ShopForDesigns – Logo design marketplace, website design, corporate identity design, banner design, crowdsourcing.

I am generally on the internet for about 14 to 16 hours a day. Various logos have been my area of interest since the last 10 years or so. I do not know if I can call myself a logo expert but people won’t object if I say that I have fair exposure in logo design.

During my quest for best logo designs, I have come across some great logos and some awefully ill designed logos that break all barriers and norms of logo design dont’s.

So in a nutshell I would like to advice you to steer clear from naive designers who claim to make great logos for peanuts for your brand. Remember my friend there is nothing called a “Free Lunch” in this world. Good things always come for a price.

While getting a logo designed for your brand you shall always have to keep in mind that a logo is the face of your brand and it should lure your customers to your company rather than driving them off.

So here I come out with a list of 6 mistakes that most businesses do while getting their logo designed. I will also outline ways to avoid making those fatal mistakes.

1.  Getting your cousin design your LOGO.

Say you are starting your own business and your second cousin is just out of graphic design school. You have low budget for your logo. What would be better than getting your cousin design the logo for your new startup!

I am sure a brand new logo designer will not have the exposure to create a great logo design. He or she will tend to use drop shadow, bevel, emboss effects to make the logo look great to him without understand the facts that such things will not reflect well in print or fax.

So, I would urge you to go for professional help to get your professional brand identity. A few dollars will not hurt your pocket but will give you enough leverage in winning the credibility of your clients.

2. Keep your logo design simple and clutter free.

Drop shadow, bevel, emboss, fancy cursive fonts, colour effects! All these sound very tempting to let go BUT just think who has the time to figure out your brand name from all these eye dazzling design effects?

Well if lot of frill is what you got in your logo design then my friend I would strongly suggest you rethink.

Logo design should be bold, clutter free and simple. If you follow these three golden rules then rest assured that your logo will definitely make a lasting impression in the minds of your customers and they will tend to remember it.

3. Always get your logo designed with vector graphics.

Remember to always get your logo designed with vector graphics or using vector graphics. Avoid bitmaps at all costs. If you do not know what vector graphics is then let me tell you that that in layman’s terms vector graphics is such a format which can be blown up in size or reduced without compromising its quality.

Always remember that you might need to print your logo in a variety of materials like promotional t-shirt, a coffee mug that you might gift your employees as Christmas gift or a fax that you might be sending out to a client. A logo might even be needed to be blow up into a huge hoarding that will adorn the freeway. Requirements could be myriad. So avoid bitmaps which will surely become hazy and grainy when blown up to a huge size. So vector graphics is the way to go for your logo design.

4. Choosing your logo designer

When you have to choose a logo designer, remember to choose a person with credentials. In this way you can safeguard yourself of a professional logo. Any seasoned logo designer will keep the nature of your business in mind and follow the conventions of designing a logo. He will also come up with a theme colour scheme for your logo or brand keeping in mind your customers or target audience. Also try to choose a logo designer who has previously worked for businesses close to the nature of your business. Considering the nature of your business is very important while designing a logo!

5. Logo design with clipart of stock photo

If your logo designer is using clipart or any kind of third party stock photo or vector image then be very sure that he has the licence of using that image or graphic. It is very important that you do not violate copyright laws. Intellectual property rights are now taken very seriously by the law. You might go undetected in the beginning but if at any point of time you are caught then it could really be a very expensive proposition for you and your company. So it’s better have all licences for the materials that you might be using.

6. Non conventional logo design!

If you think you will make your logo stand apart then let me tell you that logo design is not the proper domain to show creativity. It’s better to stick to conventions in logo design. Nobody has got time to stare and think what your logo means. They will just move on. So in your best interest it will be advisable not to challenge the intellect of your customer or visitor and its best to make an impression at the first possible opportunity.

So to summarise, I would like to say that the more new your business is you need to make your logo look so credible so that you can stand out amongst your competitors and prove the worth of your business. Happy logo hunt!

We at ShopForDesigns have thousands of talented designers on board but there are some who are just beginning their career and are straight out of college. They do not have so much experience in the field of designing. Logo design is one of the toughest arena in the designing world. While designing a logo you have to know where to stop. Designers generally learn from their mistakes but to save you some time and to make you learn from others’ mistakes we have compiled a list of 10 tips that might help you in a big way.

1. A logo doesn’t need to say what a company does
It is not always a good idea to put tools of the trade you are depicting into your logo. Meaning :
Don’t show a plate or food in hotel logos, doctor’s logo or a hospital logo does not necessarily need to show a stethoscope or a red cross. Just because it’s relevant, doesn’t mean you can’t do better.

Nike logo does not show a shoe neither the Mercedes logo shows a car.

2. Not every logo needs to be an artistic marvel. Simplicity speaks a lot.
Its not always true that a logo has to be an artistic marvel. Sometimes all the client needs is their logo to make a statement and identify their business. So its best to talk to your client and ask them what exactly they are looking for.

3. Two-way process
Sometimes a client may disagree with your ideas and might not like the logo you made for them at all or may reject the direction in which you are aiming. They might go as far as requesting diametrically opposite. First, give them what they want and thereafter show them what you think would work out to be a better idea. If you idea has food for thought then is highly probable they will like it and take it up. This is passive persuasion. They will definitely come back to you when they need any artwork in future knowing the potential you have.

4. Use sketches wherever possible
Sometimes a little sketch can work wonders in a logo. For a change try using a sketch and see if it goes with the theme of the company you are making the logo for. Line drawing can also be considered.

5. Under-promise, over-deliver
This applies for all kinds of design work and not just a logo design. Try to ask for more days and then deliver before time. Never ask for little time and then take more time under some plea. Its always better to ask for some more time. Design projects are like artistic work, you never know how your thought process will work.

6. Don’t be afraid to be non-conventional
Don’t blindly follow what others are doing. Stand out. Don’t be afraid to go out of the lot. If you go beyond the normal tastefully then surely your creativity will be appreciated.

7. Try out black initially
Best is to make our design in black first. If your logo looks good in black then it will definitely look good in good colours. Conversely a poorly designed logo will never stand out even if beautiful colours or gradients come to its rescue.

8. Keep in mind the mood
Designing a logo for a hospital? Forget funny approach. Be serious and try to represent wellness with colour and shape. In other words try to be appropriate and try to keep with the mood of the organization or individual. Designing for a kids school would definitely involve a lot of colours and shapes like cartoons.

9. Make it scalable
While designing a logo keep in mind that it might be printed on an envelope or a hoarding. So it should be scalable. It should be recognizable in any background or any colour. Though a logo has a particular colour but experience says that you sometimes might need to print it in grayscale or various backgrounds. So keep that in mind while designing a logo. Also remember that your logo should even be able to scale down to half an inch without total loss of detail. Look at giants like FedEx, Nike, Reebok. Their logos are simple and hence recognizable!

10. One thing to remember
Do not make a jam packed logo. Make it simple. Simple things make a long lasting impression.  Give people one thing to remember in your logo design work.

Just One.