As a creative entrepreneur it’s important to understand that a logo is a visual representation of your business. When you see a logo it tells a story about your company or your blogging persona.  Often times people use the  terms “logo” and “brand” interchangeably.   They’re actually not the same thing but they do work together. Your brand is the perception that people have about your products or services. You could even say it’s the personality part of your business. This perception of your blog and/or business  personality is something that is built over time.

So in reality in order to even begin a logo you need to know what your brand is first.

In order for a designer to be able to produce a logo for you they first need to understand what your brand is about.  Here are few  branding questions to keep in mind and know the answer to before you  hire someone to create your logo:

1. Who is your audience? Who is your target market that you’re trying to reach?

2. What is your business about?

3. What are your core values and beliefs?

4. What do you want people to come away with or feel about your brand?

Once we come up with some answers to these questions we have a good foundation from which our logo can be created and based on. Let’s discuss 10 basic tips of design as  you go through the process of having a logo design created for you.

10 tips for a better logo design

1. Layout (spacing/proportion): saying no to clutter is a good thing and embracing white space is the right thing! Your logo needs to make sense and follow a natural flow.  Try not to have too many elements crammed together in your design.
2.  Typography: The combination of certain fonts can really create a stunning logo. Pairing a serif font with a sans-serif font is always a great idea.  Quick definition: Serif-fonts have “a small decorative line added as embellishment to the basic form of a character”. Sans-Serif fonts do not have the decorate embellishments.
   I often suggest to my clients to have no more than 2 fonts used in their logo maybe 3 at the very most.  Although there maybe some script fonts out there that are amazing I would suggest staying away from decorative or script type fonts when it comes to your actual logo. For my logo here is an example of the use of a serif font (“Simplicity”) with a sans-serif font (“Sweet”):
3. Color Palette:  choose a color palette that goes with your current brand/website. You want to keep things cohesive as your are establishing your brand.
4. Understand the psychology of Color:  Colors can evoke different emotions. Understand the psychology behind colors can help you when creating your brand and logo for your business/blog.  Red produces excitement, power and passion. The use of red can be powerful to help encourage action or making a quick decision. Orange tends to be color that is associated with warmth. It’s also considered a very youthful color.Their is a light and fun aspect to this color. It’s used often for tropical themes. Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy. Yellow is often associated with food. Blue is a color that evokes trust, peace and a sense of loyalty.  There is a sense of sincerity when it comes to this color. Green is a color that is associated with nature and health.  It can represent growth and safety. Green is also easier on the eyes than most colors. Purple is a color that can be associated with royalty.  It symbolizes power, wealth, magic and ambition. Black is a color that some can associate with darkness or evil. Yet in a design aspect black can be used to represent wealth and elegance.  I love the use of black because it can be used to make text  stand out. To me personally there is a strength that the color black represents. White is a color that is associated with purity, goodness and simplicity.
5. Simplicity is King: I can’t say enough that some of the best logos are the ones that have simplicity and clean crisp aesthetic.  Tons of effects are not the best way to go if you want a polished and professional looking logo.  
6. Keep the wording simple: If you want to include a tagline keep it short and sweet.
7. Use of icons/illustrations:  Your brand story will determine what type of icon/illustration you may want to use in your logo.  Take time to brainstorm some options and not just go with what everyone else uses.  You can use a symbol/icon to be used as a letter in the actual logo. Here is an example of one I recently created for a client:
8. Don’t Use Royalty Free Images:  Some people ask if it’s possible to use a royalty free image similar to what you find on a site like iStockphoto.com for their logo.  The main point of having a logo is to not only be memorable but also to be unique.  If a royalty free image is being used by thousands of people chances are it won’t stay unique if you happen to use it for your logo.  Also if you look at iStockphoto’s licensing agreement you’ll notice that there are restricted uses for their images which means you may not use it in a trademark or logo. **To make sure your not infringing on any copyrights or trademarks go to The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office online.
9. Listen to your designer: When you choose a designer to create your logo understand that they have professional knowledge and expertise when it comes to design. Listen to what your designer’s professional
10. Create an Inspiration Board:  You may have an idea of what you want and what like in terms of design. Create a Pinterest board to show to your designer. Remember it’s not about copying but being inspired and having your own original design created just for you.

Now what about logo pricing?

I know this is a question that comes up often. What is the price I should be paying for a logo? Does paying more mean quality work? I know there is a big debate on this especially when they are places where you can essentially have a logo designed for you for the price of Venti Frapuccino.  Here’s the thing I believe and hold to be true… quality of work does have a price tag. That is my own personal belief.  I believe this truth when it comes to purchasing certain products/items for my family and I believe that when it comes to hiring a designer to create a website, logo and or online presence for you. Hey I’m all about saving money. In fact when when it comes to buying clothes/shoes for my family I look for the deal, but I also look for the quality and something that will stand the test of time.
Can you find someone who will charge under $100 for a logo design? Yes, of course you can.  Yet in my experience you run the risk of:

• poor quality
• plagiarized logo
• cookie cutter design
• no original design files included in cost of design
• use of stock photos that are not to be used for logo design.

Corporate brands pay upwards of $10,000 for logo development. Some designers will considerably less for small businesses starting at around $1,000. Now some designers who are first starting off will charge considerably less, but as they get more experience and grow as a designer they begin to charge more.   So where do you go to  find someone to hire and create your one of a kind logo? How do you find someone reliable and that does excellent work? Here are a few suggestions as you do a search online:

Tips on hiring a logo designer:

1. Get a referral from a friend or another blogger. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to find someone. I love when a friend refers me to someone that they personally hired for specific service. It gives me the confidence to try them out.
2.  Take a look at the designer’s portfolio.  Make sure you do this and see the style of each designer and if their aesthetic resonates with you or not.
3. Find out what’s included in the design of a logo. Some designers will include the original illustrator or Photoshop file used to create your logo as well as other formats (JPEG, PNG, GIF, PDF, Watermark).  Make sure you know exactly what you’re paying for.
4. Understand the revision policy.  This is so very important for you as a client. Read the Terms of Service on the designer’s site so you know exactly how many concepts you will get, how many revisions, and  the cost of extra revisions (if any). More than likely there are no refunds when it comes to design work- make sure to find this out.
5.  Hire someone who has experience: Like I mentioned above, please don’t hire someone just because their the most affordable. You can do that in many areas of life but when it comes to your online presence save up for y0ur logo design and hire someone has experience  and who does work that you love.

So to summarize understanding and defining your brand is the foundation for your logo design. Make sure you have thought about and answered the following questions we discussed above:

1. Who is your audience? Who is your target market that you’re trying to reach?
2. What is your business about?
3. What are your core values and beliefs?
4. What do you want people to come away with or feel about your brand?

Ready to hire a designer or at least have a chat with one?  Yes?  That’s awesome cause I actually happen to be one! Like you didn’t know that already!  I would love to chat with you to see how I can help you create a stunning logo or even about the  Branding & Website Package that I offer.