A logo is a corporate graphic image that serves to identify a company or brand. A logo can be a drawing, a letter, a word in a particular style-something that reflects a company’s values and character and helps it be remembered by future and present customers.
A Logo Helps Make a Statement About the Company
You need a logo if you want to:
- Stand out from the competition.
- Attract the attention of customers and memorize them.
- Create an image of your company in their minds.
In general, the logo is a kind of “ambassador” of the company, which reminds about it on products, in social networks, on signs. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a logo for PlayAmo or an old fashioned flower store.
The Logo Can Be Drawn by Yourself
If the project is just started and there is no money at all, an elementary logo can be drawn yourself. It can be the first letter of the name or a quick association with the brand. You do not need to know Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator, you can make a pretty decent logo even in a constructor.
But there is a nuance: such a logo may look laconic and even fashionable, but it will be formulaic. Logo from the designer doesn’t reflect the essence and specificity of the brand and will not be able to distinguish you from your competitors. If you want to make a good logo with meaning, you should turn to experienced designers.
There’s No Big Difference in Quality Between an Experienced Freelancer and a Mid-priced Studio
In the studio, there will be not one specialist, but a team, each with their own handwriting. In the case where one designer’s logo does not go well, the order can be transferred to another specialist.
It is worth going to a freelancer if you like his work and you want to do something similar for your business. A good option is to find a specialist by the reviews of acquaintances.
The main thing when choosing a designer or agency is to look at the portfolio and “choose with your heart”. If you like the style, everything will work out.
What Isn’t in the Brief, Isn’t in the Layout
When you contact a freelancer or studio, they will ask you to sketch a brief. The main thing is to take your time and detail every detail.
Large agencies have market researchers and marketing experts who can help you clearly outline the company’s target audience, formulate values and mission. And large companies are happy to delegate them the task of developing a brand strategy. But prices in such studios are often higher than small and medium-sized businesses can afford.
If you are “floating” in their own positioning, before developing a design you can ask a marketer. It happens that the studio itself collaborates with an outsourced marketing specialist and asks him to help if necessary. Understanding the target audience and the specifics of the brand will help not only to create a better design, but also to feel more confident in the market.
Designers are likely to ask you: Is it important for you to be similar to your competitors or to “jump out” of the general flow? Every line of business has a certain visual style, familiar to customers. It may happen that a passerby sees a bright sign in a futuristic style and will not understand that before him a coffee shop.
When developing a logo, it is better to follow trends, but not to lose your uniqueness.
It is important that the person from the customer’s side was willing to participate in the design and give the agency manager all the necessary information. A brief is the most important document for the designer.
Are You Sure You Only Need a Logo?
This happens when a project is just being launched and there is an urgent need to design social networks and business cards.
And later, if all is well with the project, the customer comes to create a full-fledged corporate identity.
Corporate identity includes:
- Logo.
- Colors.
- Graphic elements (for example, its own style of illustrations).
- Fonts.
It is used in business documents, company merchandise, point-of-sale design, billboards, websites, and social media.
A Logo Doesn’t Have to Be Pretty
The logo is the base of the corporate style of the company, the face, the business card of the brand. It is important to make sure that the face of your company is exactly unique.
The logo does not have to be beautiful, the main thing is that your target audience likes it and remembers it. If you have loyal customers, let them evaluate the resulting design.