I’m often asked about logo design. Is it essential? Is it important? Does it have to cost an arm and a leg? The answer is predictably not black and white and so I’ve done my best to unravel things.

What is a logo and why is it important?
A logo is always the very first impression people get of your company. It is your visual stamp and if it is successful it will effectively communicate messages about what your company stands for. Your logo speaks on behalf of your company whether you like it or not. Are you saying your company is sloppy and slap dash with an unimpressive cheap looking logo? Is the message you want to be sending out being heard, ignored or accepted?  Are you coming across like a small or big company? Is that how you want to come across? Are you communicating brand messages of serious, fun, quirky or professional?

A logo must stand the test of time and be original
Your logo is in effect the seed from which your brand grows from. It should form the backbone of every piece of communication that follows. The colours, typography and style of logo should define your image and the rest of your business communications. Once designed your logo will represent your company for many years so it’s important to get it right. It needs to be flexible enough to build on. Originality is also key. It must be designed specifically for your company to communicate to your target audience. Remember that cheaper generic logos may not reflect your true company values and an off the shelf solution could also end up being used by another company – two major reasons why it’s worth paying for a good quality logo.

So how much should you actually pay for a logo?
Many people don’t realise the amount of work that has to go into a successful, useful and professionally designed logo. Through research your designer should at least find out who your main competitors are and how they present themselves as well as understand your target audience and long term company goals.

1. Ideas are generated from brain storming sessions often with more than one designer involved.
2. Rough concepts need to be developed and then chosen concepts need to be polished and presented.
3. Amends are often required, more tweaking and then final finishing touches before file hand over.

All this takes time which is why if you are getting a professional job done the price can seem astronomical for what you think you are getting. Further to this you should find out what you are getting from you designer. It could include:

1. Just one logo file
2. Multiple files such as a black and white version of your logo
3. Scalable files
4. Logo usage guidelines
5. Full brand development
6. Full brand guidelines

This is why a logo can cost anything from £50 (not advisable) to £5,000 (also not advisable unless you fully understand why)! Now you understand the value you should get out of your logo, how much work is involved and the various levels of logo development service you could get, you should have more clarity about the importance of your logo and how much you should pay for it.