Latest posts by MattHerndon (see all)
- Logo design: DIY vs professional - February 26, 2013
- What’s the Deal with All These Awareness Months—Besides Early Detection & Saved Lives? - February 24, 2013
- Kidney Transplants and a Nobel Prize in Economics - January 30, 2013
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When you first think of the major brands in the United States, you can probably picture their logos within a few seconds. Nike, Starbucks, Apple, McDonalds, your favorite TV network and your favorite car company all have logos that stand out in your memory. This alone should help you understand why logo design is so important. Images communicate your brand’s essence to your potential customers, giving them something to hold onto and an easy way to recognize your brand among others.
As a small business, having a logo is a critical step toward building your business. You want something consistent to put on your business cards, website, print advertisements, letterhead and materials like apparel or tote bags. Your logo shouldn’t be something that is just cobbled together; it needs to be well thought out and give people the right impression. The two major routes you can take when creating the logo are to do it yourself or to hire a professional, and each option has its advantages and disadvantages.
Pros and cons of DIY logos
- You know your company better than anyone else, so you are the best judge of the ideas you want to communicate.
- You may already have a concept for your logo and if you have the skills to execute it, the process can be much faster and less expensive than using a professional.
- Logo design software is widely available, but it often produces a logo with an amateur appearance because of the clip art and fonts used.
- The best logos are created in vector programs, which allows them to be scaled to many sizes without distortion. If you don’t have a program or know how to use it, the cost and learning curve can be steep.
- When you don’t have design experience, the temptation is often to make a logo that includes too many components. The best logos tend to be simple and often just have the company name plus one graphic element.
Pros and cons of professionally designed logos
- A professional logo designer has years of experience at both recognizing and developing effective logos, which is a lot more than you can say even after spending days or weeks researching.
- Professional logos are unique because the designer can create each aspect from scratch, which helps your business stand out among others.
- You are guaranteed to not have licensing or use problems with a professional logo from a reputable company because you know the designer has the rights to each component in the logo.
- Cost is the main factor holding most people back from getting a professional logo. However, many trusted design companies have affordable logo package options at several price points.
- It’s more difficult to tweak a professionally designed logo later than it is with a logo you design yourself. However, if you get the logo right the first time, you won’t have this problem.
The bottom line is that a business can succeed with a DIY logo, but only if it’s actually a good one. If you don’t have technical and conceptual skills, outsource your logo project to a professional. No matter which route you choose, make sure you’re confident in your logo before you put it into use. A bad logo can have a negative impact on your business that can be hard to undo.
Twitter: googlai
Hi Matt ! Thank you for your beautiful presentation. i would love your ideas. you have explained the professional way and it will help to get success in entrepreneurship strategy. Unique logo deign to maintain a brand and keep Goodwill at the right place. Logo is the first impression for every business and business leaders always want innovative logos which represent the all the business categories. in this competitive business marketing innovative logo help to remember the brand.
i really appreciate your ideas.
Googma Sansar recently posted..Social Media Optimization (SMO) Strategy
Twitter: anilrancorgmail.com
This is fact that Images communicate your brand’s essence to your potential customers. so create the logo very attention that time .this work for two thing in our mind when creating the logo are to do it yourself or to hire a professional, and each option has its advantages and disadvantages.
Logo design software is widely available.so very creative logo which tell you something.
anil bhogia recently posted..Insurance Software
Twitter: realtimetricks
Since the market of logo designing has widely emerged everyone has started designing logos by doing an icon and adding text. But, just doing this much is not enough in professionalism.
When we say professional designer we should check his/her work whether he/she has been working vector designs or just using cliparts or random designs.
I myself working as a professional LOGO designer for past 2 years have learned so much, and have produced so many great concept that I can explain this topic in another 700 words article but has to respect this comment box.
Irfan Siddiqui recently posted..Facebook Graph Search and Online Business
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This is great timing because I paid for and ordered a logo over two weeks ago and it’s been one of the most frustrating experiences I’v had online in some time. In fact, I just emailed them again this morning. I’ll be posting the entire story when and if I ever receive an acceptable image but I recommend anyone ordering a “professionally” designed logo do their research. Check the company out and it might be a good idea to check with friends and peers to see if they have any recommendations.
Brian D. Hawkins recently posted..Nested Comments on Facebook
Twitter: http://www.nerdszone.com
I’ve been trying to come up with a good logo design myself but so far nothing has turned out very good. I may end up trying logo arena eventually…
Dave recently posted..Nerds Song
very interesting article.a professional logo designer is able to build up his career.
Shamim recently posted..Good Diets For Men and Women to Use Together at Home
Some years ago I faced the same kind of problem whether to get some simple free logo or follow more unique way and order a logo from a prof designer. I spent about $100 but no regrets… Later I saw exactly that logo that i wanted for my project in some other small company. I felt so delighted after this)) The conclusion – never go for free.
Evan recently posted..Best Recipe WordPress themes showcase 2013
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Awesome Article @Matt. Logo is a must have part of a brand. In case of webmasters It shows how mush unique your website is.
Narender Chopra recently posted..What is the Ideal Keyword Density For better SEO ?
If you’re creative why not give it a go, you don’t have to be a professional and have expensive software to create an image for your business, if you have the time why not. Then again it is an investment and you would like it to be spot on the first time, it all depends on the individual
paula recently posted..Logo design Australia – Strategic Custom Logo Design
Great points, Matt. Not being very good at photoshop myself, I’ve spent way to many hours making logos. I always outsource it.
Kyle recently posted..Nathan AirChime Train Horn Spotlight
Twitter: IncomeMC
Hi Matt,
The truth is getting a professional to do your logo design gives more advantages when it comes to branding. However, for now I do most of my images and logos myself. this way I’m able to present my inner feelings!
Chadrack recently posted..Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Use SEO Content For Your Online Marketing!
Twitter: internetdreamof
I had my logo designed myself and put much work into it.
Having a good looking logo will help identify your brand.
I always encourage bloggers to look into their logos and make it better.
Samuel recently posted..3 Twitter Tools For You To Succeed On Twitter!
my blogs doesn’t have a logo yet.. i wish i could make one for my blogs, but I really have very poor idea about the design…thank you for the infos.
Twitter: turtlers_com
A Self made Logo will always get self satisfaction and mean alot to one !
harshi recently posted..How to Root Sony Xperia Sola !
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Logos are indeed an important factor for attracting people. But, since I am only at the beginning, I would not go for a professional one. Even if I do not have great ideas, I would begin with a simple one until I can afford the price asked by a company.
I think that now you can get some really professionally done logos from Fiverr, which really takes the pressure off something that otherwise can be a bit of a headache.
Jamie recently posted..13 Ways to Make Minecraft Run Faster
Twitter: musicianmakers7
Yep I’ve tried fiverr for my logos. Really good especially if you get the right person to do it for you.
Leslie Edwards recently posted..The Basics On How To Make Electronic Music: Drum Loops
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I personally suck at designing. My color selection is so bad that I just hate it when it is done after spending 8 hours on a single logo. I prefer 99designs sometimes when I do have a budget for that kind of things.
Good post, Matt.
My observation has been that start-ups are in a catch-22 of sorts. DIY logos can look tacky, but then again many of the freelancers that are contracted out are essentially DIYers with a bit more software behind them. No way these companies can get the Nike or McDonalds calibre logo without a highly-trained and experienced designer…and those who are competent go to the large companies, not the small-budget start-ups.
You mentioned having too much in a logo being a detriment, and I agree 100%. I also find that a minimalist logo lends itself very nicely to a DIY or a freelancer.
Nice post, thanks for contributing!