Company Logo Design: 3 mistakes & how to avoid them

Company logo design is everywhere today. How many logos did you see today? 100? 200?

The average person sees 5,000 ads a day, so imagine just how many logos you’ve seen today alone! I’m sure you remember many of them – The Nike swoosh, the Starbucks mermaid, or even today’s Google Doodle.

But how many did you miss? What about the thousands of logos you saw today that were forgettable?

Now What About Your Logo?

If the average person today was to see your logo, would it be one of the forgettable thousands? Or even worse, would it be so bad it was memorable?

Many intelligent businesses and organizations realize the need for a logo. But in the excitement of launching or rebranding their business, they can make mistakes that are hard to recover from. These mistakes are avoidable – if you know them.

If you don’t avoid these company logo design mistakes, your business could end up carrying around an ineffective, forgettable logo for years.

Mistake #1: Low-Cost Outsourcing

If you Google “Logo Design,” you’ll get 127 million results. Among the top results are fiverr.com and other “low-cost” logo options. These options seem tempting but will cost more in the long run.

The designers at sites like fiverr.com and others are hard-working – but they are overworked. Designing logos at $5 a pop means they have to design many, many logos each day. How can they provide attention to detail? How can your logo be unique and memorable if it was the thirtieth one they designed today?

Other sites like 99designs.com have you pay a small fee to have hundreds of designers compete for your work. Besides the ethics of having hundreds of designers working to only pay one of them, this method has other flaws.

By having your logo designed by a contest, you remove the ability to discuss and to plan with a designer. Your company, vision, and goals are reduced to a few sentences in a brief. You’re forced to sit back and just hope that your logo turns out good.

Mistake #2: Having The Design Done In-House

Maybe someone in your company has an “eye for design,” or perhaps you have a family member with a trial version of Photoshop.

While it’s great to be involved in your own logo design, there is much more to designing a logo than simply “how it looks.”

A professional logo designer is able to cover technical aspects an amateur can’t. Your logo will need to be in different versions for print than for digital use. Depending on the size your logo will be displayed or printed, it may need to be in a myriad of different file formats.

Not knowing these distinctions can be the difference between a dazzling, professional logo and a blurry smudge.

Mistake #3: Not Having A Logo At All

Some companies decide to skip the expense of a logo entirely.

They type their company name in whatever font is fastest, and that’s that. Without a unique company logo design, your company is essentially without a face. How can a customer remember something faceless?

And that’s only the start of the trouble.

If you purchase advertising, the advertising agency will have to create a logo for your ad. You’ll have to hope they do it right. If you have multiple ads spread across different agencies, each one will have a different version of your logo.

If you sponsor a local team or charity, your logo will be in bland text on the back of the t-shirts or posters.

The Company Logo Design Solution: Hiring a Professional Designer

The best way to get a professional logo is to hire a professional designer.

By hiring a professional, you know you’re going to receive a highly unique and effective company logo design that will match your needs.

Unlike an overworked outsourcer, a professional designer will be focused on creating something exceptional just for you, not on just getting another five bucks. It’s the difference between a fast food burger flipper and a chef at a five-star restaurant.

Unlike a contest winner, or an employee, a professional designer will be able to provide long-term brand management. They’re someone you can rely on, someone you can go back to, for any needs you have regarding how your company looks to the world.

Conclusion

The average person will see 5,000 advertisements today, with countless logos. Many will be forgotten, a few will be remembered. Which category do you want your logo in?

Are you ready for your unforgettable logo? Contact us today to begin your journey to the perfect company logo design.