buying a logo

[wesaving]

can anyone recommend a place that i can purchase a unique logo that i can use for my business? ive seen a few sites and found one logo i liked, then noticed it had been sold 3 times. from that, its obviously not unique and it got me wondering. if i buy a logo online do i own all the rights to it?

im looking at a sub £50 spend because the logo isnt such a big deal for me if i spot something i like.

 

[SketchSlate]

Best thing I can recommend is to go on a contest website, there are plenty out there I can send you some via private message if you need, where you set the amount you are willing to pay and designers create a logo for you, you simply choose the one you like most and pay the person the relevant amount.

Only a recommendation but works well if you're not too fussy.

 

[Excel Expert]

For a few minor projects where the logo didn't matter (it just needed to look like I had put some effort in) I used Fiverr.

Skim through them, find someone who has done something similar to what you want and ask the seller if they can tweak it to meet your needs.

 

[gemma.wilson]

Hey @wesaving,

I am a graphics designer by trade and have worked recently with Honda UK on their branding. If you would like to forward any details on to me I can come up with some examples for you - that's if I can be any help to you

 

[Paul Murray]

It's best to get something designed from scratch, though sub-£50 you're unlikely to get anything that hasn't been churned out in a matter of minutes or ripped-off from somewhere else.

Purchasing a stock/pre-made logo defeats the whole purpose of having a logo (it should be unique to your business), plus it opens you up to copyright infringement claims if the design has been copied and you've been trading with it.

If you were able to up your budget to about £150, whilst it's still a terribly low budget, you should be abel to get something designed from somewhere like PeoplePerHour. I'd be wary of using contest sites, many of the designs here are just rip-offs and that's dangerous territory.

 

[wesaving]

thanks for the replies all. i am indeed nervous of copyright infringement, however i dont have the budget to throw at a logo at this time. i have researched the sector i am going into and the competition (top 3 at least) dont have a stand out logo, in fact 2 dont appear to show a logo at all. more thinking needed i feel

 

[jamesosix]

I'd be careful with places like Fiverr. Some sellers nick good logos from the net to put in their showcase, but when it comes to getting one, its no better than a ms paint job and clearly not done by a graphic designer in any sense.

What's your LoB and do you have a website already?

 

[CompuGlobal-Hyper-MegaNet]

People per hour have a few exceptional logo designers for not much more than £50, and there's even some below your budget (just saw a decent looking ad for £22)
I got mine done for a tenner (because they did some other work for me).....but I wouldn't recommend the guys I used - their two prototypes were awful and I went with my design. I'm no artist or graphic designer so it was useful to have them to take my idea from a scrap of paper to a fully designed finished article.

 

[TheBannerWarehouse]

Could always go to your local university and put an advert up for students, i'm sure you would get a lot of interest and get unique designs. Most need to do some work as part of their course as well.

 

[tombuckland]

Could always go to your local university and put an advert up for students, i'm sure you would get a lot of interest and get unique designs. Most need to do some work as part of their course as well.

That's actually a good idea! I used to live with 3 digital media design students who would have happily done it for £25, and they also get to add it to a portfolio and get some experience and cash so its a win win, solid idea there actually!

Alternatively I have heard good things about 99design, never used them myself so can't votch for them, but have heard good things none the less.

 

[amac]

I see this question asked a lot and I always say the same thing based on my experience; hire a good designer. The talent contest approach is not good IMO - a logo should be crafted - it's a process - and for that you need a designer to work with. I recommend Formake Design (my current designer) and also, Helvetic Brands who I've worked with in the past.

 

[TheBannerWarehouse]

The problem with 99designs and other design companies is they charge a lot, 99designs start from $299 and in order to get a good design it does cost a lot from established companies. Thats why we suggested students. You can always avoid a logo until your established then get something made up later.

 

[Excel Expert]

There are some designers on places like Fiverr and the others that will assign the full rates for extra money. I very much doubt that you will get that for under £50 though.

Even on sites like 99Designs they are mainly template designs made up of standard items, so the chances of getting a truly unique logo is not good, however the chances you will find someone with a similar logo, in the same industry etc are astronomically remote.

Is there such a thing as a truly unique logo? Looking at this site now I see the Lloyds Bank logo plastered all over the place. Is a black prancing horse truly unique - Ferrari would say it isn't.

 

[Paul Murray]

Is there such a thing as a truly unique logo? Looking at this site now I see the Lloyds Bank logo plastered all over the place. Is a black prancing horse truly unique - Ferrari would say it isn't.

That's where the branding comes in though. Yes, they both use a black horse in their identity, but their branding is very different. That's why you hire a designer to design you a brand, not just a logo.

 

[Excel Expert]

Isnt that a marketing job rather than design job? The marketing team come up with the brand concept and direction, the designer then converts that in to a graphical logo.

It is all irrelevant anyway as the OP is looking for a sub £50 spend. £50 will get a logo but it wont get a brand.