Getting your first business logo can be daunting. With such a variety of possible sources and price ranges, where do you start? At JYZ Design, we break it down for you. Though we truly believe in what we do and may be a little bias, we’ll happily spell out for you the pros and cons of all your options.
Before you start logo hunting
Before searching for someone to create your visual identity, know it yourself. Make sure you know the answers to these questions and make sure who you talk to asks these questions.
- What brand are you building?
- This can be a complex question. Start with keywords like – professional, modern, hipster, youthful, traditional, trendy, artistic. What do you want your clients and customers associate with your company? How will you stand out?
- Who is your audience?
- Are you targeting a niche group of people or a larger group? Who are they, what do they like and what are they looking for from a company like yours?
- What imagery will help people understand what you do?
- There are literal logos and there are conceptual ones. Whether your logo represents a mantra, service or idea… make it count so you have a story to tell if anyone asks. Or keep it simple and modern, have it speak for itself.
- What makes your company unique?
- Everyone has competitors, if you don’t, you’re lucky! How will you differentiate your company image? Can you say this with the logo?
Where to get your first logo design
Now to think about where to get your logo. Consider your budget, the precision of your idea and the level of expertise you’d like to consult.
- Online Generator/Marker
- Websites like fiverr and logomakr have made it extremely budget friendly to source cheap logos. As online international markets are competitive, prices have gotten lower and lower over the years. However, this often means they source pre-made stock logos to edit. This means your logo may not be unique or personalized. However, this is alright with some smaller companies just looking to get started.
- Local Freelancers
- Every area will have individual freelancers that work in the gig economy, picking up what they can get and meeting up in coffee shops. They are usually students, doing it part time or as a hobby. Of course, your experience will differ person to person– one person may grasp your vision right away while another may not. Check their portfolio thoroughly and make sure there are projects in it that you like. As it’s harder to hold individuals liable, make sure you use a reputable invoicing or payment system and process, so your work gets completed according to your expectations.
- Local Boutique Agencies
- Mid-size agencies like JYZ Design offer the best of both words – the personalization of working directly with designers while offering a certain level of expertise and professionalism in business operations. Always request a meeting or discussion so that all your thoughts can be put on the table. Make sure there is a process involved and that the company understands that logos hardly are perfect on the first try. The merging of your business visions and creative expertise is the responsibility of the company. Prepare a reasonable budget that will accommodate for around 10-20 hours of work and make sure your final deliverables include all the different logo styles you may need as well as a branding sheet for future marketing.
- Multinational Corporate Agencies
- They are big because they are good – regimented, structured and processes mean they were able to build a company that way. Be wary however of padded up pricing quotes, filled with undeliverable scopes that you will be charged hourly for. Corporate agencies offer more comprehensive branding deliverables, often documents filled with pages of do’s and don’ts. You need something like this to grow and sustain a sizeable brand where lots of moving parts will come into play.