There are a lot of logo designers and brand identity designers out there so how do you know who to use? Well, there are a lot of reasons to choose one logo designer over another, but if you follow these 7 tips you should be able to pick a logo designer that is High quality, reliable, and qualified.
1. Portfolio
You can tell a lot about a designer by looking at their logo design portfolio. The first thing you should look at in a logo designer’s portfolio is do you like their work? If you do not like their work then you can take them out of the running right there and then. If you do like their work then ask yourself if this is relevant to your industry? With the number of Logo designers out there you should be able to find one that knows your industry. For example, I specialize in brand design for outdoor brands, lifestyle brands, and Blue Collar brands. Some other thing you should be able to tell by their portfolio is their logo design or brand design process, which we will talk about later, and the thought behind the logo. Many brand designers will have case studies within their portfolios.
2. Testimonials
Testimonials are a great way to see if you want to pick a logo designer. If they have great testimonials talking about how they went above and beyond or gave that little extra personal touch that is a great indicator that they will do that for you as well. If they just say something like “What an amazing logo I got” or something simple and not very descriptive then you should maybe think about looking elsewhere.
3. Process
How a brand designer goes about his logo design is a good indicator of their professionalism. The process is something that a designer will develop over time and help them stay on track and deliver an end product that will be what you need. For example, My process is kickoff – discovery – – research – design – revise. If a logo designer cannot tell you his process you may want to be wary. Also as part of this process, the logo designer should mention customer research or discovery somewhere in the process. If they are not trying to find out who your customer is they don’t know who they are designing for.
4. Case Studies
Do they have case studies on their site? A case study is a reflection on a project that the logo or brand designer completed. Case studies are great in helping you determine if you want to work with that logo designer. A case study will tell you what the problem the designer has to solve and how they did it and the results. It will give you insight into how they think and look at a problem.
5. Price
Price is an important part of finding a logo designer who is right for you. If you cannot afford them you can check them off immediately. At the same time if they are cheap you might want to ask yourself why they are so cheap. A logo can cost you anywhere from $50 – $100,000+. As a rule of thumb, a budget logo design will be $0-$1,000. A freelancer $1,000 – $5,000. Small agency or a known freelance $5,000 – $20,000. Agency is about $5,000 – $100,000. More and logo cost here.
6. Questions
It is your logo designer’s job to find out about your company, your business, your market, your competition, your story, and more. If your logo designer is not asking you a ton of questions or is just sending you a sheet with questions on it, be wary. I find that a discovery meeting or call is the best way to go about this. You never know what you will uncover by verbally asking and listening to your clients. This is a very important part of the logo design process, it can take things in new unexpected directions and give valuable insight for the designer to work with.
7. Fit
So now you have done all your research and it is time to ask yourself – is this logo designer a good fit for me and my business? Are their style and process match what I am looking for? Do I think they could do the job I want to hire them for? Do they want the job that I have? to be in their wheelhouse? and probable most importantly will we work well together or get along?
