Designing a Company Logo

The biggest problem with setting a price like that is that it becomes the 'floor' - you won't get any proposals for less than that price.
 

I'm not disagreeing with you in principle, censuspro.

He drew some fire for his comments from other regulars on the forum if you recall.

However I think I know where he was coming from.
A possibly better comparison would be a guy wandering in to Louis Copeland telling him he was going to pay the price of an off-the-shelf Bests Man Shop item in the January Sales for a bespoke suit.
He might end up leaving the shop a lot quicker than he arrived!

At least I think that's what he meant.

However, much as I try to do in another forum on AAM for potential clients of the architectural profession [home developers self-builders and the like] you have to inform laypersons about the problems, costs and pitfalls of any undertaking they may be unfamilar with.

This includes explaining to them how they should go about procuring a good or service as well as explaining what needs to be done to achieve the standard they want as well as the reasons behind the cost of the item and any fees associated with it.

FWIW

ONQ.
 
I went looking for a designer to build me a website header and to design me a logo. I posted it up on a website called . Designers from around the world came back to me with proposals ranging from $50 and up. I'm still deciding on a designer. It's a good site. I've used it before. No complaints.
 
censuspro said:
Thanks for the info. What do you mean when you say "without application"
Click to expand...

I would like to know this too- also when you engage a graphic designer to create a logo what are you buying- the copyright? In what format should one expect to receive the logo?
 
You might also be able to try elance.com. A friend of mine uses them alot for getting websites made, Im they do logo design too.
 
I feel sorry for you censuspro, the way that thread on creative ireland disintegrated. I used to post to the site myself but stopped a long time ago as the regular posters are full of their own self importance and very quick to criticise anyone looking for help.

Anyway, I've used 99designs as well for 3 different logos with good results. The good thing is that you dont have to accept any of the designs therefore do not have to pay the prize if you are not happy (there is a small registration fee though). If you have no-one yet at worst you'll lose 20-30 euro on the registration fee.
 

Have a look at this thread. Demanding €65 per hour minimum and if you dont want to pay it then you dont understand their work and the importance of design.
The emperors new clothes springs to mind.
 
Logo design is a weird area. Some people think anything will do, a weird squigle, they saw in their pint, and others with spend a lot of time of effort getting exactly what they want. Thus it varies from free, to a few weeks or months work. Ultimately you are paying for someones time. The other point is that you don't have to "like" a logo if your clients like it and it works for the context its being used in. Too many spend too long finding something they like, rather than something that works. Perhaps even the one they like, their clients won't like, and won't understand or even doesn't work or can't be printed in the context its used. B&W, etc.

Its not financially viable to spend hours or days producing different designs for a pittance either. Somehowever will do that, as they want to build a portfolio, or use it as a loss leader. But in my mind thats a hobby not a business. That said theres nothing wrong with getting a few quid for your hobby, if you come up with something nice.
 
A quote I got just for comparison sake:

If it's a simple isolated logo for a small business based on an idea you already have prices start at about €280 + VAT

A small branding project including design of stationery suite and basic brand guidelines with more design options costs about €900 + VAT

Larger branding projects where there's a greater market research element and more presentation requirements and more detailed branding guidelines would cost in the region of €2,000 + VAT
 
Problem is I think some customers tend to be of the mindset that designers are 'just fancy printers' and they are viewed with a little scepticism.

Good designers are true artists and imagination, flair, logic, control, psychology etc all come into it.
 

The thing to keep in mid about logo/web/print design is at the end of the day it takes x amount of time to produce what you are paying for.

A simple design process would be to take your general blurb on what you do, how you do it and try and extract some of the 'feeling' for your company. This kind of 'arty farty' process that most people will not get, is what decides typeface, color and other such things. Things that look easy, quick and 'just fit' to your eye, which is the result of a good design.

So in this example, some brainstorming time, plus time in a graphic design software package to actually create the logo for web/print etc and then the packaging and presentation of the finished product for you...well you can see that it is not just a 5 minute thing.

You pay a doctor €65 euro for a 15 minutes chat and simple prescription, what is so bad in paying a professional to produce a brand for your business that might take a day or two minimum?
 
My problem was that one of the designers took exception to the fact that I had €400 budget. He felt that the designer should tell me what the budget was, he even went on to comparing it to telling the tax man that he only had €400 to spend.
 
I read it earlier. I kinda meant its the same attitude as a pushy sales man, not that it was a sales pitch specifically. I had a similar experience looking for some work done in the garden last year. Found it very hard to get anyone to work to a fixed budget. Thank you Celtic Tiger.

Some people aren't willing to compromise, especially in the creative industries. Sometimes it not profitable to do so. Which is fair enough.
 
I think the prices are pretty outrageous.. keep in mind that it's not necessary to buy Irish, so I'm sure some Indian guy, or a Polish designer would work for a much lower hourly rate, perhaps 3 to 5 Euros per hour.

How many hours work are there in producing a simple logo? Five? Ten> Twenty? Saying 400 isn't enough seems to suggest that a qualified designer needs two to three days to design a simple logo.. that seems excessive to me.

In India I'm sure the hourly rate is 2 to 3 Euro.. so 30 hours work should be less than 100. Polish college graduates may be working in Poland for 300 to 400 Euro a MONTH.. I'm sure you'd get someone to design a nice logo for 100 Euros, he could spend three days on it and email you the results. What would he be doing for three days?, going though 500 iterations of the design?

Maybe I don't undestand the complexities of logo design, ...
 
It seems that the designers view themselves as providing a service as opposed to selling a commodity.

You can't realistically go into an accountant and say I need my accounts done and I have €1,000 to pay you in fees. I mean you can but it's unlikely.

On the other hand you can go into Louis Copeland and say I have €500 to spend on a suit, what can that get me.
 
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