Designing the Perfect Logo: An Infographic

How to Design a Great Logo 

Infographic by Artipromotions.com

Why an Hourly Wage Doesn't Make Sense for Graphic Design

The comic above makes a solid point -
A brilliant design can come with a single stroke of a pen or a 100 hours of struggle and pain.

The balance in pricing lies in the predicted # of hours worked, the # hours of experience in the field, a arbitrarily calculated value of the logo to the company, and the max allocated budget for the project from the client's viewpoint.

Reddit /r/FreeDesign - Rabid CSGO Clan Logo

From http://www.reddit.com/r/freedesign/comments/2rmn09/request_looking_for_a_csgo_team_logo/

Old Logo

New

Clever Logo Design: Spartan Golf Clubs

Spartan Golf Club - that minor adjustment with the lower torso makes all the difference.

How Much Should I Pay For a Small Business Logo and Card Design?

How much do you think this cost?

"How much should my business logos, branding, and designs cost? Artists are a dime a dozen, right? It can't be that much."

This is one of the most common questions ever in the business world, especially now that start ups are coming along left and right, and is probably one of the most frustrating parts of being a designer due to misconceptions about the design world. Thankfully, I found a post that answers this question in the most straightforward way I've ever seen, and breaks it down to real monetary amounts.

The initial question:

I want to pay someone to design a logo for a company. How much should I expect to pay for something of quality?

Reply from reddit user /u/jessefletcher of www.jessefletchercreative.com

Your price request seems to have stirred up people a bit and the info may be confusing. The thing with logo design is that it is very dependent on the client and scope, and people not really knowing either of these about you makes it difficult to estimate. Here is what I would expect in terms of pricing:

$50-$300
Junk for the most part, the logo will be generic, quick and typically a knockoff of something that already exists, you will find students and overseas competitors in this bracket

$300-$1000
This will get you something solid that reflects your company to some extent but it will but just a logo, it may have some proper fonts to go with it, some Pantone colors and that's it. You will find freelancers and print shops in this bracket.

$1000-$5000
This will be your meat and potatoes, proper resource should be done at this level, looking into competitors, brand usage and guidelines should be generated. This will reflect your company and the "feel" that you want, and may include some other elements like business card designs. You will find freelancers and design firms in this bracket

$5000-$20,0000
This is much more of a branding package, it is the logo properly researched and then implemented into the company, how it works on cards, letterhead, photography, jackets, vehicle wraps, building signage, promotional items, website etc... (Note: this is not the building of those things though it could include it, just how the brand would be implemented into it) this would typically be handled by design firm.

$20,000+
These are bug corporations, cities, countries and the Olympics. Most the cost of this is implementation, usage cases and perceived value. Usually this would be handheld by an internationally recognized firm.


These are just guidelines based on what I have seen. You could get the perfect logo for $20 but it would be a random rare shot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Rabbit's Perspective:

Great and straightforward answer from Mr. Fletcher, and from our perspective, because we work primarily with local small businesses, we have our logo design price level at the freelancer/print shop range. Any higher, and many of these business owners would have sticker shock because they don't understand the value of a good design, but since it's such a low price, I have to impose very strict guidelines, such as number of redesigns and touchups I will do before having to charge more.

Regardless, I hope this clarifies the issue for people searching for professional designs.

Magus - DOTA 2 Clan Logo Design

Here's a set of logos I made for a DOTA 2 clan, Magus.

For those of you that don't know, DOTA = Defense of the Ancients, one of the most popular Free-to-Play games on the market.

To the Magus guys - best of luck on your endeavors, and kick some ass at tournaments so the world can see the awesome logos I made for you guys.

b0mb3r

benolot

flawless

Mutex 

TurtalyTurtle

Reddit /r/freedesign - F-Tac Canadian Shooting Gear T-Shirt

Every once in a while we'll browse Reddit's /r/freedesign and pick a request based on merit/interest/however we're feeling at the moment. This week: F-Tac

[REQUEST] - shooting company T-Shirt design 

I started up in Nov 2013 just doing some shooting gear for fun and things are going fairly well. With the warmer weather around the corner I'd like to get some T-shirts done up but need an original logo. The Logo /u/dtrford came up with for the company is awesome but I want something a bit more gun related for the shirt (that logo will be on the front, looking for something bigger on the back). A lot from my original design request applies so I have copied and pasted it with some updates for this project 

The logo What words or letters do you want included in your logo? Something that incorporates Canada flag or Maple Leaf and a gun (either AR or short barrel shotgun) 

Do you have a tagline? Do you want it to be included in the logo? Not yet, open to ideas/suggestions 

Provide five adjectives to describe your logo. Some examples are below. Masculine, explosive, modern, loud, clean

Tell me about your company: I am in the military and enjoy shooting on the civilian side. I have come up with a few ideas for products that a local company is going to be making for me. They also have a few products they have offered me at wholesale costs. Products include slings, side saddle shell carriers, dump pouches, tac vests/chest rigs and hats.

Explain what your company / organization is and does. My goal is to provide high end gear at affordable costs to people for recreational, competitive, and real life (military/leo) shooting 

How are you different than your competition? I plan on having lower prices while maintaining high quality gear. Also, the individuals helping me design and start up (including the company making the products) are all full time or retired military.

What are the benefits of your product/service? Low cost, high quality gimmick free gear.
What attributes of your business / organization would you like your logo to reflect? Pro gun, Canada, and quality products

How do you intend to market your company? Local gun clubs, facebook, and hopefully (good) word of mouth. Possibly a website/store in the future if all goes well. 

Goals and Objectives: What do you want to happen as a result of this project? I want to be able to provide shooters good gear at a low cost. Being military, a husband, and father I don’t always have a ton of money to go out and buy the most expensive nicest kit available. 

Identify long-term and short-term objectives. Short term goal is to continue selling locally and through some online forums. Long term, I would like to be able to set up an online store and sell through that. 

**Describe what you want designed:
Describe your aims and requirements in detail here — the more specific, the better. Tell the designers what is required, but also let them know where they’re free to be creative.** 

What key pieces of information / copy need to be included? I am very open but would like it to be simple for ease of screen printing (one or two colours) and include a Maple Leaf and gun 

Competitors Design Use Google to search for similar designs that you like, include at least (4), explain why you like them and what to include / exclude in your design http://www.ammoland.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/mesa-tactical-logo.jpg It’s simple, clear that it’s firearm related, “pops” out at you
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P59iynu_61k/UgE_v-vgLTI/AAAAAAAAA0U/GxnTiBhrZ2A/s1600/TampaTactical_Logo_01.jpgI’m not crazy about the skull but I like the guns beside the logo
https://www.irononsticker.com/images/2012/08/17/Aim%20Armed%20Imperial%20Military%20logo.png I like the bold letters and the cross hairs in it. It has a bit too much going on in the background though 

Do the same exercise but look for (4) competitors designs that you DO NOT like and explain why. http://www.taigear.com/assets/images/Taigear_Logo_Website.jpg too “American” (I’m Canadian). If it’s military related I’d like it to be country neutral or a bit towards Canadian (no stars and no rank insignia)
http://logos.co/1024/royalty-free-vector-of-a-logo-of-a-demonic-red-eyed-cowboy-skull-shooting-pistols-by-chromaco-5480.jpg Too “kiddish” and too much detail
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZC_Hpl1Rc7kHKNH5rekBEcegHRwmUbOCQHRMgA_cHztRQixDhAUsz4CZUtWZ3H_HTAiCAuYy4W__IZphBsesWlbnvySDTbiCU37dOYhhNKp1h0RBj-HNAJAn2cXYycL5n35L_cNt1mQ/s400/%25210_0000_MORGUE_LOGO_Shooting_Logo05.jpg I don’t like the traditional paper target in the logo (or the hunting guns). The company is geared to “tactical/practical” bulls eye target shooting.
http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/punisher_skull.jpg this ones pretty simple, no punisher skulls please. 

Who is your target audience? Mainly males in the 18-30 range (or at least act like they are in that range) that are into shooting black and green rifles/shotguns. I’d like the logo to be something you would put on your own child though (no swearing, middle fingers, etc) 

Who are you trying to attract with your marketing message? Be specific. I’m trying to attract people who go out shooting for fun and like running high quality gear to use on their own or for work. 

What is the overall message you want to convey to your target audience? “Tactical/Practical” gimmick free gear that works and you can trust. 

Tone & Image: Funny / Casual / Formal / etc. What tone and imagery will be most effective, specific visual goals? Bold but also fun (without being childish). 

What colors would you like to see in your logo? (It is usually best to stick to one or two colors): These will be going on black, brown or olive green shirts so I’d like to stick with black/white (and possibly red)
here is the company logo (thanks to /u/dtrford) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v301/frumpybikes/F-TAC/CBBDE0AA-B4D2-4C80-87E8-3FD53926D8F9_zps7h4mhzig.jpg

Result:

Did you know Canadians also shoot guns? Neither did I.

Hope /u/f-tac likes it.

-Rabbit

Need a logo? http://www.r4bb1t.com/p/design.html

Reddit /r/freedesign - Brainstormville logo

Every once in a while we'll browse Reddit's /r/freedesign and pick a request based on merit/interest/however we're feeling at the moment.

Guidelines:
No revisions
No more than 30 minutes of work
No one obviously looking to exploit free labor

This week: Brainstormville.

[Request] Need a logo for my consumer product design company. The company's name is Brainstormville, ideally play on the brainstorm of it. I was thinking a cartoony brain as a cloud raining or a storm coming from it. I have no artistic ability to do this. Thanks!

I'll gladly add a blog post about you or promote you on our company page once we publish it!  

Result:

Hope /u/charizzardd likes it.
-Rabbit

Need a logo? http://www.r4bb1t.com/p/design.html

Rabbit is Offering a Free Design to One Denver Nonprofit or Local Business

March Giveaway! One Free Logo/Flyer/Card Design or Photoshoot for Any Nonprofit or Local Business in Denver

Pretty much exactly what the heading says - if you are part of a 501c3 nonprofit or a non-franchise brick and mortar shop/restaurant, Rabbit LLC is giving away 1 free design this month!

Contact Us for More Info

Bad Design Might Drive Away Customers for Small Businesses and Freelancers

Why Clean Design is Important for Small Businesses and Freelancers: A relatively short rant pointed at strawmen explaining why cluttered design might drive away business. 

Just a fake logo for a fake company I made up in my head.
Follows my personal best practices for logo design.

Logo and website design is something that is often overlooked by new business owners as it does not pertain to the core of the business, but can mean the difference between a walk-in versus a walk-by because of preconceived notions about quality.

Before we go on, let's see two common examples of bad design from local businesses:

1. The Cluttered Local Coupon

A classic - the local ad done by someone who just learned how to use Photoshop. You've likely seen this one in your local penny saver/coupon book. There are several things that are technically good - the logo is actually clean, and a visible offer, call to action, and contact information. On the other hand... just look at it. 

Despite the fact that house painters don't necessarily need to be professional artists to do their jobs properly, the connotation of working with paint combined with the terrible mismatched design may provide enough cognitive dissonance to make a potential customer think twice about hiring them. 

Also, I get that SEO consultants usually stress the need for Twitter and Facebook, but I just find it silly in cases like this. Really no need to put it in the ad.

2. The Outdated Local Business Website

On a personal level, I know that only a truly experienced freelance Linux admin would have this appreciation of spartan design, but once again, many end customers might not understand that. This example also has good things going for it: Clear info and uncluttered design - unfortunately, the design is outdated by about 20 years. 

The logo looks like it was pulled from MS Word clipart, and all of the components of the webpage just are not themed out and looks disjointed.

So, with these extreme examples of poor design sensibilities in mind, I urge any small business owner to read up on logo design with printing in mind, then look back at how they present themselves online or in real life. When you are competing against bigger competitors with more resources, a simple, relatively small investment like a clean and clear logo and web presence might be just the leverage needed to make the sale.



Rabbit Design Philosophy and Examples: http://www.r4bb1t.com/p/design.html
Simple Small Business Website Package: http://www.r4bb1t.com/p/website-design.html

Printing Best Practices as a Designer - Logo Do's and Don'ts

Best Do and Don't Tips on Logo Design and Printing

I often see designers asking for critiques on their logos. 9 times out of ten, the logos are unprintable and don't take into consideration that it will be shown in all different sizes and on different mediums. It's absurd how few designers actually have a good grasp on what goes into printing your logo (and I'm not talking about your Epson CMYK home printer.)

So, here is a small checklist on what you need to revise your logos:

Start your logo in black.

Straight up, only use black. C0M0Y0K100. Don't you dare touch the opacity or consider putting that K down to 50 or 20 or whatever. Do everything in black. This is your 1 color logo. When you have a one color logo THEN you can start coloring. Also, limit the number of colors you use. 4 is a good maximum number, but I try to stick around 3.

F*ck you and your gradients.

Gradients are the bane of a printer's existence. It may look great on computer monitor, but hand it to a flexographic printer and he might not be very happy with you. Gradients don't translate well in print. Even in CMYK printing, they can be messy and don't have the same tolerance from one color to another, printer to printer.

Play and experiment with your logo.

So, you've created a logo, huh? Well here's what you need to do. Print it. As small as you can without losing it's integrity. Not very legible? Did your anorexic ultra-thin type disappear? Yeah, time to go back to the drawing board. Create versions of logo that can be placed horizontally, vertically and without type (unless the typography is your logo). Your skinny type isn't going to show up on a piece of fabric because it's going to be lost on the threads. Always have longevity and functionality in mind when you design! That's design 101, and it's amazing how many designers forget that.

I get told a lot by a lot of amateur/small time designers that, "This is 2013, my logo can be as complex as I want!"

NO. And here's why:

Printing is expensive.

I don't know if you know this, but CMYK printer ink is more expensive than human blood. That's why you need to think ahead and consider alternative printing methods. That's why you need a 1 color logo. You have clients. Clients aren't into the most elaborate bang for their buck. They are looking for ways to cut down on costs and maximize profit. You owe them that.

The other thing is that using alternative printing methods price by the number of plates/screens/inks used. Right now, my printer charges $200/flexographic plate made up. 1 plate = 1 color. So, LIMIT THE NUMBER OF COLORS YOU USE, because YOU WILL end up having it printed or someone else will print it for you (ie, sponsor, advertisement, etc). And I'm sure you want it looking good and recognizable.

What alternative methods? I'm talking about offset and flexographic and screen printing. All of these forms of printing have their pros and cons, but all are meant for mass production. You need to learn how each of these work, because it's important to know what to expect.

VECTOR

Your logo needs to be vectored, converted to outlines and expanded. Turn it in as either an EPS or Illustrator PDF file. If you don't know what that means, then you probably aren't a designer.

Pantones

Buy yourself a pantone book, preferably 2 for solid color coated and uncoated inks. A pro-tip is to work from pantones. Convert all of your CMYK colors and RGB colors from a Pantone color first. It is much easier to match from a pantone color than to match TO a pantone color.

Color Match

Finicky about colors? It's your job as a designer to request that your colors be color matched to an already made up hard copy. Inks are typically transparent and the paper or substrate behind the ink has a tendency to come through. That means your logo has a chance of always being printed darker than it's intended color.

Ask for your colors to be color matched against an already perfect print of yours on the paper or medium you are printing it on.

FINALLY: It's your fault, not the printer's.

This one is simple. If you sign that proof, the ink is on your hands. Don't be angry at the printer. Printers may be nice and try to accommodate for your mistake (cheaper re-run, maybe?), but all in all, you are probably going to eat that cost.