Clipart plus text does not equal a logo
In the days of tight budgets and uneducated entrepreneurs, companies such as LogoGarden.com promise to bring a cheap alternative to custom-made brand development.
LogoGarden claims to be an expert veteran in the field:
“For 15 years LogoGarden.com founder John Williams owned an award-winning branding firm that served national and global companies. His firm’s growing fame led many entrepreneurs to seek John’s assistance with their branding and Logo Design.”
LogoGarden.com also declares that the versatile system with which customers can create a $79 logo is their own creation:
“John built on this vast experience to now bring you LogoGarden.com. It reflects his most advanced thinking to deliver enhanced ease of use and more than 10,000 new symbols designed by John himself and his hand-picked team of world-class logo designers.”
If only it were true.
In an article detailing the amount of creative theft, designer Bill Gardner lashes out at LogoGarden and its owner, John Williams and describes how more than 200 images have been so far identified as flat out stolen.
“Most of the designers I’ve been in touch with have had their attorneys contact Mr. Williams. Several of the corporations whose logos are registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office are also taking action.“
Domainers seeking cheap thrills from unqualified people or companies offering “logo” services must understand that slapping stylized text next to clipart does not constitute a logo or brand identity design. A professional designer’s role is to create from scratch something new and fresh that matches the requirements of the project.
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