Your Guide to Choosing the Right Logo Designer
May 13, 2021
Whether you’re looking to upgrade your company’s logo or establish your brand’s foundation, choosing the right logo designer is no easy task. Creating a polished logo is a job for a professional (one with the right kind of experience).
In today’s blog, I’m highlighting several factors to consider when choosing a logo designer so that you can set your brand up for success.
What to Look for in a Logo Designer
Your logo increases your brand’s value and enhances your reputation. Here are five things to look out for when finding the right logo designer:
#1: They deliver on the client’s vision.
There are many different ways to tackle a logo design, and an experienced logo designer completes the necessary groundwork before leaping into the creative session.
Working with the client, the creative should have a good understanding of what the client is about, what they do, and how they want to be perceived. It helps to have the client complete a brand discovery document and underline the responses in a meeting.
Some questions to include in the document are:
- If you had to describe your business in one word, what would it be and why?
- What sets your company apart from the competition?
- What do you want the new logo to accomplish?
These answers help with gathering critical information for the creative decision-making process.
#2: They understand logotype styling.
The best creative logo makers know the differences between logotypes. This is important because the logo should stylistically be appropriate for the type of work.
The logo’s overall look and feel play great roles in consumers’ perceptions of the brand. You wouldn’t want your dental office to have a fast-food service logo style, for example, as it, could confuse potential clients.
Generally, people don’t want to second-guess their options when choosing between one business and another. If given the slightest off-putting feeling, that could be enough to steer them away. A great logo designer will evaluate competitors’ logos and find modern, strategic ways to make you stand out within your field.
Making a modern logo doesn’t mean you should always go with what’s trending, either. (Check out the latest logo design trends here. The divergent logo trend sparked my interest in this read.)
An experienced logo maker is aware of all the current trends but knows that timeless logos are here for the long run. The McDonald’s golden arches logo and Burger King’s recent pivot to their 1994 version are perfect examples. Both of these companies–and others–have added additional elements to their “core” logo while maintaining the authenticity of the original logo.
#3: They use logo applications correctly.
An experienced logo designer not only knows how the primary logo will be used, but they also foresee the secondary logo’s uses. (Secondary logos are typically present within supporting areas, such as within a website’s footer or on a company vehicle.)
Operating without a well-planned logo system only allows room for logo misuse, and most of the time, it leaves the logo illegible. What good does that do–especially if it’s the first impression?
#4: They show versatility in logo designs.
Your chosen logo designer should be creative and versatile when designing logos. There are a couple of reasons for this:
- You don’t want your logo to look too similar to another company’s current or past logos. This comes off as unoriginal and cheap.
- When you’re presented with the initial logo design concepts, you should have a variety of styles to review. You don’t want the experience to be like trying out chocolate ice cream. There are only subtle differences between flavors such as chocolate brownie and Hershey, making it difficult to leave an honest review.
Great logo designers give you options by presenting vastly different logo concepts within the scope of your brand and industry. (Take a look at some of our logo variations here.)
#5: They make sense of color theory and print vs. web colors
Experienced logo designers know to present the first concepts in a single color. The main reason they do this is to focus on the logo’s overall shape without being skewed by color.
Once they’re on track in the concept direction, they’ll explore color. This ties us to the next important point: web vs. print colors.
When exporting logo files, there are two color modes: RGB and CMYK. RGB color model is for use on screens, whereas the CMYK model is for print.
Mixing these up can create off-brand colors, which is frankly unprofessional. Your logo designer should be exporting your logo files accordingly.
Conclusion
As one might think, being a logo creator isn’t just about art. There’s quite a bit of knowledge and experience that contributes to being a successful logo designer. Understanding the basics and utilizing simplicity in design goes a long way.
For any client who gets a logo created by BrandCraft, we highly recommend adding in a branded identity guideline package. These guidelines go in-depth on how to use all of the logotypes within your logo system, along with solidifying brand colors, textures, patterns, and typography. It’s the next step in understanding and being cohesive across all touchpoints of your brand.
Investing in a professional logo designer is just that–an investment. Don’t chance your business by going with an amateur creative. Contact BrandCraft today to get a master logo and so much more.
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