I recently read an article online where the main premise was is that Startups whom often don’t have much of a budget, should opt for a quick, cheap logo that reflects their start-up brand until it had expanded enough to merit a full brand identity created by a professional designer or agency. “You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to develop a good logo. For just a few dollars, you can develop a logo that gets you to the next stage.”
The article then went on to describe 5 Key Points to consider when creating your logo design:
- “The one mistake you want to avoid is limiting yourself with your logo.”
- “Your startup’s first logo doesn’t have to win any design awards or wow your customers. It does, however, need to avoid standing out for the wrong reasons.”
- “When it comes to logo design, you don’t want to copy or mimic any other brands – especially your competitors.”
- “You can always change your logo down the road with little push back from the marketplace.”
- “Spend time crafting a logo you’re proud of and you’ll likely build a brand you can stand behind.”
The closing paragraph stated – “Quite frankly, the task of designing a logo for an early-stage startup really isn’t that big of a deal.”
First of all, as a Designer I see this article as being full of mixed messages. Without having a fairly comprehensive understanding of this important part of Branding, getting this wrong could actually cost you in more ways than one. The oldest of all clichés: “You get what you pay for” truly applies here. Treating your company logo like something you can get from a gumball machine may come back to bite you.
There is a general misnomer that “design” is cheap, easy, and freely available. I agree that while there are many designers and designs freely available – they aren’t always “good designers” and good designs. Most designers worth their salt can create a fit-for-purpose logo, but truly mastering all aspects of the craft takes time. Great logo design requires a complex mixture of creative theory, design skills, and skillful application.
The article actually gives 5 Key Points as to why hiring a (good) Logo Designer might be important:
- “The one mistake you want to avoid is limiting yourself with your logo.”
Designing your logo after a singular product may limit you in the future if you want to branch out. Don’t brand yourself as “Apple Pie” if you can envision your business in time as a full service bakery.
Designing for trends tend to turn into clichés within the year, and the last association you want people to have with your business is that it’s outdated and tacky. Your business’s logo should be timeless, because a logo that looks current tells your audience that your business is relevant.
- “– Standing out for the wrong reasons.”
This requires some research and know-how. An iconic logo can put you at the forefront of customers’ minds, while a poor logo can make you a laughing stock. Bad logo design is:
- Too complicated and hard for customers to understand
- Conveys a unintended, wrong, or confusing message
- Poorly formatted or contains errors or poor spacing
- Looks like it was designed by a sixth grader – the public can spot cheap design and that’s what they’ll think of your business
- The logo image doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the company – in the customer’s mind they just can’t connect it with your company or product
- “ – You don’t want to copy or mimic any other brands – especially your competitors.”
Stealing or mimicking someone else’s design does two things. First, it confuses your customers and makes them think your brand is associated with the company whose image you’re copying. Once they realize you have nothing to do with that company, you risk harming your reputation and being perceived as deceptive.
The flip-side of this is using Clip Art or an online logo builders that spit out ‘similar’ designs. You can find that your logo is competing with another simply based on the fact that it was not an original, unique design specifically developed for your company.
- “You can always change your logo down the road with little push back from the marketplace.”
The last thing you can afford to do is continually change your logo each time your brand moves in a new direction. It’s also confusing and disruptive to your audience. Your logo’s number one job is to be memorable. And if you’ve ever had your name on a letterhead, envelopes, brochures, business cards, and signage, and then changed your name or moved, turns out this can be costly to do over and over again.
- “Spend time crafting a logo you’re proud of and you’ll likely build a brand you can stand behind.”
Your company’s logo is the first image most customers get of your company. If your logo is well-designed and inspiring, it forms a positive image in their mind about your company, and the odds of converting them into a paying customer increases dramatically.
Creating the right logo design is one of the most important things you can do for your business. It requires research and expertise to come up with the right design that adequately represents your brand and leaves a positive impact on the minds of your customers. Build a Brand the right way and they will come.
See Real Brand Marketing – Branding for getting a Logo design the right way.
