Logo Designer

 

The Basics of Logo Design

Before you embark on the journey to become a logo designer, you should understand what a logo is and what the purpose of a logo is. A logo is most often created to uniquely identify a company or product. A logo can be a symbol, word, mark or icon. A logo does not sell the company directly nor rarely does it describe a business. Logos are used primarily for identity purpose, and nothing more. It should not describe what the business or product does, but rather identify the it in a way that is recognisable and memorable. With emphasis on it being in its simplest form.

As a logo designer you need to have creative abilities. Your also need a firm understanding the history of branding and why it’s so powerful and used in marketing. A logo designer is responsible for presenting a product or brand to clients and customers. A well designed logo creates an immediate impact on whoever sees it. 

On the technical side, a logo designer should posses a certain level of skills with software used to create logos. This means a strong working knowledge of Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and other graphics software. As a logo designer you need attention to detail. A well designed logo needs to be timeless. A logo designer also needs to be good at visualising. Taking and idea and bringing it to life. Since clients often won’t know exactly what they want, it’s a logo designers responsibility to communicate well and help them turn their vision to an idea, which the logo designer can then bring to manifestation.

As a logo designer there are infinite ways your designs may be used.

Here are some of the more common use cases:

• Business branding
• Social media profiles and banners
• Advertisements
• Website logos
• Signs and banners
• Product packaging
• Marketing products
  

The Process

As a logo designer you need to cultivate and evolve your own style of working. The way you go from an idea and into the process of designing, and to finally ending up with a logo. Write down a strategy. Your personal way of working. Here are some key elements that you might want to include in your plan:

• Research
• Reference
• Brainstorm
• Sketch
• Design
• Reflect
• Present
• Revise
• Deliver

The Logo Designer Business

Before you can start designing anything you need to have a good understanding of the business. The more you understand about the business, the better the final results will be. Your work will not always get approved first time you present it. Actually, it’s more likely you present a design preview and let the client review it, so you can build it to your clients satisfaction. Research, before starting. What product or business are you dealing with? Research their competitions logos. This is an essential step to be ahead of all the other logo designers. Passion for positive results is essential for this type of career.

Even though there are no educational requirements in this career field, a degree in graphic design will definitely make you stand out between other designers. To build unique logos, and make a name for yourself with the industry, make it a habit to think outside the box.  Other degrees that might help you become a successful logo designer, could be everything from a degree in business or communication.

A portfolio where you display all your previous work will do wonders for you. This can be an Instagram profile or simple website. List all your previous work. This is the fastest and most powerful way to showcase your abilities and skills. Just as with other online gigs, expect to face strong competition for the gigs. That’s why earning a degree and building a stand out portfolio will help you make it.

The Power of a Logo

A good logo is one of the most vital elements of a business or products marketing campaign. A logo is placed on products and merchandise and should be an instantly recognizable face of a brand. Hence, a lot of thought should go into designing a logo. Before embarking on designing a logo, you should interview the client and ask what they wish their logo to signal. Ask for their values. Maybe it’s trust. Then Google the word trust and go to images to see what type of images show up in the search results. What type of elements emit the aura of trust? Commit to learning about how logo’s connect physiologically with their “viewers”.

Study the most famous logos from successful cooperations and understand what makes them work so well. It’s not illegal to get inspiration. Just make sure you don’t copy. You donate want to get into any copyright issues. Keep a logo simple. Memorable. Logos are the cornerstone of any successful business or personal brand. Your clients want their logo to explain who they are and what you do. That’s the power of a logo!

Some Tips and Tricks

• A logo speaks louder than a thousand words
• Imagination is key
• Think outside the box
• Colour is key
• Keep it simple
• Make it memorable

Your Designer Portfolio

Creating a unique portfolio is as already mentioned one of the most important way to become a successful logo designer. A well put together portfolio proves that you get things done. It tells the potential clients that you have experience. This is how you build a personal name and brand. Create a unique and powerful logo for your own logo business. This will give you confidence when interacting with potential or existing clients. Confidence is key when you share ideas with a client about the vision of their brand logo. When building your portfolio remember to network. Join communities on Facebook. If need material for your portfolio, offer to create free logos to friends and family with small businesses or organisations. Practise. Don’t stop until you have a good number and variety of logo to showcase on your portfolio.

Rating Your Service

Every company has different needs and expectations. To get your business up and running, be open to negotiations. You can always list set prices once you have build yourself a good following of clients. And your business is booming. When negotiating your rate take into consideration how many concepts are required by the client? How many revisions will be needed? How much research is required? How big is the company? Draw up a customised quote for each client. Set your prices based on your present talent, skills and expertise. If you need help setting your rates, research what your competition is charging. This will help you set a realistic rate that customers will accept, so you can actually start making some money.

Stay Motivated

A mission statement is useless without a plan to execute on it. Develop and write down your personal business plan. Set short and long term goals. The purpose being to to have a clear understanding of what you want to accomplish and how you will achieve it. Designers can often get completely caught up in their work. It’s important to set time off for yourself during the day. Allow yourself the freedom to take a walk. Meditate or exercise. Eat properly and drink enough water. This will help you stay focused. Set goals and deadlines and enforce them. This can be a challenge. But essential to become successful. Cultivate your self-discipline. Be organized. Maintain focus on your business. Building your entrepreneur business requires your time, dedication and practice. As a freelance logo designer it’s your own responsibility to stay motivated.