A great logo design is one of the most critical branding tools a company can have. It represents your business to the world and should be designed with care.
Unfortunately, not all companies understand the importance of a professional logo design. As a result, some end up paying too much or getting ripped off by scam artists.
If you’re in the market for a new logo, or even if you just want to make sure you’re getting the best from your current designer, consult these tips for avoiding common pitfalls!
Why Does a Logo Matter for Your Business
A custom logo design is essential for a company’s brand strategy; it’s never just a logo!
Your logo represents your company to the world and should be instantly recognizable to the right clients for your business. A good logo can help customers remember your company and help differentiate you from your competitors.
In today’s competitive market, it’s more important than ever to have a strong brand that stands out from the rest. Therefore, a great company logo is vital for any successful branding strategy.
Questions to Ask Yourself Before Beginning the Design Process
- Can I afford to pay a professional for their services?
- Do I know what my logo will look like before beginning the logo designing process?
- How does this logo fit into my brand’s message and market positioning?
- Can I see this logo used in multiple mediums?
- Am I willing to invest more money in the process depending on what is needed to perfect this logo?
Finally, and most importantly,
- Am I willing to take the time to find the right graphic artist that understands my vision and can give me exactly what I want?
How to Find the Right Designer for You
Logo design is a specialized skill. Some designers won’t know how to create the look you want unless they have experience in your industry. If you need help, here are some tips for finding a good artist:
Look at Reviews
Look at the company’s previous work or look for reviews on their website. You are looking for the experiences of past clients to see if they got what they paid for.
Avoid Cheap Prices
Some designers will try to exploit new customers by offering extremely low prices. If you get a great deal, it probably means the designer will be cutting corners wherever they can!
Find Someone Who Specializes in the Logo Design Style That Fits Your Needs
Since logo design is such creative work, it’s essential to find a graphic designer specializing in the type of logo you need. If you’re looking for something modern and hip, don’t look for logo designers who have spent years designing traditional logos for companies.
Instead, look for graphic designers who have design concepts in their portfolios that fit realistic expectations of what you are looking for in the logo project for your business.
Don’t Hire Just Any Designer— Do Your Research First!
Never jump on a freelance designer who offers you a great logo price before you ever have a consultation for your logo design and branding package!
Before hiring any graphic designers, do a little research. Check out their portfolio and make sure that the logo you’re getting will fit your needs. For example, if it’s going on a website, look at a few options of other sites the design team has worked on and see what styles they’ve used.
If you want a 1950s throwback logo with watercolors and script font, don’t hire a graphic artist specializing in sleek, modern logos!
It’s crucial to find the right fit for your needs. You want to be happy with your logo because it will be on all of your marketing materials!
Be Honest With Your Designer-Make Sure You Get What You’re Paying For
Never pay a flat fee for logo design services, no matter how good the deal sounds!
A well-designed logo requires years of experience and an eye for solid branding. It’s impossible to give you a quote for your graphic design without seeing your company. So be upfront about what you want from them, but don’t ever expect someone to do all your design work for only $100.
Find Someone You Can Work with-Don’t Give Up Your Vision To A Designer!
Sometimes a designer can bring a concept to life that you couldn’t have imagined yourself but don’t give up the reins when it comes to your logo’s final design. It’s essential that you are honest about what you’re looking for from the beginning, and if you need more revisions to your graphic design, ask for them!
Just because a graphic artist creates a rough sketch doesn’t mean it’s a final logo. If you’re unhappy with the first design, ask for more changes.
Keep in mind that design agencies will never promise to have your project completed by a specific time or include unlimited draft concepts as part of their service.
However, while professional designers may not be able to give you weekly updates on your logo’s ETA, they should be willing to send you drafts and give you an honest time frame for completion.
Don’t Ever Settle For a Logo You Are Unhappy With
Remember that your logo is one of the most critical parts of your brand.
If you aren’t excited about your logo, you can’t expect customers to be excited!
There are always other designers who can help you create an excellent logo for your company. And remember, no matter what they promise, a graphic artist that isn’t willing to listen to your input will never leave you with a finished logo design project that you’re head over heels for.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes People Make When Hiring a Logo Designer
There are a few things that people can do to avoid getting ripped off when hiring a logo designer:
Don’t Hire a Designer from Fivver
A logo design package can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars, but it all depends on the designer.
It’s important to be aware that if someone is offering their services on a website like Fivver, they might be too inexperienced to create your business logo, or it could be a scam!
No full-time designer will spend unlimited amounts of time creating a custom logo for a new business for $5.
Don’t Hold a Social Media Design Contest to Save Money
Some people assume that they can lower their expected logo cost by holding a social media logo contest and opening the creative market to anyone interested in designing their logo.
While this saves you money on hiring a designer, it often leaves you with no control over the final product.
For example, suppose you don’t like any of the submissions. In that case, you still have to choose a winner for your social media graphic design contest and end up putting more money into design work that you won’t use for your company.
It’s crucial to find a design that represents your business instead of purely looking for a good deal with a flat rate for your project.
Don’t Negotiate Your Logo Price Based on Quantity
Some business owners may think that by ‘bundling’ their logo work into multiple projects, they can pay less for the entire process.
For example, some designers may offer to create three different logos for you in addition to some other marketing material for a cheaper rate than hiring someone on an hourly basis. While this sounds like a great deal for a small business, it’s typically not the best option.
Although you may only need three individual graphic designs, hiring an agency or designer on an hourly basis will allow you to revise any logo designs until you are satisfied with them without having to fork over extra cash that you didn’t expect to pay for even more options.
Tips for Getting the Best from Your Current Designer
To get a finished project with logos you love, it’s vital that you are confident in the artist you choose. Follow these tips to make sure your designer is doing the best job possible to meet your needs:
Discuss Logo Ideas with Your Graphic Designer, Don’t Just Send References
If you’re looking to hire someone based on their previous work, you need to know that they can create the style of logo you want.
It’s necessary to have in-depth discussions about the logo style you want up front before hiring a designer. Just sending pictures of logos from a certain industry or competitors that you like won’t give an accurate feel for your customized logo.
When discussing your logo ideas with your designers, be sure to ask them questions about their process and how they can create a logo that captures the personality of your business.
Discussing the details at this stage is vital because if you don’t like the way your logo comes out, you won’t know how to communicate what changes need to be made unless you and your designer are on the same page.
Be Patient: Don’t Rush Your Logo Designers
Let’s face it; it takes more than a few hours to design a logo for a business that not only looks good on a business card but also on any other marketing materials that could bring in your ideal clients.
It makes sense when you think about it. A graphic designer doesn’t just open Adobe Illustrator, throw down a quick image and a company name, and save it in the correct file format. There’s much more to it than that!
Suppose you need your finished logo design by a deadline that is sooner than what most designers are willing to do. In that case, it’s crucial that you communicate this with your designer and develop a project time frame that works for both you and them.
A logo can take anywhere from a few days to weeks of revisions until you’re completely satisfied. Keep in mind that you can’t rush creativity. If you do, you’ll have a logo that isn’t the best representation of your business.
Side note: Don’t expect to receive a logo within a week, but you should expect weekly updates.
Communication is Dire
The most important thing to remember when choosing a graphic artist is that they are there to meet your needs. It’s not their job to read your mind or know exactly what you want without being told in detail.
You have the final say on any logo design changes in terms of fonts, colors, imagery, etc., so make sure your designer knows this. Graphic artists are established business professionals who have designed logos of all shapes and sizes in many industries and know what works best in graphic design for many different businesses.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you’re unsure about something; the more open you are with your designer, the better the chances they’ll understand.
Run Your Completed Project Through a Reverse Image Search
Many businesses (both large and small businesses alike) have run into issues when looking for cheap options like a DIY logo maker or a Fivver designer. They may receive a logo that they like enough to use for their company and not find out for years that companies all over that used the same logo maker are using the same logo as them!
If you’re selecting a graphic artist to work on your logo, make sure to mention this before they design your logo. Ask them if they will run it through a reverse image search themselves to confirm that another graphic designer hasn’t already created the logo.
This may be a question to ask during your initial consultation instead of by e-mail when the design is complete. If your graphic artist refuses to do so, you may want to ask more questions.
Follow Through on What You Promise
When you hire someone for any service, whether a logo designer, a brand strategist or an app developer, make sure you hold up your end of the bargain.
What this means is that if you decide to work with a designer and hire them to design a logo for your company, you need to follow through on what you promised. This includes keeping in contact often when there are revisions or updates, so the process doesn’t take longer than expected.
When you promise a designer that you’ll pay them in full for their services and don’t, or you take long periods to approve proofs and other information they’re waiting on, it shows disrespect and unprofessionalism on your part.
Even worse, other companies that work with your designer may end up hearing about your business practices, leading to brand identity problems when the word spreads!
Don’t Put Saving Money on a Logo Ahead of Your Brand Identity
A common mistake that some entrepreneurs make is cutting corners when it comes to their business logo. They’ll search the Internet for cheap options or ask friends and family members who are also in business if they can provide them with a free logo.
A $10 Fivver design may seem like a great option when you’re on a budget, but when it comes to your brand identity, this can be a huge mistake.
Instead, you should spend money creating a fantastic, unique logo when your business is in its infancy. If your logo is terrible, so will your business branding!
When you hire someone reputable for their design services, they will come up with original ideas customized to your specific wants and needs. This will give you the advantage of inviting your target audience with nothing but an image!
Sidenote: Some designers may take clients on a value-based pricing plan. This means that they see potential in your business to bring more clients for them! Don’t look at this offer as a red flag for the job! Accept the compliment and get the job done!
This is not often an option for clients that are just starting out. Clients that have already established a name in their field are often on the receiving end of in-house deals like these.
Things You Should Know Before Starting the Design Process
Designing a logo is a process that you should spend a fair amount of time thinking about before you hire an artist.
You should:
- Know what you want your logo to look like before starting the design process
- Have a budget in mind and be ready to speak to the artist about whether or not your budget is realistic
- Communicate with your designer often
- Run the logo design through a reverse image search
- Follow through on your promises
- Don’t put saving funds ahead of your brand identity
Common Pitfalls in Hiring an Inexperienced or Dishonest Logo Designer
You can’t be right all the time, and sometimes people can fool you. So keep an eye out for red flags from your artist that point to dodgy practices.
The Possible Results of Hiring a Dishonest or Inexperienced Designer Are Endless. Here Are a Few:
- The artist may not be familiar with what you want
- You may end up with a logo that is too generic or not unique enough to your business
- The artist may not give you the proper file types after your project is complete
- You may end up with a half-finished design because they promised a flat fee and weren’t willing to make changes
- The work done may not fit your business, but you are still expected to pay for it and will now have to find another artist and pay for a second logo
Look Out for Red Flags and Don’t Hire Someone Who:
- Sells cheap work for exorbitant prices
- Doesn’t have a portfolio available (or has a weak portfolio)
- Has no website, or no reviews of their work on their website
- Promises you the world and agrees with everything you say
- Makes changes to their initial quote before you sign a contract after you’ve decided on a price
- Doesn’t ask you to sign a contract or agree to terms before starting your project
- Is not willing to negotiate with you at any point or advise you how you could pull off a project within your budget
Questions to Ask During the Interview Process With Potential Designers
With so much at stake for your brand identity, it’s essential to do your research before hiring a logo designer.
You will want to ask many questions during the interview process and while creating the design brief. Here is a small list of general questions that you will need the answers to:
- Can you tell me about your design process? How long should it take to finalize a logo from start to finish?
- How will I communicate with you during the creative process?
- What file types can I expect after the project is complete and what if I want multiple sizes for different platforms?
- Do you charge a flat fee for specific jobs, or will your pricing change based on the logo design itself?
- What’s your availability like, and how quickly can you start working after agreeing on a price and timeline?
- Do you also print marketing materials? If so, is the printing completed in-house?
- Can you show me examples of logos you’ve created in the past?
- Can we run this logo through a reverse image search to make sure it’s original?
- How many revisions do you include in this price quote, and what does each revision entail (i.e., fixing the wrong colors, adding contrast to dark logos)?
- Do you have any additional costs like file hosting fees or editing fees if modifications are needed once the project is complete?
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to start the interviewing process! Keep in mind that a logo is arguably the most critical aspect of your brand identity, and you should take your time finding the right designer. (We know, we’ve mentioned that a lot, but it’s so important!)
Ask a lot of questions during the interview, and be sure to get everything in writing before starting the project. Following through on your promises will ensure a successful working relationship with your designer and help avoid any costly mistakes.
If you’re searching for a design team that cares about your logo, call Fusion Marketing today at 586-610-0055 or click here to get your quote started online, or visit this article to check out our design process!
