How to Choose a Logo Designer That’s Right For You
PLUS download my free project brief template!
Every graphic designer has a different logo design process and methods for developing a brand and identity for their clients. Hiring a logo designer can be an overwhelming task because it’s such a big deal for your brand and there are a lot of options. I’m going to walk you through choosing a logo designer and what to expect from a typical logo design process.
Here are 4 things to consider when hiring a logo designer:
Style & Niche: Look for a designer that has a style you like and has experience with your specific niche or industry. This can save you a lot of energy in explaining your audience and eliminate worries or doubts that a designer is going to deliver concepts that are on-point with your vision. You don’t want to hire a designer that specializes in luxury brands if you’re looking for a logo for your fun and lighthearted sustainable clothing brand.
Level of experience: If you’re new to branding and need a lot of help navigating the process, make sure you find a designer who has a well established process and will be confident in guiding you through everything you need to get a quality logo that you like. Hiring a less experienced designer may be a great fit if you’ve gone through the logo design and branding process before or if you have a smaller budget and are willing to have some flexibility with process, timing, deliverables and level of expertise.
Process & Deliverables: Make sure you understand and are aligned with a logo designer’s process before agreeing to work together. A typical process will include a discovery phase, 1-5 logo concepts, 2-4 revisions and a final logo package. Have an idea in mind ahead of time of what you’re looking for and what you need; be ready to talk specifics with a potential designer. For example, if a logo designer only includes two logo concepts but you want to see 3-5 concepts, it might not be a good fit.
Cost: Logo design cost is such a difficult thing to navigate and research can be frustrating. Prices can start as low as $5 (please don’t use Fiverr for your logo) and cost up to $50,000+. This huge range is because of the factors we just talked about above: experience, process, deliverables, quality, niche, industry, etc. The Graphic Arts Guild Pricing & Ethical Guidelines Handbook gathers and analyzes data in the industry. In 2018, their 15th edition tells us that the price range for a logo design ranges from $1,800-$10,000 for a local client and $25,000-$75,000 for a global client. This only solidifies the fact that there are a lot of factors that go into pricing. My advice: don’t choose a logo designer based on price if the rest of their qualifications don’t meet your needs. Be prepared to invest what you feel is worth it for the face of your brand.
To help lay the groundwork for working on your next logo project, I’ve put together a project brief template that you can download for free when you sign up for my newsletter. I hope you find this super helpful!
I’m Margo! A graphic designer who works with environmental nonprofits and mission-driven brands on projects like logos & branding, annual reports, maps, and infographics. I work with my clients to create beautiful and meaningful design that amplifies the marketing efforts it takes to ignite action and change. Visit my portfolio to see some of the projects I’ve collaborated on with nonprofits to protect the environment.