5 Tips On Choosing The Right Logo For Your Brand
You’ve chosen the name and you have somewhat of an idea what you’re looking for in a logo. Now you might be asking yourself,
Where do I start?
Where do I go?
What do I need?
Well, here a few tips that will help you get through the process.
1. Know who you are
As a business, it is important to have an established mission and vision statement. Not only does this help your customers understand who you are and what you do, but it also helps you stay on course as you navigate your startup. This will also help your designer understand your business during the creative process.
2. Research and Colors
No industry is the same. A logo for a law firm won’t be the same as a logo for a hair salon, so make sure you do your research and look at examples from other competitors in your industry. Usually, each industry has a general style that you can build off of while still adding your own individual touch.
Colors also play an important part in logo design. They evoke different emotions and can portray different messages. Whether it’s elegance, strength or peace be sure that it aligns with the goals of your brand. Once you have the first step down you will have the proper info to give your designer a clear understanding of your vision.
3. Keep it simple
Busy logos can look very unprofessional if not done correctly. One of the biggest pitfalls I see small business fall into is trying to incorporate everything they represent into one logo. Yes, I know you have tons of ideas, but they all don’t need to be represented in your logo. If you look at the image above again you will see that most of the logos there have no more than 3 colors. Keeping your logo to 3 colors or less will help keep things simple and your printing costs down.
4. Choosing the right designer
Now that you have your research and ideas down it’s time to find the best designer for your brand. Some of you might be thinking well what if I design it myself. Unless you are a professional designer yourself, I would highly recommend not going that route. The right designer can offer great knowledge and experience to your project, so here are a few things to look for when choosing your designer.
Style
When looking for a designer make sure their portfolio has examples that match the style you’re looking for. This will help you feel confident about their abilities to meet your design needs.
Cost
Logo designers can range from Fifty dollars to Tens of thousands of dollars. Like anything else, you get what you pay for. Yes, you can purchase that Fifty dollar logo, but ask yourself will you be getting the quality service and proper files needed. An experienced designer will offer you great options and a great experience. Here is what you should receive at a minimum:
- 2-3 concept designs
- Up to 3 revisions
- Full 3 color vector file
- 1 all black version
- 1 all white version
- 3 web format files such as jpg, png, and tiff (small, medium, and large file sizes of each)
This guide will help you in deciding which designer to go with. If the Fifty dollar designer does not offer these options then I would suggest finding one that does. It will save you money and from disappointment.
5. Your logo should be an investment
As a business startup, there are a lot of expenses at the beginning, but do not make your design and marketing any less of a priority. That means getting the most value for your logo and making sure it’s worth the cost. It plays one of the biggest roles in the overall image of your brand. Getting it done right the first time will save you money in the long run and can possibly get new clients because you have a professional look.
Making sure you’re satisfied with your logo before closing up the project is vital. Sometimes you might have to pay extra for more revisions if you’re not truly happy with it. At the same time be open to what your designer presented you. Sometimes a designer can think of things that you might not, so if it’s not completely off don’t be quick to throw it out. Actually, send it to a few people whose opinion you value and see what their thoughts are. It helps to hear others feedback before making your decision.
When wrapping up your project, make sure you receive the proper files. As I said in the previous step you should at least be receiving:
- Full-color vector file
- 1 all black version
- 1 all white version
- 3 web format files such as jpg, png, and tiff (small, medium, and large file sizes of each)
I say this because 90% of my logo projects are redesigns. The top three reasons they are redesigns are because they never received the original vector file, they lost the original vector file or were never satisfied with the first logo. The vector file can be resized to any size without losing resolution. That means you can use it on something as large as a billboard to something as small a business card. If a designer does not offer this in their final file delivery then they should not be considered, period. In the end your full satisfaction should be their goal.
If you are in the market for a new logo feel free to check out our services page. We offer an array of different styles that can meet your needs and we will guide you each step of the way.
