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Choosing The Right Logo Design Company
A good logo is one of those things you may not think too much about, even though you are probably seeing them all around you on a daily basis. But if you are a business owner, you may find yourself in a position of having to choose a logo design to represent your company. Because your logo is actually a really big deal, and it’s just as important as a company name or slogan. It’s a visual representation of your business to the public marketplace. So it can be intimidating if you find yourself suddenly faced with they dizzying options and possibilities that the world of logo design can present you with. Here are a just few of the things to consider when choosing the right logo for your company, as well as who you may want to hire to help you in the process. (And yes, you really should hire someone. Don’t try to do it yourself!)
–You may have a buddy who’s super good at drawing, but you may want to resist the temptation to hire him or her to design your logo.
An effective logo is more than just a good drawing. What makes for good art may not necessarily make for a good logo. Things like color, font, placement, and even font size can make or break an design, and a good graphic designer is well versed in this type of media. So while your buddy’s drawing may be incorporated into the final product, you’ll at least want a second (or third, or fourth) opinion from a graphic design team or contest site.
–An elaborate, fancy logo may not be the best option for your company. But even if you are leaning towards a minimalist or pure text logo, coming up with a simple design may not be a easy as you think.
If you try to do a DIY simple logo, chances are it’s going to look very obviously homemade, which can hurt the perceived credibility of your business. It’s best to go with a professional, experienced designer who is well versed in design software.
–A more expensive logo is not necessarily going to be all that much better than more affordable options .
In the old horse and buggy days of logo design, business owners had to hire a swanky, expensive design firm to come up with just a handful of ideas for them to choose from. And this is still a legitimate way to procure a high quality logo, if your budget allows. (In fact, this is still how most major corporations choose to have their design needs met.) But even if you don’t have a huge design
budget, today’s global marketplace provides lots of great options via crowdsourcing sites such as Hatchwis or 99designs. Sites like these can give you dozens of different logo options to choose from for a fraction of what a firm would charge.
Logo Design News
Breaking Down Google’s Last Logo Update.
You may have noticed Google’s text-only logo acting differently lately. Or then, maybe you haven’t.
After all, Google is everywhere, and seeing their logo emblazoned across the top of our search engine results has become so familiar as to be downright subliminal. Which may be why the mammoth company has finally decided to shake things up as much as they have.
Until now – besides getting rid of the drop shadow several years ago – Google hasn’t tweaked their
iconic logo much at all since 1999. But recently, not only has the font changed, but it’s animated (well, sometimes anyway).
Changing the typeface of the Google logo may seem to be just a much-needed update, but it serves a
much more utilitarian purpose. This new font, one of Google’s own creation which they call Product
Sans, is much easier to read when shrunk down to the scale of, say, a smart watch or phone. This can’t be said for the older, serif style logo.
But the biggest change to Google’s logo is its new animated function, which gives the impression that the great Google brain is working with you to help solve whatever problems you may have. The
colored dots bounce along like fingers drumming slowly on a board meeting table, thinking of new
ideas and solutions to all your questions. Then the dots form back into Google’s familiar, comfortable logo as solutions are achieved, reminding us once again who it is that we turn to when we need information. Is it brilliant design? Maybe. But then again, it’s possible that we may just stop noticing this new change as well.
Dropbox's Logo Update Targets Designers
A brief look at the new branding update may not excite the ordinary lay-observer. But seasoned
designers will notice that Dropbox’s seemingly simple new design is exploring well off the beaten path.
Why are they doing this? According to their new branding team, the purpose is to inspire designers
who are weary of being bombarded with overused visual elements on a daily basis.
How are they doing it? In a nutshell, there are three new visual updates to the Dropbox brand.
#1. Juxtaposition of color pairs.
Juxtaposition of color pairs. While Dropbox users may not see anything significant, designers will instantly notice the care taken to avoid using not only typical primary or even secondary color shades, but also the willful refusal to create anything resembling typical color pairings. Also of note is the complete lack of white space in the new design.
#2. New typeface design.
New typeface design. Again, the average user may mistake Dropbox’s new font as yet another dot com sans serif type, but it’s actually a brand new font called Sharp Grotesk designed by Adrian Frutiger, a Swiss designer. While it comes in all shapes and sizes, the font itself is 100% original and hand-drawn.
#3. New geometric logo.
New geometric logo. This new logo is certainly reminiscent of the old one – an image of a box. But the revamped version looks more like a grouping of diamond shapes than a 3d image of an open box. In fact, it might be said that anyone looking at the new logo without having seen the old one may not be inclined to think of an open box at all, but rather must be left to one’s own interpretation. And individual interpretation and expression seems to be exactly what the new Dropbox branding team is hoping to inspire.
VW plans to make their logo more colorful
A slight rebranding of the classic VW logo is in the works, as the company looks forward into the
electrified future of the auto industry. Volkswagen says they would like to step away a bit from the
somewhat stark, German feel that their brand has taken in recent years, and recapture the playful,
colorful mood that the VW brand has brought in time gone by. Even more importantly, the new
emblem will most likely show at least some color when illuminated. Whether or not the public will
respond well to what may possibly be quite a dramatic change remains to be seen. But if Apple was
able to pull off changing their iconic rainbow striped apple logo to a simple white shape, perhaps the
folks at VW will find success by doing just the opposite with their own logo.
Logo Design Resources
Hatchwise
With Hatchwise , you can harness the power of crowdsourcing to produce a logo that works for your company. Rather than hiring a single designer, your design brief will potentially be seen by a
community of hundreds of thousands of different designers, all of whom are welcome to try their hand at creating the logo that you’re asking for. Whoever creates the one that you like the best gets the cash prize. Most contests receive at least several dozen entries from designers, and some can get closer to a hundred or more, depending on the which package you choose, and the size of the prize offered. But all things considered, running a contest on Hatchwise is a great way to find a high quality logo (even if your budget is tight). And while there are other great design contest sites out there, Hatchwise offers some of the most competitively priced design packages for the quality.
Flocksy
Flocksy is a subscription service which offers unlimited graphic design, web development and design, and copywriting services for businesses who need such work done on a frequent basis. They will put you in contact with a team of designers and copywriters who work with you through a USA-based project manager to help you create whatever your business might need. Several different subscription packages are available, but each one offers unlimited logo design. This service is perfect for businesses whose design needs are ongoing.
Other Logo Design Resources
logopond.com
this is not a sales site, but a gallery of logos from hundreds of different designers
meant to inspire other creatives as well as business owners. A great source of inspiration!
Dribbble.com
this site is a showcase platform for designers to display their work. Or, if you need
some design work done, you can browse some of the work on display here to hand pick a designer for you next project or logo.
LogoDesign.org
a community authored blog full of information about all sorts of logo-related topics.
LogoDesignBlog.com
just what it sounds like. This blog has some great tips and tricks for those wanting a logo design, as well as featuring, in their words, “The Best Logo Design Resources List Around”.
Logo Design Company VS Design Contests
Just searching for logo design can bring up all sorts of different options for getting a logo…some more perplexing than others. But if you’re in the market for an actual custom logo made by a real person, there are basically two (or three) ways to make that happen. Either you can hire a design company (or
a freelancer), or you can run a logo design contest. Here is a basic breakdown of what these options mean for you.
A design company will have usually one or maybe two designers working on your logo. You give them all the information you can about what you’re looking for, and they will create several different
concepts based on what you gave them. Usually, you get concepts in rounds of two or three, and you
can purchase more concepts if you don’t get what you’re looking for in the first round. This option
tends to be pricey, but if you’ve found a reputable company, you will most likely get fantastic customer service that is timely and reliable.
A more affordable alternative to hiring a design firm would be to find a freelance designer who will
work with you directly. But this option, while cheaper, can potentially be problematic if you encounter a language barrier, or you find that not all good designers are equally good at customer service!
On the other hand, when you run a design contest, you are basically posting your design brief on a
community bulletin board for a limited time, and offering a cash prize to the designer who creates the logo concept that you like the best. There is no limit to the number of people who can create concepts for you, and there is no limit to the number of concepts that you can receive. It may seem like a no- brainer to choose this route, but it should be said that for best results this option does require some feedback and attention from the contest holder for the duration of the contest, which usually lasts for 7-10 days. And while it can be a great way to get a logo for a very low price, those who offer a higher prize amount are more likely to find a logo that they absolutely love than those offering a rock-bottom rate prize. But if you’re willing to roll up your sleeves, get into your contest and have fun with it, you’re sure to get a great custom-made logo through the crowdsourcing community, at a fraction of the cost of a design company.
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