It’s been said, and I agree, that your brand message should be easy enough for a child or your mother to understand. Applying that standard to the visual mark of a business, designer Alan Ladd shows his 5-year-old daughter logos she’s not familiar with for 5 seconds, then asks her to redraw them from memory. What parts of logos have the most lasting impression for her, and, by extension, to all of us? Check out his video:
In the past few years, there has been a proliferation of DIY logo sites. Pay a fee, choose an icon from a library, add your business name in a font you like, and presto – a logo for your company! No annoying designer asking questions about your business and your clients, taking (in your mind) a long time to come up with options, charging (in your mind) an outrageous fee. What could be easier or more cost effective than doing it yourself?
Before you check these sites out, let me tell you a little more about the business practices of LogoGarden, one of these DIY sites, where, for $79, it’s literally a steal to get a logo.
In this world of increasing on-line business relationships, e-marketing, and v-cards, you could be forgiven if you think that business cards are passé. But a well-thought out and executed business card can have a big impact on your clients and prospects. I’ve had prospects call me years after they first received my card because they found my card interesting enough to save. That’s an impression that a v-card just can’t match!
Even though business cards are small in size, a surprising amount of information can fit in that space. The Small Business Blog lists nine “must-haves” for every business card. And, if you need inspiration to take your card to the next level, designmess.com offers these creative business cards to inspire you!
I’ve been asked by clients if logo design ideas come to me in a “flash of inspiration.” I wish! But like most other jobs, design is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. The process of designing a logo requires logical steps of listening, research, development, feedback and refinement to achieve the best results.
Here’s where the 10% happens! Often, after fact-gathering, designers “let it be” for a few days. Brainstorming, changing environment, asking Why?, and What if? help look at the logo challenge in new and different ways. It’s hard to be creative and critical at the same time, so the good, bad, and ugly are all included. Only when many concepts have been worked up do we proceed to…
Once the final logo design has been agreed on, color palettes are developed for the logo. Again, it’s important to understand the client’s audience and industry in choosing appropriate colors for their identity. A client meeting is held to review the color concepts, and further color refinements are made if needed.
The Democrats have apparently spared no expense or resources to create a new logo and slogan. (Note to the literal-minded: I’m joking!) In this video, Real Times’ Bill Maher shows he’s not partisan as he takes the logo to task and offers some alternate slogans that the Democrats might want to consider.
And on another front, The Atlantic accuses the Democrats of plagiarizing the logo from a small Ohio-based pizza chain. Change that matters, indeed!
How important do you think it is to have a logo for your business? Sure, mega-international companies like Nike and Apple have instantly recognizable identities, but what are the benefits of a custom designed logo for a small to medium-sized organization with a much smaller budget?
In fact, a well-designed logo may be even more important for them! It gives a competitive advantage to a smaller business seeking to make a favorable first impression in a crowded marketplace. An effective, consistently used logo identifies the business’ core competency and personality. It reflects the organization’s professionalism, quality and pride. It says who they are when they’re not physically in front of their customers. It makes a favorable first impression on new customers and reinforces the organization’s qualities for existing customers.
Studies show that most people remember visuals better than things they read or hear. If someone forgets the name of a business, their memory can be jogged by the graphic representation of the organization-it’s logo! You can think of a logo as a unique abbreviation representing a business.
But what about the cost of a custom-designed logo? An identity designed by a professional designer can cost what seems like a lot of money, but when all the other expenses of starting up and running a business are considered, the money spent on a well-designed logo is a wise long-term investment. A logo is a once-in-a-business-lifetime expense. Amortized over the life of your business, you can see what a reasonable cost it really is, especially for the return you get on having a unique and memorable business identity.
A professionally-designed logo will work in more practical ways as well, such as being legible across a variety of reproduction like business cards, merchandise, web site, display graphics, etc. A logo designer should provide a Style Guide for the logo’s proper use, as well as a variety of appropriate logo file formats.
Imagine the impact a compelling and powerful visual brand has on your customers. Now picture it used with your marketing collateral and your web site—all created specifically to attract and motivate your ideal clients.
I help professional service firms like yours (insurance agencies, law, accounting and engineering) bring your brand and message to life. Looking beyond the obvious for the custom solutions your business needs, I work with you to create marketing communications that resonate with your clients, prospects and partners, and support you in achieving your marketing goals.
