the story goes) or work with a designer that specifically works with start ups and can offer you access to top notch design through flexible payment offers. (I'll sneak in here that that's what we do)!
All the best with everything and enjoy the ride.
Sara Brown (http://www.sarabrown.co.uk)
Hi Ben
I would say that a good logo is absolutely essential to your business. When a design agency creates a bespoke logo they'll start by understanding your business: your goals, your clients, what makes you unique and the message you want to portray. They'll then use their expertise to select fonts and colours that say the right things about your business and will attract the right sort of customers for you: the ones who want to pay what you want to charge. They'll also add creative flair to make your business look professional and stand out from the crowd.
Creating a logo that says the right things about your business is a skill, and it's something that 'stock logos' simply can't achieve. How could they, when the person who created them knows nothing about your business?
You should probably expect to budget between £500 and £2000 for a decent logo design. That will usually include a brand manual (so you can be consistent like Sony, Philips and Panasonic) as well as perhaps some stationery designs.
It's interesting you talk about Sony etc not having a logo: they do. Their names are set in a certain font, in a certain colour and everything you see about them is consistent, so they certainly have a strong 'corporate identity'. Everything about their logos has been well planned and well executed to attract a certain type of customer, differentiate them from their competitors and build trust and confidence with their clients and suppliers.
Many people confuse the idea of a 'logo' with the 'device' or 'icon' that you often see attached to the name of a company: like the MacDonald's M or the Starbuck's circle icon.
I hope I haven't blinded you with too much science! The bottom line is that you need a logo. You can download a free article on how to brand your business effectively on my website http://www.guildfordprinting.com/brand_profitably.html and you'll also hear a radio interview with me talking about branding and logo designs here
Hope that helps! http://marvellousmonthlymarketingtips.co.uk/
Fiona
http://www.guildfordprinting.com/brand_profitably.html
Hi Ben,
Sorry to join this conversation late in the day - I am new to Donut - but my suggestion would be that you don't NEED a professionally designed identity to start a business, especially if the costs is prohibitive. I run a design agency and I see a massive chasm in people who use design well and those who don't, or don't need to.
Google did quite well with their identity, designed by the founders, and many companies do not use design in their sales process.
That said, it would depend on your business model and who your customers are - if it's consumer facing, I would suggest creating a strong brand with a clear identity.
If your business is B2B and just you to start with, effectively, YOU are the brand. A logo won't change that. The way you interact with clients will have much more of a weighting.
Thanks for all your comments/advice.
What got me started looking at logomaker and the like, was that a friend of mine has a logo which looks nice and came from there. I think she lucked out though, because the ones more related to my business sector, company name, service..etc look terrible.
I've since realised I can't really afford a designer to do my logo. Don't know what I was thinking.
I'm starting with practically zero budget, and was looking at graphic designers and 3g dongles.
I now have to choose between not having a logo at all, and making (a basic) one myself.
I've been using Google images for inspiration (as mentioned by mgoodine), but not come up with much so I'm going to keep looking. I might end up logo-less for a while.
Hi Ben
I would add that you need to go to a designer loaded with information. What is your business about? What do you want your client’s impression to be of your business? For a real estate appraisal client he wanted to portray and image that he had been around since the 1800's http://www.hendersonandbutt.com/ so a drawing of an older institutional building was used. Another client is a men’s sports themed hair salon. We started with sports themes but went with a traditional barber pole. http://www.gamedayhaircare.com/ The client who is a friend sent out his ideas to 30 trusted friends and got their feedback. This led him to the use of a barber pole. For brainstorming do a Google images search on symbols related to your industry or the message you want to send. Check out the designer your going to use. Are you inspired by their artistic creativeness or terrified by their eccentric behavior. Be comfortable with the designer you choose, then give them some direction and hopefully reduce you costs. Good luck with the new logo!
Hi there
I agree with the comments below, there are lots of off the shelf packages however your brand is something that will represent you for a very long time. Therefore it is important that the right decision is made at the very start.
Check out Creating Media at www.creatingmedia.co.uk
We are a friendly, creative small team of people with extensive experience in deisgn and branding.
We are also highly competitive (I don't want to publish rates on here, so call me for details!). In addition we always deliver on brief, on time and on budget.
It would be good to talk to you
Best regards Michelle @ Creating Media
I agree with the previous comments that you get what you pay for and generic logos are generally very poor quality. It is worth spending some time to decide on your overall design (logo, colours etc). Consistency throughout (both on-line and off-line) will give your business a more professional look and help to build trust in your brand. Choose a small number of colours that you will use, make sure your logo works in a variety of sizes from business card to poster and that it will still stand out in black and white.
Just to comment on your point about whether a logo is important. It is! Although simple text, the Sony, Philips and Panasonic logos are all easy to recognise, strong and really stand out. Great examples.
I hope this helps, but please e-mail nigel.dean@yahoo.co.uk if you would like to discuss your project further. I am also looking for freelance marketing and design work, so please get in touch if you are interested in working together on your new business.
Hi Ben,
Brand identity is really very important to a company. It's what sets one company apart from another in the same line of work. It's also the first opportunity to make a lasting impression.
I use Steve Boyle from http://www.whitelimedesign.co.uk to do my logo work. He is very reasonable on price and takes pride in producing original work that resonates with your values.
Cheers,
Arjun
http://www.evucan.com/
Hi Ben,
The answer depends on who you use to deliver this service. You might be best served using a local freelancer who will offer a lower hourly rate than an agency such as ours. Design rates for agencies like e-inbusiness are around the £100 per hour mark.
I would expect a decent designer to spend 1 - 2 days to deliver a project like this - they need to time to understand the brand values and purpose of your company before any logo concepts are produced. They then need time to produce concepts, present options, refine the preferred logos, select the final design and produce an approved version.
If you want to go the extra mile you will get your designer to produce a CI (corporate identity) guide that defines how the logo needs to be used to ensure you get brand consistency. This would include guidance on what to do with different colour backgrounds as well as black & white version and what spacing there should be around the logo to protect it. Add another day for this.
Day rates range from £200 for local freelancers up to £1,000 for specialist agencies.
You might want to try http://www.crowdspring.com as a potential source of designer - you can create & submit a project and then the Crowdspring community responds with design offerings. You pay if you choose one of them.
If you would like to chat to one of our designers to see if we can help (we've done many rebranding/logo design projects) then just let me know.
Hope that helps.
Thanks
james
Hi Ben,
Brand identity as a whole is very important to business, it identifies and sets your business apart from others in your field. The brands you've mentioned don't have crazy logos but you do associate quality with those names - that is the beauty of branding.
In terms of your own logo, stay away from generic logo creators - you will always end up with something shoddy and represents your brand poorly, the logo should be entirely connected to your business.
It's best to seek out a good designer who can come up with a number of ideas linked to what you want and hope to achieve. That way you carry your branding throughout your business, from stationary to flyers - your brand should build towards instant recognition. Take the McDonalds 'Golden Arches'; instantly recognisable across the world, integral to their business, central to all of their marketing activities.
In terms of price, it all depends on the agency. Do you want just logo creation or a greater brand ethos.
If you would like to discuss this further just email kira@yourmarketingangels.com and I would be more than happy to help you.
Many thanks
Hi Ben
Congratulations on starting your new business and well done for not making an attempt to do this yourself or on the cheap with stock icons on Logomaker.
I cannot stress enough how important it is right from the start that your brand identity sets your business apart from your competitors and is a professional piece of work. If you cut costs now in this area you will I am sure be back on this forum in 4 months time asking the same question because you are unhappy with your work.
Any designer worth their weight in gold will ask you some indepth questions before commencing your project in order to get a complete understanding of your requirements and to ascertain whether its just a logo you want or whether you need them to create a whole brand identity for your business.
As a guide most of my clients work comes in at around £550 for a seriously good logo. Let me know if I can be of any help.
Charlie
Hey!
Ok so it is important to have a brand, like many people have commented talking about the fact it is your business identity, separates you from your competition, provides future vision for your business and so on. We would agree. But one thing you must not forget is to think like the buyer.
I can guarantee you that ALL of our purchasing decisions are all based on the brands. Brands help us trust that they can deliver what we, as consumers, want. Therefore next time someone goes to a supermarket, i wonder how many products they buy based on their trust, desire for and want for the brand... not the product itself!
Anyway, this applies to all purchasing situations. Think like the buyer. What will make them choose you over your competitors? Well it is a mixture of things, but one is definitely trust. Would you trust a company who has no logo, brand, vision or values that they offer and deliver to you as a customer? Or would you go for the company who has impressed you with a more professional, serious, corporate approach who look like they mean business? First impressions are everything, for everything. We cant argue that.
Regarding costs, you can keep them low. A logo is not just a picture it stands for your visions and values. Who better to create your brands visions and values than yourself, the business owner. Ok so you need a little creative thinking with the logo - what colours represent you and why? Shapes? Give your business a personality - again another reason which builds trust in realtionships - hence why we have relationships with brands too! Once you have an idea search for a freelander who can put it into a design program anf format it all for you. That should make it cheaper. But whilst you are starting out, if you just take the time to visual how you see your logo and do the best you can im sure you will be fine. Just make sure whatever you go with, even for the time being, that you are consistent, corporate and communicate!
Best of luck!
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