So, you’re ready to design that perfect logo. No problem. Having the perfect logo is extremely important for your business. Whether you design the logo yourself or get it outsourced, the logo plays a significant role in the perception of your overall business.
This post will not only help you to understand the importance of your logo, but it will also give you some tips for creating your own logo and provide you with some great ways to get your logo designed.
Why Logo Design Is Important to Your Business
A logo is nothing to be taken lightly. It’s literally a virtual representation of your brand. Your logo is speaking for you when no one else is. Your logo can say something inspiring and motivating or it can be dull and lifeless. You choose. Either way, know that your logo makes a strong first impression on your business, and gives potential customers a first-hand look at what your business is about.
Tips for Designing the Perfect Logo
Here are some great tips for designing the perfect logo for your business:
- Say who you are without words
- Keep it clean
- Add shapes
- Add a variety of shades
- Be literal
- Be authoritative
- Consider its use
Say Who You Are Without Words
Why tell people what you do when you can just show them. A picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s the magic of the logo. Simple icons, designs, concepts, and illustrations can say so much about your brand. Your logo should be eye-catching, timeless, and memorable. When you can put all of this into your logo, you’ve achieved a major feat.
Keep It Clean
Utilize blanks space to ensure people can read your logo, regardless of the distance they’re viewing it from. Space keeps it clean, easier to read, invokes a spirit of calmness, and makes it simpler to integrate into different designs and formats. If you’re familiar with the arrow in the FedEx logo, that’s a great example of great use of space.
Add Shapes
Shapes can help your logo stand out. They also add a touch for a professional look. Shapes help with cross-platform branding, making it easier to place on letterhead, put in presentations, and add on to merchandise, like pens, mugs and lanyards.
Add a Variety of Shades
Monochromatic doesn’t always mean black and white! That can be uneventful and downright boring. Consider using various shades of the same color to create subtle contrasts within your logo. Ever noticed the PayPal logo? They use three different shades of blue.
Be Literal
Remember, earlier it was stated earlier that people should know who you are from your logo? Well, yeah. It was literally to mean just that (get it?). If your name is Electric Box, how about your logo being a box with electricity coming from it or going through it? Let’s say you have a soup and salad bar you’ve named The Golden Spoon. You should think about incorporating a gold spoon into that logo somewhere. Just an idea. The thing is, if your name is a thing, make that thing your logo. Don’t be afraid to lean into the obvious, there’s a reason that Apple’s logo is, well, an apple.
Be Authoritative
Sometimes your logo is best when you put all jokes aside. Depending on the nature of your business, you may want your logo to view you as an authority in your industry. In that case, you don’t want it to look too cartoonish. Make sure your logo portrays a level of seriousness. If someone saw your logo, would it speak of trust and dependability to them? Muted colors and serif fonts are helpful in creating that serious look.
Consider Its Use
Knowing how your logo will be used helps in determining its design. Will it be used on uniforms? How about other types of merchandise or products? Will it only be seen online? Seeing your logo for its intent gives you more insight into the look you want it to have. This mockup generator can be a great resource for seeing how great or not-so-great your logo really looks.
The 5 Best Ways to Get a Logo Designed
Getting a logo designed can be a challenge. You want to ensure that it’s done right because it’s the greatest speak to who you are. As the public face of your brand, your logo must say everything about your business, from what you do to whom you serve. That’s a lot at stake, so whether you’re designing your own logo or outsourcing, here are five great ways to get your logo designed.
- Logo Maker
- Design Company
- Logo Design Agency
- Freelance
- Contest Platform
1. Use a Logo Maker
One of the most popular ways to create a logo is to use an online company that allows you the opportunity to create your own logo. This is a great choice for some because after all, no one knows better than you how your logo should look. You’ve envisioned it; you’ve dreamed about it and now you have the opportunity to create exactly what you’ve been waiting for.
There are many websites that offer easy-to-use tools that will help you generate a logo. If you’re looking to create something quickly, logo makers like Canva, Looka, and DesignBro are a good option. It’s certainly faster than working with a designer and you get many options to customize your designs. You get to choose designs, templates, fonts, colors, graphics and vectors and effects. The best thing about using logo makers is that they’re extremely inexpensive. Some are even free to use.
The not-so-good thing about logo makers is that while you get to customize your logo, these are not custom logos. The same designs and options available to you are also available to every other business out there, so there’s nothing custom about it. That can take away from the original look you were going for. Also, if you’re not great yourself at pulling colors, fonts, shapes, etc., together, it may not look as professional as you’d like. Not all of us are designers.
2. Work with a Logo Design Company
Logo design companies, like Vista Logos and Logo Design Valley, are another option if you’re in need of an inexpensive logo within 48 hours. Their online professional team of graphic artists are available to create your custom logo ASAP. The process is pretty simple.
You select the package you would like to purchase. The purchase will include the number of design concepts, with the number of brand designers. The package you select will determine the number of mockups available to you, and it will also determine the file formats. Some only come in one file format. Some packages may include additional addons, like a set of letterhead, envelopes, and business cards.
Within a day or two, you could have the perfect logo in your inbox. This is not a bad option, as long as you’re happy with the final outcome. You only get the number of said concepts for what you paid. So, if none of those options work for you, you’ll have to request a refund.
3. Work with a Design Agency
Design agencies, like Green Pixel and The Design Agency, are a great option when it comes to creating your logo. There are many agencies to choose from, as well as different types. Design agencies can be from digital to full-service. They are great at numerous things, beyond just creating logos. Working with a design agency usually involves having a team at your disposal to work with you on your design needs. This is great for branding as you always have a team ready to create and design for whatever you need, whether it be for print or digital.
Most design teams are there with you from start to finish helping you to create your brand, which could be a lengthy process, or it could be a one-off project like a logo. Designs who partner with you throughout your journey benefit your brand because they can easily create your design for whatever look or style you need, for any type of marketing. Hiring a design agency to create your logo, could be a bit pricey; you could end up spending thousands of dollars on a logo. If you’re a new business, it’s likely your budget may not be quite ready for that.
4. Work With a Freelancer
Working with a freelancer through Upwork or Fiverr is another option for getting your logo designed, and is a popular choice by many. There are many online sites designed to choose a freelancer for multiple uses. Graphic designers are available to work with for logo designs. With a freelancer, you have the opportunity to work one-on-one with them to ensure they understand what you’re looking for in a logo.
Most of these sites host hundreds of thousands of affordable graphic designers. You get to read through their profiles, look at samples of their work, and choose the one you think will be able to deliver. You also decide how much you’re willing to pay to get the job done. Some sites will allow you to describe what you’re looking for, and the freelancers will bid on the work. You could receive up to 50 proposals for your work. Again, the final decision lies with you because you are the one making the final decision on the freelancer. All choices lie with you.
While working with the freelancer, the best outcomes come from good communication. So, make sure you’re available to respond to any questions the designer may have during the process. When the designer submits the logo for your approval you can choose to accept the work as is or continue the process through revisions. Just as with the design company, you’re only paying for a said number of concepts. Hopefully, they’ll be able to deliver. Once everyone’s happy, the contract ends, and you pay for the logo.
On some sites, you get to write a review of your customer experience and the freelancer may also get to write a review of you. Hopefully, the reviews are good because your review could be the deciding factor for future bread and butter for this artist. And their review of you could make your first time on the site, the last one if no one chooses to work with you again. So, even though you’re the receiver, professionalism and courtesy are important throughout the process, as negative ratings can affect your ability to outsource work again on the platform.
5. Work with a Logo Design Contest Platform
Our last option for getting the logo of your dreams is to go through a logo design contest platform. Design contests are considered the crowdfunding source for logos and they can also be very exciting. Design contests, like Hatchwise, 99Designs, DesignBro and DesignCrowd, have a smorgasbord of professional designers itching to create for you—designers are at your fingertips from all around the world. With so many designers to choose from, you have the option to work with as many designers as you want until you get the design of your dreams. That means you don’t just get to select a designer; you can work with multiple designers. With the option to work with so many designers, the chance of you finding the perfect logo is hugely increased. The number of options provided, and their level of quality depends on what pricing tier you’re willing to invest in.
Millions of logos have been created using design contests. They are some of the most professional-looking logos created by some of the best talents for design. Talents come from hundreds of countries creating captivating logos all over the globe. You simply let the designers know what you’re looking for and how long you want the contest to run. You’ll have to decide your budget because the larger your budget, the more designers you can work with. Allow the creatives to design for you and you get to provide feedback as the results come in. You can rate and review the entries and make changes as you wish. And you make the final decision on who the winner is.
There are many design contest platforms to choose from, so do the research needed to ensure you get the most design concepts, from the greatest number of designers for the best price.
Packages can range from as little as $89 to as much as $1,300. When you’re talking about having dozens of design options to choose from among dozens of different designers, providing feedback on each design, and creating your baby — your infamous logo design, most other options just don’t seem to compare. There’s nowhere else you can work with as many designers on the budget you want and come out with the logo of your dreams.
All contest packages include the “prize amount” that the creative you select as a winner, gets in exchange for transferring the ownership rights of the logo and delivering the final files in multiple file formats.
Final Words
Creating a logo is an exciting time and can mean so much for your brand. Don’t take this opportunity lightly. Do your homework; study to know the type of representation you desire for your brand. Your logo should be eye-catching, timeless, and memorable. It is the visual presentation of who you are. Hopefully, our tips and resources have been helpful to you, and you’ve decided on the best and hopefully, most exciting way to get your logo designed. If there’s anything Logobly can do, don’t hesitate to reach out.
PJ has a background in management consulting and software development. At DesignBro, he combines both. Personal favorite brand of PJ is Jeep.
