Working With a Designer

Working with a Designer

While it is important to brainstorm ideas by yourself in creating your business image, unless you are a computer artist, trying to create a logo completely on your own is a mistake. There are certainly a lot of low cost alternatives. There are now web sites where you can design a logo online using their stock shapes or custom made for a fee. There is software you can buy to create logos, but again you are stuck with stock shapes and colors to use. 

There are now several companies that specialize in nothing but creating logos for businesses. I remember working with one of the biggest at a former employer. It looked like they took a larger array of stock art and just manipulated it in various sizes and colors. I didn't feel it was worth the hundreds of dollars that they charged, but a lot of business people don't know there are other low cost alternatives.

A professional design team will charge anywhere from $4,000 to $15,000 to create an original logo, but there are thousands of independent designers around the country who charge much less. If you are on a tight budget (or even if you aren't), there are a lot of freelance designers who charge rates ranging from $15 to $150 an hour, based on their experience. If you can draw an example of what you have in mind, with pictures of examples of the various parts, it will really help in keeping the price reasonable.

The important thing is to not hire someone because of their bargain price. You generally get what you pay for. If you can find a designer that is familiar with your field, that is even better. Remember that you are creating something that will last 10 to 20 years.

Even if you are a fair artist yourself, working with a designer can actually save you in the long run. They know whether or not a logo design will transfer easily into print or onto a sign. They can make sure that your design is created in the proper formats that can save you printing costs. Remember, your logo is the foundation of all your promotional materials, so this is one area where spending a little more now can really pay off later.

Protecting Your Logo

Once you've gone through all the work of coming up with the perfect logo, you will want to make sure to trademark it to protect it from use by other companies. You can apply for a trademark at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office web site.

You are now ready to use your logo and build equity in your trademark. Over the years, it will become a positive and recognizable symbol or your product or service.