How to Work with a Graphic Designer to Create a Logo You Love
Since I've been talking about branding on the blog lately, I thought it would be a good time to talk about how to work with a graphic designer to create your logo. As I am sure you know, your logo is one of the most important pieces of your branding efforts. Overall, any graphic you use to represent your company is a silent representation of who you are so first and foremost, always make sure your marketing materials are professionally produced if you want to look professional!
In the last month, I learned a valuable lesson about the client/graphic designer relationship and that is, sometimes words are just not enough for a designer to interpret a client's vision. You see, while we all may think graphic designers have some magical power that allows them to get in our heads, see our vision and create it...unfortunately they just don't. The truth is, if you want a graphic designer to create a great logo for you, you've got to give them more than words. Based on my recent experience, I've come up with this 5 step process to help you work with your graphic designer to create a logo you'll love.
- Find the Right Designer - Every designer has a different style and different process that is right for a specific client. There is no one size fits all when it comes to graphic designers. With that, you should interview a few before making your selection and not only look at their portfolio but try to learn more about their design process.Also, take a look at the fine print of their contract. Things to look for include how many rounds of revisions they allow for and how many logo options they will present you with. You want to be sure that you have options to choose from and a few rounds of revisions to make tweaks to get the logo to where you want it to be.
- Think About the Details - Before giving the designer any direction, take some time to think about what you want. The more specific direction you can give about the end result you are hoping to achieve, the greater chance you have of getting it.
- Research - Once you think about what you might like take it a step further and get online! Look for samples of other logos that really speak to you and match the overall look and feel you're hoping for.
- Create a Mood Board - Do some copy and pasting and put together a mood board, which is basically a collage of ideas you like. Include items like fonts and colors that you prefer. Also on your mood board, include a list of descriptive words that tell the designer what you want your logo to convey.
- Trust Them - After providing all this information, you have to take a step back and trust in the designer's talent. Let them take what you've given them and interpret your vision. If you've checked the contract as I suggested, you should have enough rounds of revisions built into your initial price to edit whatever they come up with to meet your needs.
Even after taking these steps, there is still a chance you may not end up with what you hoped. If that happens, be prepared to provide constructive criticism and be specific about what you like and don't like about the options you were presented. If you can't seem to get on the same page as your designer, don't be afraid to end the relationship and start the process with someone else. While it may cost you more initially, having a logo you love will be worth it in the long run and prevent you from having to re-brand a few years down the road when you can't look at the logo you don't love anymore!Graphic designers - I'd love to hear your feedback on my 5 steps. Weigh in here in the comments or on my Facebook page at facebook.com/jcaleromarketing.
