Missed part one? Read it here: HOW TO MAKE A GOOD LOGO GREAT (PART 1)
TEXT ONLY vs GRAPHIC BASED LOGOS
When it comes to your logo, having a text based AND graphic (or iconic) logo will work in your favor as both can be used interchangeably online and on products (Nike does this pretty well).
A graphic based logo especially comes in handy on the Internet as it can be used as your website or app icon and as your profile pic when setting up social media pages for your business.
Still, a text based logo is the safest version you can use. If your brand or business can’t be expressed well with a graphic then stick with just text based logo.
CHARACTER BASED LOGOS
Character logos are one of my most requested branding services and I’m sure you can see why. They’re a fun spin on brightening up your brand and work extremely well in setting your business a part, especially if your business is personable, upbeat or child hearted.
To make sure my character logos follow the simple yet effective tips mentioned in this training, I release a text only version with every character logo created.
PRICING LOGOS
Now this is a loaded question… Logos range drastically in pricing and can be anywhere between $5 and $5,000 (and more) depending on who you are and who you ask.
Independent freelancers based in the US will charge [average] $200-$1500 to individuals and startups while charging $2500+ to bigger companies & more high profile brands. Whereas branding/marketing firms will charge much more.
For freelancers, prices are typically based on their creativity and unique skill set, years of experience, the release of certain rights & file types and the level of customer service they’re willing to provide.
If you find a logo designer who charges less than $200 they’re either just starting out, not professionally trained, not willing to sell their rights or the necessary files to the design, not original by copying someone else, AND/OR has terrible customer service.
No matter the cost, go with someone who values your time and money and avoid designers with bad reviews as it won’t be worth it.
PICKING A DESIGNER
So let’s say you’re eager to find a designer to create your logo. Here’s some key points you should be looking for:
- A Strong Portfolio. It should have at least 8-12 images in the art style that you prefer. Of course these should be their original images.
- Good Reviews. This is self explanatory. My advice here is to verify their reviews especially if you can only read about them on their own website.
- They Use Adobe Illustrator. Adobe Illustrator is a professional level design software. If your logo designer is using Canva to create your logo, sorry they’re not a pro. If they’re using Photoshop, then be aware that your final design may not be as usable as you’d need it to be.
- They release the final design in VECTOR format commonly ending in .EPS or .AI. The word VECTOR is your key word. If they don’t know what that means… RUN! A vector formatted art file is the source file for your logo which means it can be re-colored and scale up or down easily.
So did you enjoy this mini training? If so I’d love to read about it in the comments.
OFFER
This series was delivered to educate small business owners & entrepreneurs about the value of having a professionally created logo. Did you know a great logo should last you at least 10 years? If this series has caused you to question your logo design and overall brand then consider receiving a brand audit from me here: https://daveiaodoi.com/consulting/
Written by Daveia Odoi, Your Visual Branding Advisor and Owner of DNT Dynamite Design, LLC & The DynaSmiles® by DNT.
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