I feel very qualified to write this post at the moment. As the owner of a brand and marketing agency I work with a lot of small business owners are missing opportunities because their logo (and brand image as a whole) isn’t sending out the right signals. And as someone who has just been client, creative director and designer (along with my other fabulous designers in the Studio) for her own business, I can see things from the other side too.
The fact is that you really shouldn’t design your own logo. Here are just five reasons why.
- You’re too close to it. Our clients tell us one of the most valuable things we bring to the table, aside from the design, is the perspective we help them gain on their business. Working with a branding agency on your corporate identity forces you to think about the way your business is structured and who your most profitable clients really are. Working with someone that’s not as close to your business as you will give you a different, and important, perspective
- It’ll cost you more than you think. You think that design agencies get their design for free? Woah there tiger, think again. I have spent thousands on developing the Flourish identity. How? The cost of my staff and the opportunity cost of both my designers and I working on our own staff rather than billable client work. And if you’re not a designer I really, really recommend you focus on what you do best and let us get on with what we do best. More profitable all round, and the end result will be better.
- Unless you’re a graphic designer it’s unlikely you’ll choose the right fonts or colours. I’ve studied typography, colour psychology and logo design for years, as have my graphic designers. We understand how to evoke an emotion through a colour or a font. Are you confident that you can really send out the right signals with what you choose?
- You probably won’t add the creative flair your business deserves. Great logos have wow factor. Something simple, but clever. And I don’t mean a Photoshop drop shadow (sooo nineties!) or a web 2.0 glassy reflection (oh so naughties). I’m talking a clever icon or creative treatment of your stationery that will get your clients taking you seriously.
- You’re too close to it. Being so involved in the design process makes it incredibly difficult to make objective decisions. In the end, the only way we broke through our creative block was for me to completely disassociate myself from the design and act as client and Creative Director only. Once your blood, sweat and tears are removed you can once again strive for perfection!
I see now why other design agencies commission someone to design the logo for them! In the end we managed to crack it ourselves, with a few pep talks from family, friends and colleagues. But it was tempting to sub it out. And I have to say, I’m delighted with the end result. But if you’re not a graphic designer I really, really urge you to invest in a professionally designed brand identity. It’ll be one of the best decisions you ever make.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I wholeheartedly agree with all that you’ve said here Fiona. However, the problem is that for some people, perhaps most people, the overriding objective when you start out as a sole trader is to save cost wherever possible. By trade I’m an accountant; when I coach my colleagues as their Finance Manager, my advice is to avoid unnecessary spend whenever and wherever possible – keep your overheads low and concentrate on revenue making activities. I stand by all of that – as a Finance Manager. At the same time, in the last year I have started two business ventures of my own, one selling home accessories, the other cupcakes and cookies. For the former, I designed my own logo and was reasonably proud of it (as a home effort) but for Cupcake and Cookie Central I asked a friend who is a freelance graphic designer if she could help, which she did. During the past year, the logo and branding for the cupcake business has received many complimentary comments, especially as I have followed it through on a limited range of collateral – display banners, business cards and – to some degree- my website (which is where I will possibly ask you for your help later in the year). The homewares logo has not enjoyed the same praise, or the business the same success! So, yes, I concur with your opinion that professional help does indeed pay dividends in making your enterprise looked more professional and, indeed, loved and valued! But was it just the logo that has made the baking business more successful? Partly in my view; the other element is that your base business idea needs to be sound, and there is real demand for your product….its all a balance – a combination that makes one idea a success where another is not.
the accountant in me wouldn’t have it any other way.
In hindsight I’m pleased I spent a bit of time and money in asking a professional to provide me with my logo, it makes me feel I’m really investing in my business and its future (and in my belief that it will work), but I will always spend money thoughtfully and in a considered manner
You’re right: a great logo won’t save a bad business model. But I know for sure that if the business model is good, the marketing and financial plan sound then a great identity will win you more business. You’ll find it easier to attract, engage and retain your target audience.
I wonder if the cupcake business has also been more successful because *you*, the personality, have been there selling, and people have been able to taste and smell the product. When you’re running an online business you don’t have that sensory experience – your website has to do all the selling.
Of course you have to keep your costs to a minimum when you start up. But I sincerely believe that if you’re serious about making your startup a success, then you can’t scrimp on your identity. That doesn’t mean blowing twenty grand, but it does mean making a decent investment. It will pay off if you use a decent agency who understand how to tap into your audience. And I do think that a strong brand identity will be a revenue generating activity!
As an on-demand marketer who is really serious about helping Clients only spend what they really need to to achieve their objectives, I’m often faced with this discussion. I agree wholeheartedly – there is something that takes your business to a whole new level when you have a professional logo to have as your own. If you are self-employed or at the beginnings of your business, it is psychologically powerful tool in making everything more real and focused. I am a firm believer in starting any marketing you do with a clear brand and identity – it makes everything you do so much more effective and so much easier. If you do it yourself, you will never be sure how good it really is as it is coloured by your subjective opinion. One of the biggest obstacles in marketing your own business is that you are so hands on in your business that it’s hard to have objectivity. If you intend to make as much of a success in your business as you can, start with something you can build on, done by someone with experience and an understanding of what you want to convey and be as a business. Spend your time doing what you are best at and get a professional to turn your vision into your logo.