Logo Design: Why You Need a Professional Designer.
With so many cost effective options for brand design, what value does a professional designer or design firm bring to the table?
There are many freelancing sites out there with “designers” offering cheap logo and brand identity design, many costing less than $100.00. There are contest sites where you can get 100’s of designs for $400.00. There are even applications that will create your logo using AI, either for a fee or for free, just give them your business name and industry.
With all these inexpensive options it’s easy to see why many business owners, new and experienced look at these methods to create their brand. Let’s look at some of the drawbacks for each of these methods and why a professional graphic designer is worth the initial cost.
You Get What You Pay For.
We have all heard the saying, you get what you pay for. That saying applies to logo design as well. Usually the cheapest option won’t be the best option. There is a lot of time that goes into creating a good logo both designing concepts and interacting with the client to make sure the design will be just right. This interaction and the design of multiple concepts takes the designers time and a designer isn’t likely to go into as much depth if they are only being paid $5, $10, $25 or even $100. A decent logo will likely cost at least $250 and that is for a relatively new graphic designer.
A few other things to think about include ownership & usage rights to your logo and types of files you will get. When you hire a designer to create a logo you should be asking for a vector file at the very minimum. A common, non proprietary type of vector file is an Encapsulated PostScript or EPS file. This is a file that can be opened on any vector drawing program not just specific software. This will allow any minor changes to be made to the logo down the road and it is the best quality for utilizing in print material. You should also confirm your usage rights and ownership of the logo. Many designers include these in their fee however it is something worth asking. It is always best for you to own your logo and all usage rights outright rather than any other arrangement so that you can use and modify the logo as you want down the road. Just a note that many designers will also say that they will retain the right to use their designs for self promotion. This is fairly standard in the design industry as well so ensure that you speak to the designer if you would rather not have your work used in this way.
Water, Water Everywhere but not a Drop to Drink.
Contest sites are websites where businesses can publish a contest to a bunch of designers asking for original creative work based on the brief and then the business chooses one to award the project fee to.
Not only does this equate to a request for Spec Work a practice that is condemned by almost every major Creative Organization around the world including The Association of Registered Graphic Designers, Société des Designers Graphiques du Québec and the Graphic Designers of Canada here in Canada. This system also suffers from many of the same failings as the low cost designers mentioned previously. Each individual designer only has the brief provided by the business and because there is no guarantee of a payout, designs are often of poor quality.
We have often heard of stories from other designers who have worked with businesses to redesign a brand created through one of these contests 6 months to a year after the initial creation. This is because there is no way for a designer to really get to know you and your individual business. They are often creating cookie cutter solutions in hopes of a payout.
Lastly, as with the lower cost designers, you may not get all the files or all the usage rights you need to fully utilize the logo down the road.
Robots will Take all our Jobs.
There are tools out there both, paid and free, that claim to be able to take just your company name and industry and create a logo for you and indeed they do. The problem with AI design is that at the moment it is somewhat predictable, although there is some debate out there as to whether AI can be truly creative, many of these programs merely take your name and industry and match it to keywords given to existing graphics and typefaces in a database to create your logo.
The major problem is that the logo is often not unique. A company in a similar industry as yours may be given a similar, if not identical logo, this not only leads to confusion in the market but also potential legal issues. The benefit of using a human graphic designer is that research can be done to see what is existing in your market. That way you have done your due diligence in making sure there isn’t another brand out there with the same or relatively similar identity.
The Brand Investment
Branding and graphic design are crucial elements of a business that are often overlooked. Business owners sometimes prioritize design work last, not realizing the impact it can have on attracting and retaining customers and making sales.
What investments have you made into your business to set it up? Product Stock? Equipment? Marketing? Rent Costs? Your hope is that you will get a return on your investment on most of these costs, they are an investment in your business. Your brand identity is no different. Quality design and branding is a business investment. A strong brand will promote customer recognition, build trust, build loyalty and tell your unique story.
Conventional marketing wisdom is that a good brand should be able to last upwards of 10 years - barring major changes in direction or product. When you look at the cost of your branding work you shouldn’t look at it just as an investment being made right now. You should be looking at the cost over the next 10 years. Are you getting a product that can grow with your business or are you going to have to redesign your brand 2, 3 or 5 years down the road? The costs of not having a logo with sticking power could add up. Not to mention the lost brand equity from your previous brand as you transition to a new one.
Promote Customer Recognition.
With professional branding including a professional and unique logo, customers will be able to identify your business before they read a word. They will recognize your colour, font or graphic before they see your name. Customers are 60% more likely to buy a product from a brand they recognize.
Promotes Trust
Customers feel confident purchasing from a company or business that feels professional.
Builds Loyalty
So many of us are a collection of the brands we buy, From our phones, to our bags and purses to the coffee we prefer. A unique brand helps build the trust that encourages and promotes brand loyalty.
Tells YourStory
A brand tells potential customers a story about your business. Do you want that story to be the same as potentially 100’s of other companies or do you want it to be unique, something that is your own? A professionally designed brand and its accompanying logo designed only for your business will tell your business's unique story.
In today’s market it is more important than ever to have a brand that is unique in your marketplace that speaks to your target market. It is important to work with a qualified graphic designer who can not only create great graphics but can also work with you to identify your target market and create a brand that they connect with and tells your unique story.
Although there is no standard design industry certification, look for those with a solid background in design through education or experience. You can also look for designers who are members of the Association of Registered Graphic Designers and/or Graphic Designers of Canada. These are two of the major bodies that recognize experience and professionalism in Graphic Design in Ontario and across Canada.
Our Head of Design, Jack Henry is a Provisional Member of the Association of Registered Graphic Designers and has experience working with small businesses across a variety of sectors. If you would like to discuss a project send him an email at design@omniworxinc.ca or use our Contact page to book a free consultation.