A lot of people I know have asked the question, "why should I pay for a graphic designer to design my logo"? The answer to this depends on a few factors, including what your alternative options are. Let's establish two scenarios to run with.
Bob is a trade qualified plumber (or maybe he should be a builder) starting up his own business. In this scenario, he does not have a large budget, nor does he have any skills or experience using design software and tools. He obtains a quote for professional design services in both logo design and brand development. He is considering an alternative option of using an online design tool to create his logo.
Kate runs her own hair dressing salon. She has an eye for detail, she’s creative and has experience using free online design software. Her business already has a logo design and brand guidelines outlining how her brand should be visually communicated. Kate is going to run a promotion and requires targeted marketing materials for both online platforms and print. Given her business is established and operating at a profit, she does have the budget to consider professional design services for this promotional project.
Professional designers understand the importance and requirements of brand development. In scenario one, Bob could make a quick logo online. It may look acceptable to the untrained eye but issues may surface in the long term;
In scenario two, Kate already possesses branding guidelines that she can work within to develop promotional marketing materials. The requirements and scale of the branding project for Bob compared to a one-off promotion for Kate is much larger and can have longer lasting negative effects for the business if they are not designed well.
Given Kate has experience using online design software and an eye for aesthetics, she is a better candidate to create her own designs. It is likely this process will take longer or not look quite as good as if a professional designed for her project. Bob on the other hand is not well equipped to do this. His lack of experience using online design software combined with his limited knowledge of design principles and brand strategies could lead to him spending a lot of his valuable time on a project that a designer could do quickly with a better result.
As clichéd as it may be, the old saying “you get what you pay for” rings true. I have seen many failed attempts at logo design. At the end of the day, your budget is going to determine your final decision. If you consider it as an investment - part of the initial outlay for your business - you may find the cost of professional design is well worth it in the long run.
I recently saw the above diagram that sums up this topic well. If you want something designed for your business, is the quality and timeframe of greater importance than trying to avoid paying a professional? No matter what your scenario is, before making the decision whether to obtain professional graphic design services or not, you need to consider what the scale of your project is, what skills and experience you have to complete the project without assistance and what your budget is. If your budget doesn't allow you to obtain high quality designs, perhaps you have the ability to negotiate flexible timeframes or scale back the deliverables to the bare minimum.
We'd love to hear from you! If you need advice or want to discuss your project requirements or pricing options to suit your business needs, you can send us a message using our contact form.
