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LOGO DESIGN FAQ - A work in progress. I am not a writer by any means. Hello, my name is Raja Sandhu and I am a graphic designer. I am writing this FAQ in the best interest of my clients, myself, and hopefully other designers. After 4 years and 1000 logos later, I have come to the point where questions and answers are too repetitive and time consuming for both client and designer. Rather than answering 50 emails a day individually, I think it will now be easier to address those frequently asked questions with this page my new Logo Design FAQ. This list will be growing and I encourage feedback(link opens your default email client) from visitors to this page. 1. "How much for a logo?" By far, the most common question. By far, the question most dreaded. But its is the most expected and sincere question as well. I have asked myself. I
often try to draw analogies to other industries in hopes for some
compassion from the prospecting client towards the difficulty in answering
this question. It's like walking into a giant car dealership and asking
the desk clerk There are far too many factors involved in the process. I don't have a back room where I go and 'find your size' then place a nice little logo in a nice little white bag, along with receipt and give you a big smile and say "here you go". I wish it were that easy. On the other hand, if that's what you want, then I suggest you try the dime-a-dozen logo factories online that can produce you a 'super brand' plus 3 revisions and deliver your face to the world in GIF format, 60 minutes later. If so, here you go. On the other hand, here are some of the factors involved in my process..
Talking
with the client on what's best for their business is the most important
thing for me. Learning about the market, the demographic, the competitor
and some other words I don't remember from marketing class right now. I find that I spend more time talking to the client than I actually spend actually designing a logo.It used to be the other way around but I have learned what works better now. Work smarter.
The questions can be endless, I need to do my research in order to
know what's up and create a logo that works. This
takes time, and the client rarely supplies this information apart
from a few web site links and a 2 sentence mission statement. “We
have a revolutionary product. We want to conquer the world”.
Thanks. Learning about my business- From
my experience, I would guess that 80 percent of my clients didn't
know anything about the logo 1. "What's your process?" Brainstorming – This is the phase (after the above) where I bounce ideas back and forth with, firstly my right and left brains, then with the client. This is to to develop some sort of direction. At this point, we usually determine if we want an illustrative logo, a simple mark, customized lettering, ornate decals, a mascot, or simply a word mark. Preliminary sketching – With all the above info in hand, I have enough ammo to hit the sketch pad. I will do this in the oddest places and at the oddest times. I once immediately got off the highway while driving, to draw a logo concept that came to me, that I just had to get on paper. I draw with shapes and letters until I create something that I think could work as a business identity. I then decide it should be moved over to the digital stage where I open up Adobe Illustrator and begin perfecting my conceptual doodles. Sometimes I will sit there just scratching my head for an hour. Sometimes I will have a eureka moment and with divine intervention a great idea strikes and we have a winning logo. But most of the time I am suffering from ADD. Seriously though, this is the time-rame that is the most difficult to quantify. Sure, I can slap a swoosh and ball next to your company name and make you think I work super-fast just to buy more time, but I don't do that. Initial Logo Drafts – Here’s the only moment the client really cares about. All that mumble-jumble above, face it, no one cares. Nothing is more critical than a cool logo. I create a project page (private URL) for the client where they can monitor the progress and status of the project. All concepts are presented here along with all revisions and modifications. This is where knowledge comes to fruition. This is where I get the clients feedback. Probably the second most important part of the entire logo design process.This is the stage where I will hear things like “I love this logo, but can we see a different symbol and can you try a different font?” Gee, thanks. They basically said it sucks in a polite way. In seriousness though, this is where we make tweaks to my original concept. Common requests range from, “can I see that in orange”, “how would it look if you put the lettering below the icon”, “needs more lens flare”, to "Do you have a refund policy?" :( Revising and Modifying – I don’t really know the difference between those two words but let’s just carry on. It makes it look like more work when I say them to the client. After making the changes (which sometimes I am totally against – but, the client is always right) I present the newly revised logos. This stage, again, like the sketching stage, is often difficult to quantify since it is aback and forth process and the progress depends on both parties. Revising and Modifying – Rinse, repeat. Finalizing – Once a logo has been chosen, I request the rest of the payment, before handing over the source files. Once the deliverables are in the clients hand, I also walk the through the printing process, plus inform them of the several different file formats and where and how they should be used. So yeah, there are many factors involved in giving a quote. 2. "What’s the turn around time?" Hopefully you have read #1. That should let you know that this is not an instant process nor should it be. I am not saying that it can’t be though. Anything is possible when creativity is involved. I generally give 1-2 weeks to show some initial logo concepts. Another 1-2 weeks to revise and modify. 1 week to finalize. That is the general safe window I give to clients. Some projects are completed in a week others take months. What I let the client know first hand is that I am usually working on 10-15 projects at a time and I spend a few hours a day per project. Rushing never creates a good corporate identity. <sarcasm> 3. "I know exactly what I want, but I don’t have Photoshop, can you make it for me? My job is not to be someone’s ‘Photoshop’ puppet. Just kidding. If you know exactly what you want, then I am really not your guy to be honest, it wouldn't be your best value. Use the money I’d charge you and …. Get Photoshop :D 4. "Can you make me a swoosh like Nike’s but just put my name underneath? I wish you the best of luck in your future plans, brother. Honestly I place more credibilty on a business owner or young entrepreneurs to know the basics of copyright law. 5. "xxxxWorx.com charges less than what you quoted, can you beat that price? I am not here to compete, I choose my projects and I value my work. However, I don’t have a staff of 10 artsy people and a 2 story studio loft, fully equipped with a basketball net and lounge chairs, so I can pass those savings on to you. Try contacting a design firm with the same requirements and see what they quote you. 6. "Can you make me one of those web 2.0 logos? You mean one of these (I don't know where the credit goes for that logo compilation) Sure, my pleasure, I love using gradients and the gel effect. And I wont forget to put it on a shiny glass table! Oh, and you'll probably be back for a new logo in 2 years, so yeah. 7. "Thanks for the logo, but it doesn't look like something from your portfolio" I always love this one. It’s like asking Janet Jackson to create a hit song every time she goes to write. She can’t, some will be hits some will not. Your company is called Bob’s Dart World and you told me I have to use red green and black in the logo, you said it also must contain a dartboard and a flying dart. Those aren’t exactly the elements I work best with. The results will indicate that. So, your logo may not always be considered my best work (that which I include in my portfolio) 7. "Did you create all the logos on your site? Yes. I have been very busy! So busy that I can't manage to create a web site for myself. Client work is more important to me. 8. "Are they all real companies? Yes. Just because they don’t show up in a google search result does not mean they don’t exist. I work with local clientele that don’t use or need the web as much as someone else may. As I mentioned earlier, I work with a lot of start-ups. Many of them fail(unfortunately), so that’s why some URL’s are dead. I should take this time to note that the logos on my portfolio were not necessarily chosen by the client, rather they are what I feel are indicators of my best work. Any other logos, such as fun and experimental, are noted as such. So, if you see something you like, it just might be available. Onthe other hand, I do have 'forcasted brands for sale'. 9. "Leonard at AutoTek said you only charged him 50 bucks for a logo? Good for Leonard. You are not Leonard. I may have charged him that, 4 years ago when I first started but 4 years ago I did not know what I know now. In fact, I did not know what I was doing at all! (sorry, Leonard) 10. "Where did you study? At the book store mostly. I have no formal training in design, but I was a doodler all my life and always had a fascination with logos, brands, big business, psychology, illusions…that type of stuff. My school notebooks were covered with drawings, inside, they were empty. I am completely self taught when it comes to design and I think I am at step 1 of 1000. However, I did study marketing in college, and did miserably at writing ;) 11. "I need a killer logo yesterday, our site is going live in 2 hrs." I know this situation as I have been pressed for time myself, I can empathize with you. Here’s what I can suggest http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0004226A-F77D-1D4A-90FB809EC5880000 12. "I just want something that looks good but for cheap” You, and every other person in the world. 13. "I can only afford $50 right now, but when my web application becomes the next big craze and I get Dugg I can pay ‘the rest’ ” If I had a dollar for every time I lost out on a deal like that, I could retire. 14. "I am a programmer but I can't design for $h!+, could I offer my services in exchange for yours? For sure. I am always open to offers. Recently I had a client provide his programming services in exchange for my design services. It worked out wonderfully. Right now, I got my eyes on a new laptop ;)
More
FAQ's to come soon, I hope I did not offend anyone, I am a nice guy,
I swear!
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