How to Design a Logo Yourself or Work with a Professional Graphic Designer.

Introduction

Your logo should be simple, unique, and easy to read at first sight.  It should be designed with your business culture in mind.  For example, You wouldn't' use a fancy script on a towing company€™s logo.  The logo should be designed around the central theme of your business; a book for publishing, a tractor for farming, etc.  (The logo below is designed using clip art from Adobe, but you get the idea.)

Basic Tips

Work with a designer if you are not an artist.  It is better to NOT have a logo, than to have a poorly designed one.  It screams low budget, home done, I'm cheap, etc.  See appendix for some companies that specialize in logos. Make sure you have a professional designer and ask them to make it as a vector image.  If they don' know what a vector files is, they aren't' pro!

If you are going to do it yourself, the most common program used is Adobe Illustrator, but Photoshop can also be used. 

Design the logo to be adaptable for large and small applications.  Make sure it looks good in black and white or in color.  Does it look good monochrome (different shades of one color)? Can it be used on letter head well?  Do you need a small mini one for book spines or other products?  Can it be adapted for signs or banners? 

Things to Avoid

Long slogans.  Too hard to make small and readable.  Slogans also interfere with the design.  If your business name is long, make an abbreviated version.  Some applications can look pretty silly if you logo has your name in it sitting right beside your business name.  Especially on letterhead.  You can design your logo to include your business name, but it can be tricky to use in some applications.  Some companies actually use two logos.  One small one and one with their name.

Clip art.  Don' use something everyone sees on their computer.  Get a silhouette and make your own, or have an artist draw you one.

Photos. Photographs can work, there is no question.  Just be careful the original is high resolution and can be used in large applications.  If you plan to market with billboards and large signs, photographs are not the best option, unless done right.  A simple design in a vector based program allows any size to be razor sharp without loss of detail.  These are the best all purpose designs.

Using your logo

On everything.  Signs, letterhead, memos, product labels, advertisements, articles, business cards, etc.  But here is a marketing tip.  Most businesses don't need to worry about branding.  Unless you are Wendy's or Coca Cola, don't' spend any money on branding.  It is NOT effective marketing.  Logos for small companies are mostly to say, "Yes, I am a real business that can serve my customers professionally."

Appendix

www.thelogocompany.net - $149, 3 days, custom design 100% original

www.canadianlogos.com- for $170 and up

www.logosmartz.com - design your own, save $, free Trial

www.logocare.com  - $269, fast, flat rate, 5 designers.

www.freelogoservices.com - FREE, template based, but they offer custom for a fee

(prices as of spring 2008)

If you have a design in mind we can help you make it a reality.

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Last modified October 7, 2009
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