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You are here: Home > Business > Branding > Having a Logo Designed for Your Business? How to Ensure You Get What You Think You’re Paying For |
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Member You - Having a Logo Designed for Your Business? How to Ensure You Get What You Think You’re Paying For
Show Appreciation with a Corporate Gift Basket t design rather than logo design. The business owner says,Over the years, the gift basket has become an increasingly popular gift. A gift basket looks nice, is practical, and can be customized to the individual. At the same time, corporate gifts have also become increasingly popular. They are a way to show appreciation to clients while also solidifying the business relationship. With those two trends, it is only natural that the corporate gift basket has become very popular gift and business tool.When deciding on any corporate gift, it is important the you know what you wish to achieve with that gift. You should probably take into account how much the client means to your company, what you will likely get from giving the gift, and how much it will cost you. When you purchase or put together a corporate gift basket, then, you will want to make sure it is appropriate for the client to which you are giving it. You will want the corporate gift basket to please your client, but also to be cost effective and reasonable for you as a company.In business, you know that personal relationships are important. So, then, it would stand to reason that gifts should not be cold, mas
Even though they said they wanted logo design, the 3 clients were asking for concept design. Unfortunately, I accepted the project as a logo design instead of concept design – which proved to be a HUGE mistake, and one that designers often make. I ended up spending over 10 hours developing their image for this “dream company”, going from one idea to the next. The women came up with a new ide Where's Me Pot of Gold and Lucky Charms? Here’s What Happened to Me:We already know this from our history books. If you want to make money today, you must first look back in time to the first time in history that a large portion of our country all tried to get rich at the same time in the same place. The first discovery of gold was at Sutter's Mill by James W. Marshall in 1948, Mr. Sutter's mill contractor and builder. This discovery sprang thousands upon thousands of ambitious individuals to get rich which we refer to as the "Gold Rush."As you can imagine, these people were not that much different from the thousands of new entrepreneurs trying to get rich on the Internet. But out of all those thousands of people seeking their fortunes, only about 4% to 6% of them even found enough gold to feed themselves. And history books tell us that less than 1% ever became wealthy. This is so similar to the Internet of today that the two are worth comparing.BUT Wait! A completely different group of people became extremely wealthy in those exact same gold fields...Who were these people who managed to get rich during those hard times?They were the people who opened little sto About a year ago I worked with three enterprising women who were considering a start-up company specializing in makeup and a bath and body line. They were a good referral from a trusted business colleague. When these clients first contacted me, they hadn’t done any research in their client market, they had no business plan and they had no idea what type of logo they wanted. Nor did they know what their business was about, what their competition was doing, or even who their customers were. They just thought, “We need a logo design of some kind that will define our company, so let’s hire a designer”. These clients were intelligent, fun and enthusiastic women who said they wanted logo design – but in retrospect I now know they needed was not logo design but concept design. NOTE: If you’re a small business owner here’s an important point you don’t want to miss: your company should define what your logo looks like and what it is; your logo should not define your company. Why is it important to distinguish between concept and logo design? Understanding the project as a logo design or concept design clearly defines the final product of the project, as well as the project’s expectations. When the project’s expectations and objectives aren’t clearly defined we end up with miscommunication and the project can end badly for both parties. If you’re a designer, it’s critical to have the expectations spelled out; miscommunication and misconceptions can cost you a load of time and money. It’s your responsibility as a designer to get clear on what the project’s scope and objective really is, and help the business owner understand the process and the end product. And as a business owner, you want to make sure you’re getting what you’re paying for. Here’s a real world example, which should help you distinguish between logo design and concept design: a client tells you, “This is what we want, we’ve taken some time to look at the competition, talked to our clients and discussed what we’re looking for in a logo/brand. We want it to say this…” – this is logo design. The final output and objective for this project is going to be a final, finished logo that the company is going to use as long as it remains in business. Conversely, another client says, “Well, we’re not sure what we’re looking for, so were bringing you on as our creative person. We don’t know what we want, but if you hit it, we’ll know it” – this is concept design. The final output and objective for this project is to generate new ideas and identity concepts for company can mull around, brainstorm over (the designer essentially does the research and the thinking for the company). Clients typically receive 3-9 different concepts depending on the designer. Do you see the difference? Ultimately the final product is either a finished, “set in stone” logo that a company will use from that point on, or the final product(s) are concepts that help the company flush out ideas they haven’t had time to look into, ideas they can look over, discuss and test. Either way, it’s important to make the distinction before the project begins. The following set of questions will help both parties understand the nature of the project. What Questions to Ask to Determine if You have Logo Design or Concept Design: Have you spent any time thinking about what you think would be a good logo? Have you scrutinized your competitors logos, do you have any examples of logos (in or out of your industry) that you like or dislike? Have you talked to any of your clients or prospects about this? Who’s making this decision? How are you or they going to be making it? Are you going to be making this decision based on what you like or what your clients have told you they like? Have you invested any time getting some preliminary feedback from clients or prospects? What is this logo supposed to convey, communicate or say to a client or prospect? Do you have a tag line? What images/icons or insignias do you think would help communicate your message and draw in customers? How would you like your logo to differentiate your company from the competition? How do you want your logo help you define a niche market that is different from your competitors? How do you want prospects/customers to feel when they see your logo? What do you want prospects/customers to think when they see your logo? What are some adjectives you would want your prospects/customers to use to describe your company based on seeing your logo? Based on the answers given to these questions, you should quickly be able to determine whether the project is a concept design or a logo design. Key Phrases that Indicate Concept Design: Here are a number of top phrases I’ve heard that should tip you off that the project is concept design rather than logo design. The business owner says,
Even though they said they wanted logo design, the 3 clients were asking for concept design. Unfortunately, I accepted the project as a logo design instead of concept design – which proved to be a HUGE mistake, and one that designers often make. I ended up spending over 10 hours developing their image for this “dream company”, going from one idea to the next. The women came up with a new idea Tips on Ordering High-Quality Rubber Silicone Bracelets final product of the project, as well as the project’s expectations. When the project’s expectations and objectives aren’t clearly defined we end up with miscommunication and the project can end badly for both parties.Everybody knows about rubber silicone bracelets. But how would you know if your bracelets are one hundred percent silicone? What most people don’t realize is that most of the time, what they are wearing is not really made from pure silicone.Good news is that there are some companies that produce cheap 100% rubber silicone bracelets. You just have to know how to distinguish real rubber silicone bracelets from fake ones.Real rubber silicone bracelets don’t easily snap off or go out of shape. Think about it. How would you show your support to the cause you are championing if the bracelets you are wearing snaps off? This will not only be bad for your fundraiser, but also bad for your image.One more thing is that the real rubber silicone bracelets are very flexible. No matter how hard you stretch it, it won’t easily break.The sides of 100% silicone bracelets are very smooth and shiny. These rubber silicone bracelets are processed using machines. That is why you are sure that the silicone bracelets will come out smooth.Rubber silicone bracelets are available in different colors. What you can do If you’re a designer, it’s critical to have the expectations spelled out; miscommunication and misconceptions can cost you a load of time and money. It’s your responsibility as a designer to get clear on what the project’s scope and objective really is, and help the business owner understand the process and the end product. And as a business owner, you want to make sure you’re getting what you’re paying for. Here’s a real world example, which should help you distinguish between logo design and concept design: a client tells you, “This is what we want, we’ve taken some time to look at the competition, talked to our clients and discussed what we’re looking for in a logo/brand. We want it to say this…” – this is logo design. The final output and objective for this project is going to be a final, finished logo that the company is going to use as long as it remains in business. Conversely, another client says, “Well, we’re not sure what we’re looking for, so were bringing you on as our creative person. We don’t know what we want, but if you hit it, we’ll know it” – this is concept design. The final output and objective for this project is to generate new ideas and identity concepts for company can mull around, brainstorm over (the designer essentially does the research and the thinking for the company). Clients typically receive 3-9 different concepts depending on the designer. Do you see the difference? Ultimately the final product is either a finished, “set in stone” logo that a company will use from that point on, or the final product(s) are concepts that help the company flush out ideas they haven’t had time to look into, ideas they can look over, discuss and test. Either way, it’s important to make the distinction before the project begins. The following set of questions will help both parties understand the nature of the project. What Questions to Ask to Determine if You have Logo Design or Concept Design: Have you spent any time thinking about what you think would be a good logo? Have you scrutinized your competitors logos, do you have any examples of logos (in or out of your industry) that you like or dislike? Have you talked to any of your clients or prospects about this? Who’s making this decision? How are you or they going to be making it? Are you going to be making this decision based on what you like or what your clients have told you they like? Have you invested any time getting some preliminary feedback from clients or prospects? What is this logo supposed to convey, communicate or say to a client or prospect? Do you have a tag line? What images/icons or insignias do you think would help communicate your message and draw in customers? How would you like your logo to differentiate your company from the competition? How do you want your logo help you define a niche market that is different from your competitors? How do you want prospects/customers to feel when they see your logo? What do you want prospects/customers to think when they see your logo? What are some adjectives you would want your prospects/customers to use to describe your company based on seeing your logo? Based on the answers given to these questions, you should quickly be able to determine whether the project is a concept design or a logo design. Key Phrases that Indicate Concept Design: Here are a number of top phrases I’ve heard that should tip you off that the project is concept design rather than logo design. The business owner says,
Even though they said they wanted logo design, the 3 clients were asking for concept design. Unfortunately, I accepted the project as a logo design instead of concept design – which proved to be a HUGE mistake, and one that designers often make. I ended up spending over 10 hours developing their image for this “dream company”, going from one idea to the next. The women came up with a new ide Home Business Leads now what we want, but if you hit it, we’ll know it” – this is concept design. The final output and objective for this project is to generate new ideas and identity concepts for company can mull around, brainstorm over (the designer essentially does the research and the thinking for the company). Clients typically receive 3-9 different concepts depending on the designer.If you are operating a home-based business, you probably already know that your site should be filled with useful content, be optimized for the search engines, and listed in the various online directories. You may, however, be forgetting about business leads – another important part of your online venture.The main problem in attempting to grow your business will be the lack of a solid customer base. All start-up ventures have to deal with this sort of obstacle; it is not an easy obstacle to overcome. You already know that the competition on the Internet is quite tough. In addition to this, it is probable that your potential customers just do not know where to find your business. In all likelihood, they do not even know that your venture exists.The solution, of course, is two-pronged. If you have been optimizing for the search engines and submitting your site to online directories, what you are really doing is helping your customers find you. But did you ever think about actively finding your own customers? Like any master salesman, you must learn to find your own prospects as well, not just let them come to y Do you see the difference? Ultimately the final product is either a finished, “set in stone” logo that a company will use from that point on, or the final product(s) are concepts that help the company flush out ideas they haven’t had time to look into, ideas they can look over, discuss and test. Either way, it’s important to make the distinction before the project begins. The following set of questions will help both parties understand the nature of the project. What Questions to Ask to Determine if You have Logo Design or Concept Design: Have you spent any time thinking about what you think would be a good logo? Have you scrutinized your competitors logos, do you have any examples of logos (in or out of your industry) that you like or dislike? Have you talked to any of your clients or prospects about this? Who’s making this decision? How are you or they going to be making it? Are you going to be making this decision based on what you like or what your clients have told you they like? Have you invested any time getting some preliminary feedback from clients or prospects? What is this logo supposed to convey, communicate or say to a client or prospect? Do you have a tag line? What images/icons or insignias do you think would help communicate your message and draw in customers? How would you like your logo to differentiate your company from the competition? How do you want your logo help you define a niche market that is different from your competitors? How do you want prospects/customers to feel when they see your logo? What do you want prospects/customers to think when they see your logo? What are some adjectives you would want your prospects/customers to use to describe your company based on seeing your logo? Based on the answers given to these questions, you should quickly be able to determine whether the project is a concept design or a logo design. Key Phrases that Indicate Concept Design: Here are a number of top phrases I’ve heard that should tip you off that the project is concept design rather than logo design. The business owner says,
Even though they said they wanted logo design, the 3 clients were asking for concept design. Unfortunately, I accepted the project as a logo design instead of concept design – which proved to be a HUGE mistake, and one that designers often make. I ended up spending over 10 hours developing their image for this “dream company”, going from one idea to the next. The women came up with a new ide Why Is Your Advertising is Costing You More Than It’s Making You? What Business Owners Don't Know Who’s making this decision? How are you or they going to be making it?Rick is a good friend and a client of mine. He owns a plumbing and air conditioning, as he has for the past 20 years. Rick expressed to me that every year he spends more and more money on his ads and every year they generate less response: when he called me he was frustrated and uncertain what to do about it. This guy’s at his wit’s end, and if you’re reading this article perhaps you feel the same way.Here Is What’s Been Happening:The advertising publication (AP), which could be a newspaper, magazine, trade journal or other publication), attempts to get as many businesses to advertise with them. That’s THEIR objective. The more they bring in, the more they make. Now if you were placing an ad, you’d want low competition (so you’re ad stands out), but the AP wants MORE competition so they make more money – this is a huge conflict of interest. The AP does not have your best interests at heart.In response to all of this competition, the sales reps at the AP advise you that if you want to get the most out of your ad you need to make it bigger and you need to ad colors.Th Are you going to be making this decision based on what you like or what your clients have told you they like? Have you invested any time getting some preliminary feedback from clients or prospects? What is this logo supposed to convey, communicate or say to a client or prospect? Do you have a tag line? What images/icons or insignias do you think would help communicate your message and draw in customers? How would you like your logo to differentiate your company from the competition? How do you want your logo help you define a niche market that is different from your competitors? How do you want prospects/customers to feel when they see your logo? What do you want prospects/customers to think when they see your logo? What are some adjectives you would want your prospects/customers to use to describe your company based on seeing your logo? Based on the answers given to these questions, you should quickly be able to determine whether the project is a concept design or a logo design. Key Phrases that Indicate Concept Design: Here are a number of top phrases I’ve heard that should tip you off that the project is concept design rather than logo design. The business owner says,
Even though they said they wanted logo design, the 3 clients were asking for concept design. Unfortunately, I accepted the project as a logo design instead of concept design – which proved to be a HUGE mistake, and one that designers often make. I ended up spending over 10 hours developing their image for this “dream company”, going from one idea to the next. The women came up with a new ide Authority Obsessed People t design rather than logo design. The business owner says,I've been working at a supermarket at a part-time basis and my managers have annoyed/bugged every once in a while, I guess they did it so I wouldn't slacken off. During the last few weeks of my role in the supermarket (some coincidence this is) one of the managers that I wasn't familiar with started picking on me. Of course from my past experience I know people can make mistakes so I gave him a few chances, oh yea did I say his name is Lance? At first I thought he was picking on me because I came from a European background, later I found out he treated majority of the junior staff this way and I finally understood that he was doing it just because he could. It is people like these that can't be pitied.What I did?He had used up his last chance and it was the last day I was working at the store and I had a plan if he was to come up to me looking for a fight. Nothing happened up until I was going home where he asked me a question and I unknowingly lied (due to fatigue), it wasn't a big deal, it was only an empty box that I had forgotten to put away. As I passed by the box I realized what was g
Even though they said they wanted logo design, the 3 clients were asking for concept design. Unfortunately, I accepted the project as a logo design instead of concept design – which proved to be a HUGE mistake, and one that designers often make. I ended up spending over 10 hours developing their image for this “dream company”, going from one idea to the next. The women came up with a new idea each day; they wanted me to try out to see if they’d like it, and without fail, each time I did this they came back with, “We’re not sure about it, we’d like to try something else. Something’s missing but we don’t know what”. This was, to put it lightly, unbelievably frustrating. It sounds crazy but this was my fault, I didn’t first analyze and distinguish the differences between logo design and concept design. I should have recognized and explained to these women that their project was concept design, not a logo design, and that our objective was to flush out concepts rather than a finished logo. In the end I gave the clients their deposit back and wished them the best of luck. They in turn scrapped the idea of having a logo, and paid another designer to create a web site for them – the web site never amounted to more than an “Under Construction” page. Bottom Line for Small Business Owners: If you don’t have the time or talent and you have the money, go ahead and hire a good designer to concept design for you. But for most small business owners, having a frugal marketing and design budget is a must. In this case I suggest doing some research on your own rather than paying a designer to do it for you. Look at competitor’s logos; browse the Internet; and decide what colors, fonts and icons you might like. The more you can hone down exactly what you are looking for, the less expensive and the faster the project will go. Most companies don’t have the time or the funds to hire a designer for concept design, so do your homework up front rather than saying, “We’re not sure what we want, but if you get it we’ll tell you”. If you do some preliminary background work you can expect to save significant time and money in having the project done. Bottom Line for Sharp Graphic Designers: Invest a little time up front and get clear on what the objective of the project is, it will save you a world of future headaches. Is the project’s objective just coming up with concepts or is it taking a clear idea or vision the company has and making it tangible? Graphic designers, it’s your responsibility to take the lead on this, you’re the expert. If you use the information I’ve provided above as a guide, you will be off to a great start, best wishes!
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