Business Logos for my new business

[Paul Murray]

I think my objection to these types of conversations is the assumption that just because something is cheap it must automatically be rubbish.

When it comes to a brand identity, this is often the case.

If people are aware they're getting a 'cheap and cheerful' logo for that price then that's fair enough. I understand that people have budgets they must stick to and I wouldn't expect anyone to pay more money than they have for anything (I wouldn't).

But when such sites are claiming to offer professional graphic design for incredibly low prices, when in fact the work is at times awful, it's misleading, and eventually has a knock on effect when actual professional designers are classed seen as 'overpriced'.

We're trying to run a business too!

 

[Montaigne]

I think that both points of view are correct depending on the situation.

It's a valid point that if you want someone to create a market brand for your company then there is a lot more work involved than may go into just getting a logo designed but again it depends on the scenario.

For example if Coca Cola decide they want to start a business running gated communities then I've no doubt they would spend millions of pounds on brand image, brand identity, suitable brand penetration of the desired market sector in order to have maximum targeted impact from the very first day. They wouldn't just pay for a simple logo to add to their stationery.

On the other hand a start-up newsagents on the high street would not necessarily spend vast volumes of their budget creating an all consuming brand identity, instead being satisfied with a logo on a sign that reflects the basic ethos of their business.

I don't think the newsagents spending £200 on a new sign is making a bad business decision because they're not spending 20k on marketing a unique brand in the marketplace. I also don't think they're getting ripped off by everybody who suggests they could do the work for £200.

On the other hand should that newsagents be wildly successful and open up a chain of 50 newsagents in the first 3 years I think that employing a company to carry out a more thorough branding exercise for the firm would be a good idea and the level of work involved would naturally incur a much higher investment than £200.

Essentially what we're discussing is "expectation". I have just had two logos designed, each for £50 and I'm happy with what I have received. I wanted a different logo to go on top of each of my company websites and to add to email messages. That's what I expected, that is the service I was sold and that is what I got.

Now, if the firm had promised to completely re-brand my entire organisation, carry out customer research of my sector, research the industry and then put together a package, for £50, then I know that wouldn't be possible and have them still make a living and they would most probably be spinning me a line. If I had believed such a pitch then expected to get a service that really should cost several thousand pounds then yes that firm would be conning me and it would make other firms charging the actual rate look ridiculous, price wise.

You're commenting on the other site and saying how paying low rates means you get rubbish and you should hire professional designers but looking on your company website you're a second year graphical design student, which is not what I would class as a professional graphic designer, but rather a trainee graphic designer.

The first two examples in your portfolio seem pretty basic with the first for Nikki Strange just being the name of the company in a fun font. There are only four example in your portfolio so not really much to go on, especially when discussing brand identity.

Therefore I could level the same criticisms at you that you are levelling at cheaper firms but flip it the other way to suggest that you are trying to charge the higher rates of a professional designer before you have actually reached that level i.e. you are deceiving customers by charging too much rather than too little.

Now before you get too offended about my last three paragraphs I have to say that I don't think the title of professional is only restricted to people out of university, I don't think that your designs are basic and I don't think that you're deceiving customers.

Professional has nothing to do with whether you're a 2nd year student or not; you can be capable, talented and professional at any point in your life or career.

I actually really like the Nikki Strange design. It looks very cool. Having a good logo that is deceptively simple is not a bad thing hence my Coca Cola reference

Finally it would be ridiculous of me to suggest that if you're running a business whilst in Uni' you wouldn't need to earn a decent wage like anyone else running a business. It would just be a stupid point to make.

So, the reason I furnished these examples from your perspective was to demonstrate that the same criticisms you are making about other firms can also be applied to you (rightly or wrongly). You know that as far as you are concerned they're not accurate therefore if they can be levelled at you and you can dismiss them this should refute the same argument you make about others.

Also anyone who likes Atari Teenage Riot is always going to be in my good books

 

[dottylou]

Hi Gemma

We create logos that are bespoke to each company. Very reasonable rates. Have a look at our website www.dottyhippodesign.com at our portfolio and we also have client testimonials on there also.

We would be happy to discuss this further.

 

[Montaigne]

Hi Dotty,

The first page of your portfolio is blank?

 

[TitanWebsites]

Hi Gemma,

Your corporate ID is vital. BUT make sure you have a good domain name too before going ahead, and make sure that all the fonts etc you have are good safe web fonts, of can easily be reproduced.

The guys at Nomad Associates that we frequently work with when we do small business websites are really good, they should be able to help you with every aspect. Some of the stuff they have do I think is amazing.

If they can't help you, they may know someone who can.

Good luck with you new venture.

 

[zartash]

You won't find any design professionals on there and some of the 'designers' that do use those sites usually have no regard for copyright infringement what so ever (there's plenty of articles online to support this).your branding has to match your positioning so it is important to work with someone who can think through the whole messaging - I am more than happy to have a chat if you would like to contact me for some advice.

 

[zartash]

You won't find any design professionals on there and some of the 'designers' that do use those sites usually have no regard for copyright infringement what so ever (there's plenty of articles online to support this).your branding has to match your positioning so it is important to work with someone who can think through the whole messaging.

 

[Revolution_Inc]

Why would you not get your brand in place to start with? Brand recognition is ultimately everything. Many design agencies these days are also print brokers, web designers/developers and offer marketing advice and strategies.

In all honesty I would be all for promoting a freelance designer to produce your logo (as long as you get it in writing that you own the copyright after the work has been done) but that won't be enough for you. The additional advice and the relationship you will form with an actual agency will honestly be worth its weight. If you can have an agency which brands your company, deals with your marketing (materials and strategy) and can produce your website your afford yourself a great relationship, one which will also give you honest and frank advice when you need it.

And to be fair the amount of research which is necessary before making a brand means that cheaper is always poorer than a more accurately priced brand. There is more to it that creating an image and throwing in some text that looks nice, so much of a brand is subliminal.

 

[Montaigne]

Why would you not get your brand in place to start with? Brand recognition is ultimately everything. Many design agencies these days are also print brokers, web designers/developers and offer marketing advice and strategies.

In all honesty I would be all for promoting a freelance designer to produce your logo (as long as you get it in writing that you own the copyright after the work has been done) but that won't be enough for you. The additional advice and the relationship you will form with an actual agency will honestly be worth its weight. If you can have an agency which brands your company, deals with your marketing (materials and strategy) and can produce your website your afford yourself a great relationship, one which will also give you honest and frank advice when you need it.

And to be fair the amount of research which is necessary before making a brand means that cheaper is always poorer than a more accurately priced brand. There is more to it that creating an image and throwing in some text that looks nice, so much of a brand is subliminal.

Sure but it depends on your budget. How many start ups and sole traders do you think can afford to employ a design agency from the beginning to create their "brand"?

 

[Business News]

Sure but it depends on your budget. How many start ups and sole traders do you think can afford to employ a design agency from the beginning to create their "brand"?

This has been an interesting thread with designers all for, understandably, spend spend spend on design and image although I'm more cautious and stand by my earlier submission that a new entity does not have an image to protect or promote so logo's and branding through design is a luxury that may or may not be affordable.

With this thread, the OP has never responded to any comments so it looks like they have sorted themselves out and don't have any interest in what anyone is submitting into the thread anyway. It may be time to let this one die.

 

[TitanWebsites]

The level to witch you initially develop your corporate brand at the beginning depends on the industry you are in.

If you are a 1 man tradesman (non-professional service) type of company, then you are not expected to have a fancy cards etc.

BUT if you are a professional businesses, the it is a bit different, your clothes, businesses address, corporate brand all say a lot about who you might be.

I.e. a graphic designer with a standard black and white one side business card, you are not going to be taken seriously, it would need to show a level of creativity.

A corporate lawyer, working from his bedroom with inkjet printed letter heads, is just not going to get the multi million corporate defence case.

And so it goes on.

It is all about the image you want to get out there, and for some people when they are just starting up, the bottom is not always where they want to start.

If you have got the budget, and the experience you can leapfrog a few years (or more) of the growing pains.

So I guess what I am saying, is there is no wrong or right answer to this, it is what is right for you.

In my experience of both IT support and Website development, it is better to have a good corporate brand at the start, people take you seriously faster.

Good luck.

 

[Revolution_Inc]

This has been an interesting thread with designers all for, understandably, spend spend spend on design and image although I'm more cautious and stand by my earlier submission that a new entity does not have an image to protect or promote so logo's and branding through design is a luxury that may or may not be affordable.

With this thread, the OP has never responded to any comments so it looks like they have sorted themselves out and don't have any interest in what anyone is submitting into the thread anyway. It may be time to let this one die.

It depends how much you think a design agency costs. If you go for a middleweight agency then it will probably be a lot cheaper than you might think. Certainly affordable, but then again it depends how much emphasis you want to put on Marketing.

Its true the OP does seem to have it sorted though, I wonder what decision they took :|

 

[tom1111]

Hi, just visit this site..... "logodesignteam(dot)com".
It'll surely help you to find logo for your business and i would say one more thing that there are many sites in the web that can help you, you have to just search on the web.

 

[Twim]

Look for someone who specialises in brand personification rather than just graphic designs. The difference is that someone who understands brand personification uses a philosophical approach by trying to understand the mind of your target audience, so designing a logo or a brand around that is important, as it gives your audience something to relate to, something from their past, or something that they come across on a day to day basis

An example: Specsavers opticians sells a lens extra called "ultraclear", now there is a recruitment agency that specialises in staffing for opticians, and everytime there marketing material would go out to Specsavers, they would have a heading of "now recruitment is Ultraclear too"

Hope it helps

 

[iArtist]

It depends entirely what type of logo you're looking for. If you require a cartoon or illustrative logo, I can create cartoon and digital design logos, totally scaleable.

 

[deewn6]

I design logos like millions out there. But I also work with the company too utilising my experience in business at all levels - I set up to give small business a fighting chance and have some support. My rates are low but love to work with start ups and hopefully they stick with me until they grow too big.

In my mind a good logo is one that has a story and reason to exist - is strong and memorable. Team this up with strong brand values across the company as you grow and you should be on to a winner. Good strong and more importantly consistent communication is the key in my mind - across the board.

And please when you do get a logo - never ever ever compress the aspect ratio. I have seen hundreds of small companies who ruin the whole thing by knocking out a quick poster and 'making the logo fit'!

If you are going to do it properly think corporate hand book - when did you last see an odd looking Nike tick except on a fake.

Good luck with it all.

 

[athanne]

Yes, you need a logo but not as much as you need the business. First get the business in operation. You might, after having seen the progress of your company and and its future prospects, get a good designer to come up with something quite unique and most suitable for your company. By this you may end up having an appealing and a lasting logo for your business. From your talk you seem not to have liked many of the designs you came across, so why rash for one.

 

[athanne]

Yes, you need a logo but not as much as you need the business. First get the business in operation. You might, after having seen the progress of your company and and its future prospects, get a good designer to come up with something quite unique and most suitable for your company. By this you may end up having an appealing and a lasting logo for your business. From your talk you seem not to have liked many of the designs you came across, so why rash for one.