Where and how can I get my business logo? It’s a question business owners often struggle answering, and one that may seem even more confusing when you see everything that comes up the minute you look online. Getting a logo is an important part of presenting your brand the right way. It’s a key in communicating with potential customers, and in making your brand memorable. People do judge a book by its cover, and they’ll judge your brand by its logo. So, doing it right should be a priority. And this can be tricky when you lack the information to understand what is what. We understand: you want a good logo, at a good price, and you want it done right. So, whether you’re on a budget, looking for the highest quality, or simply looking for the best value for your money, we’ve got the right method for you.
When you get down to it, you’ve got four options to get your business logo made:
- the online logo maker
- a freelance designer
- a design contest
- a professional design agency
Let’s go through them.
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Click, Click and Bam! The Online Logo Maker
The online logo maker is simple and dirt-cheap. They basically utilize a number of existing images and fonts with tools that allow you to make your own business logo. You’ll type in your brand name, and anything else you want included on the logo, and then rifle through some options of symbols and colors. After a few quick choices, you’ll have a logo. Often, you’ll need to pay $30 – $50 to be able to use it.
It may seem like the perfect option: it’s cheap, fast and easy to use. But there are consequences for the low price. For starters, the logo you end up with is unlikely to be of the best quality. The small details that designers put into creating the perfect logo are impossible to accomplish with the online logo maker. Moreover, you’re likely to run into some copyright issues, since you’re using stock images to make your logo.
We have an extensive article on the topic so you can find out more about the online logo maker, the pros and the cons, and whether it’s right for you.
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The Freelance Designer: Your Friend’s Friend?
A freelance designer is a self-employed designer that takes on different projects to make a living. It’s a little difficult to talk about them in a general and broad sense since each one has their own distinct portfolio and skill-set, costs and schedule. This means that your experience may greatly differ from one freelance designer to the next, as will the costs.
The freelance designer can be the best or the worst option, depending on the freelancer. The key lies in choosing the right designer, communicating effectively and honestly, and managing expectations throughout the process. At the end of the day, however, we recommend some caution, since you are relying completely on one individual when going for the freelance designer.
If you want to find out more about how to get the right freelance designer, whether this route is right for you, and the ups and downs of going for the freelance designer, we have a full article available for you.
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Be The Judge: Design Contest
A design contest is a more modern approach to getting your business logo made. It’s simple, you start a contest, giving some guidance of what you’re looking for in your logo and the needs of your brand. Designers all around the world see your contest and decide whether to partake or not. If they decide to join, they’ll send you some designs tailored to what you’re looking for and you can go through and pick which ones are your favorite. You can offer some feedback to help them improve their designs and receive revised versions. In the end, you choose a winner, and just like that you’ve got yourself a logo.
The issue with many design contests revolve around a fixation for quantity and not quality. Many promise you hundreds of designs, for a relatively cheap price. This system makes it harder for the client to make a choice, and leads to hundreds of lower quality designs. But the format of the design agency is an effective one, with considerable potential. This is why there are good options out there.
If you’re going to go for the design contest platform, make sure you’re going for one that is going to give you your money’s worth when it comes to the quality of the designs. DesignBro, for example, was born out of the need to put the focus on quality again. Designers are vetted, and their work is always observed to ensure quality. All designers are professional, experienced, and hand-picked by the staff. This is an example of a design contest platform that gives quality the importance it deserves.
If you’re looking for a more in-depth analysis of the design contest platform, and are interested in finding out more about it, check out our full article on it!
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The Full Package: Professional Design Agency
If you’ve got the money, a professional design agency can provide you the support to get a top-notch business logo. A professional design agency has a full staff dedicated to getting you the design you want. They will work with you to ensure your brand is what it should be, and to provide advice and expertise on how to improve and optimize your branding. You’ll usually pay tens of thousands for their guidance regarding the best logo and branding for your company. It’s a comprehensive approach to getting a logo made, but a pricy one.
If you have the budget, and are willing to invest it, this is a good option. However, it’s in your best to question whether the money you’re offering is worth it. Often you’ll end up paying for a lot of overheads, which might make the price tag less acceptable.
To learn more about the professional design agency, and find out whether it’s the right choice for you or not, visit our article on the subject.
So, How Should I Get My Business Logo?
We know it’s a lot of information to take in all at once. But the basics are simple. If you’ve got tens-of-thousands to spend on a business logo, go for a professional design agency. If you have minimal budget to spend on a logo, and need a quick-and-dirty solution immediately, the online logo maker is your friend. If you know of a good freelance designer who you can afford, and who you trust, then that’s a good choice for you, as long as you’re aware that you have to be careful and communicate as much as possible. If you’re a small or medium business, and you want the best value for money, then you should probably opt for a design contest.
Whatever you choose, realize that the logo you get will speak directly to consumers about your brand, so it’s important it’s saying what you want it to say. Make sure you make the most out of whatever method you choose, so you can get the logo your brand needs.
Besides having grown up in the design Industry, Christiaan has advised some of the world’s largest companies on their branding & packaging designs. Has been the resident judge for design awards, and has spoken at numerous global design & marketing events. Christiaan founded the London office of the award-winning Cartils agency, and has founded the DesignBro.com platform.
