The most discussed question when it comes to logo design is probably the one about pricing. Most people seem to believe that logos are just simple images, which take minutes to produce and basically anyone can put together one, so they must be quite cheep. This can’t be further from the truth!
In recent years with the rise of logo contest websites the prices of a logo have come down to as low as $5 and basically anyone with Photoshop on their computer thinks of themselves as a designer (not to mention Photoshop isn’t even the proper software for logo design). This trend has been very damaging to the industry, but what many don’t seem to understand is, it doesn’t just hurt designers, but also businesses. Logo contest websites are simply the fast food of graphic design- fast, cheap, easily accessible and will ruin your “health” in the long run.
A logo is often the first touch point between a business and a potential customer. Before one even learns what a business does, they encounter a logo. It is just like meeting a new person for a first time. Whatever people may say, they judge each other based on appearance and body language. We do it without even realizing it, it is hardwired in us. So if a person is unclean, smells unpleasantly, wears untidy clothing … they won’t make a very favorable first impression. Even if later they turn out to be an amazing nice person that negative image will loom over them for at least some time, if you ever stick around for long enough to get to know them, that is! Same happens with business. If your logo implies cheapness, no attention to details, lack of professionalism your clients will feel it, even if they can’t put it into words, they will subconsciously perceive your business as untrustworthy.
So how do you make sure this doesn’t happen? Well, by investing in your logo and the amount you invest will likely reflect in the finished product. Asking for a fast and cheap design will get you the equivalent of McDonalds’ burger.
As I already discussed in a previous post, the production of any creative work goes through a long process. Logos, illustrations, websites are not something you can or should complete in couple of hours in one sitting. It’s not that it is impossible, but it just can’t yield a worthy result. Do you think the first car to ever be constructed was the best humans could ever create? The first idea is rarely, if ever, the best.
In order to create a logo a designer must go through some stages:
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Receive a brief- get to know as much as possible about the client’s business.
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Research- learn as much as possible about the client’s industry, competitors, customers.
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Visual research- what are the trends, what have already been done, how to stand out.
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Brainstorm and sketching- come up with ideas, look for symbols and associations, sketch out the boring, generic and obvious ideas and try to get past them, try out different ideas on paper.
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Computer rendering- develop further some of the better concepts on the computer.
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Present- show and discuss different designs with the client.
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Touch up- polish chosen concepts.
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Deliver.
This is just a simplified version of the process. It is rarely so linear. Often one needs to go back and forth between steps, before reaching a satisfying result. And all of those steps require time, skills, dedication, knowledge, experience and none of those is cheap.
In hopes of getting a cheaper deal clients often plead “It will be fast and easy, I’ve already sketched what I want, you’d only need to translate it on the computer”. To us this sounds like going to the doctor and telling them: “I know exactly what kind of procedure I need, you’ll just have to perform it on me”. And it is equally ridiculous! If you know what you need and have already designed a logo, you don’t need a designer.
To be able to create meaningful designs one must understand visual arts on a deeper level, be familiar with composition, color theory, typography, psychology, marketing, consumer behavior, to understand the specifics of different mediums like print and digital, to be familiar with trends, to be able to sketch and draw, to know how to work with the appropriate software, to have a general knowledge of different areas of life, understanding of people, ability to listen and communicate etc., etc. It is not all switching between fonts and throwing in a clipart.
The price of logo design is not just for creating a “simple” graphics; it is based on number of factors:
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The time the designer spends (from the briefing, through the research and designing to making changes and delivery).
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The designer’s skills, knowledge and experience.
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The designer’s tools (the cost of software, computer, sketching materials).
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The designer’s location (the standard of living in the country where the designer is based).
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The designer’s popularity (the more a designer is in demand, the more expensive they will be).
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The specifics of the project (no two projects are the same, which makes it hard to put a fixed price on design).
Another factor that makes logos expensive is their uniqueness. In a culture of cheap and fast mass production it is hard to appreciate a product or service, created exclusively for you. A custom logo design is like a couture dress- it is created personaly for you, it fits your specific requirements and measurements, it is hand crafted, it can’t be sold again, and it can’t be used by anyone else. A clipart is cheap as it can be sold thousand of times, a logo is yours exclusively and it is meant to last.
I hope all this has helped to better understand all the work that goes into designing a logo (or a website, or creating acustom illustration, or any other creative work) and why it is worth what it is. There will always be cheap options out there and they have their place, but understand that they do not compare to professional expensive ones.
8 Responses
A went through the whole article and quite agreeing with the terms you described. Really a freelancer designer or graphic designer has to go through a deep and selective process to set company’s motto and business motive into a single representation of the arts. Great article though!
Hey Danial! Thanks for your comment.
you most welcome Radostina !! please keep posting.
yeah, i agreed with your terms you shared about designer. definitely if you need more features in your logo, than it will be expensive.because i know designing tools are very expensive.
It’s not just about the physical tools, it is also your time, including the time it takes you to acquire and master the skills needed. Well in the end logos are not so different from any other product, though for some reason their creation is so underappreciated.
Thanks for sharing this information about logo expensive . Well in the end logos are not so different from any other product, though for some reason their creation is so underappreciated.
Yes, exactly!