A while back I wrote about how clipart plus text does not equal a logo.
The process of logo creation is an art, and while it’s something that can be studied and learned, there are far too many self-proclaimed “logo designers” in the wild, who give the rest of us a bad name.
This great video on PBS shows the basics and origins of logo creation; what artists and illustrators should seek in order to create a logo that is effective, appealing and memorable.
I have seen your work over the years and you are very much qualified to make this post and observation. Proper design is an art form and very few people have the natural talent. You can learn a lot but you have to have some talent in the genes to start.
I used to use a guy who charged me (literally) thousands of USD for each logo I needed. They were fine. But over the past few years I’ve used (1) independent guys from Pakistan, (2) 99Designs, and (3) LogoNerds; and I can honestly say that the guys who charge me $27-$150 per logo are able to achieve 95% of what the really expensive guy(s) charged me.
It really all depends on how much time you’re willing to allow a designer to spend on your work. If I really need something ‘out of this world’ done, I really wouldn’t go to a commercial, graphic designer – I’d go to a famous illustrator (but most of them couldn’t be bothered).
In reality, there’s no work product (logos, articles, videos) that can’t be improved with ‘yet one more iteration.’ So you have to stop the clock at some point.
Gene – The designer’s mission is to take what’s in the client’s head and convert it onto the (now digital) canvas. If the client does not have a clear vision of what they are trying to achieve, nor do they have the means to share that, the end result is constant back and forth that often ends in poor results. Simplicity, often wins over complex, “artsy” layouts, but clarity wins over simplicity 🙂
Guy – Thanks 🙂