How much should you pay for a logo...What did you pay?
I know...It depends. I know what I generally charge (I'm a graphic designer). I'm not lost and searching for a billing process, but I'm doing some research. I've heard plenty from other firms on what we should charge, but I was wondering how non-designers feel.
I'm curious what real companies paid and what it was worth. What business are you in? Was your logo worth what you paid? What was your experience?
Answers (12)
I used CrowdSpring - it cost me less than $400 for logo, stationary and business card designs. The best part is I had 89 designs to pick from. This solution will turn the industry on it's ear.
John Stepleton
http://knowledge-fulcrum.com
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Anna F
President, Net Return Marketing | Online Marketing Strategy and Consulting | Ecommerce | Speaker
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For our newest business, the logo was designed last fall. It cost about $500. Jennifer Luth with Luth Design did it. She's done a lot of work for us over the years and she always does a good job for a reasonable cost (so we may have gotten a discount).
Dave M
Wire names created at your event/party ★ Extraordinary traffic builder for your trade show booth ★ WireNames.com
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I designed mine myself. If you have any creativity in you, go for it and save yourself a chunk of money...
You can also outsource on sites like Elance.com. Post the job, then when people submit, check their profile for other designs. Also make sure they will provide a number for you to choose from (you can specify that in your post) and the number of revisions. This is a very inexpensive way to get a logo. Also, make sure you get a full release of the artwork.
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Gregory L. C
Representing great companies to great companies
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Custom logo's cost more but it depends on if you are designing for a web based only or paper based display.
Web based is more due to the detail. Paper based needs to look good printed on various media and in gray scale.
$400 is a bargain. Expect between that and $1200 for logo only.
My design was the result of working with a t-shirt source. They came up with an idea which we used and then later modified. It cost about $50 with the first shirt order. It has now become our best name branding item.
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I think while places like crowdspring and others seem like quick, inexpensive solutions, I think the real pleasure for me and the benefit of the client is the customization and personal attention that's given. I enjoy the creative challenge in finding the perfect solution for the clients needs. They don't settle and they get something they can be proud of.
Crowdspring is an unfortunate circumstance, while the end user can cherry pick from 89+ choices..those folks on the other end churning out these concepts do so without any real chance of compensation for their efforts. An RFP is one thing, but if the tables were turned, there aren't many folks who would willingly provide their skill on a "Spec Work" basis, they'd expect a return on their investment of time, skills and labor.
The links below provide a thorough overview of what "Spec Work" is and why is bad for the designer and client.
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Martin P
Co-Founder, Search Marketing Strategist at Bloom Search Marketing (PPC / SEM Expert) www.makeitbloom.com
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You're right Brad, it depends! When we designed our logo for Bloom, a search engine marketing agency, we had the opportunity to work with an experienced logo designer, Stuart Rowley Design from Malone NY.
The process was strategic & creative. There was a fact finding process to learn about our business, other designs in our industry and learning about our core values before any design work was done. We saw the logo evolve from initial hand drawn sketches, font selection, color choice, different variations and finally, the final logo - tested for different applications - and we are quite pleased with the end result.
I guess it depends on what you deliver to your clients, but as a non-designer, I don't think going cheap on your company's brand is the best idea - I'm not looking for a recycled or quickly designed logo without the designer learning about my company.
It's worth investing in your corporate logo and I believe that it's worth paying relative to the value my graphic designer delivers.
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I realize that you're asking this question from the designer perspective to gain a sense of what real business owners paid and what it was worth to them. I tried asking this question a few months back and didn't really get a response... These answers are difficult to swallow.
I would like to say ditto to Joseph Akers answer below. Spec-work and incredibly under priced logo design is undermining the professional graphic design industry. As professional designers we need to spread the word about what it takes to design a logo—it's the ultimate design puzzle, and takes experience! The hours of research, development, and custom design work that goes into creating an effective, unique, and custom logo that tells a story and expresses the true essence of a business brand is worth far more then what most people think. Unfortunately this may mean turning a few projects down to stick to our principles.
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Hello.
FYI -
Websites are springing up that offer DIY logo creation services like LogoYes.com. It's something you may want to consider as potential competition down the road (?).
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Yura C
Senior Management Consultant at Clary Global Consulting
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Depends on whether or not the client wants to be taken seriously. As someone who is a businessperson, yet has a background in graphic design, specifically corporate identiy, the costs will depend on the seriousness of the client.
If someone wants to not pay much and do it themselves, then so be it. But in my experience the results are usually tragic and look unprofessional or worse, elementary. So I would hate for someone who wants to deal with Fortune 500 companies to have a mark that doesn't make sense, changes colors between different media and isn't even aligned correctly because the "designer" forgot to use the shift key and skewed the image when they enlarged it.
I have always designed my own logos, but I have the relative experience to do so and always receive good feedback. The day I can no longer design a relevant, creative and professional design I will gladly hand over to someone else and pay them.
So I always caution people when they have no experience with design to be careful about what that mark with say about them. In this case, many times you will get what you paid for. Every element of your business is important, even its graphical representation that you leave with your potential clients. What do you want that to say to an executive? I'm too cheap and unprofessional to even do my own stuff right, now hire me?
I have seen business people scrutinize a business card and ask... "What the heck is wrong with this card?" It really happens.
★ Maria M
Kickass Profit Advisor helping women B2Bs double their incomes
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Well to me you don't just want a logo. You want to own what was produced and you don't if you hire someone who doesn't give you back the rights to the logo.
You want a logo that is reproductive in black/white. Because you don't want to degrade your brand.
You want a logo that really says "your brand" not only now.... but years down the line.
You want your logo in a variety of sizes and graphics formats.
Your logo has to be something that attracts your ideal client.
You want your logo to just be a part of your overall physical brand.
etc. etc.
I have done it all. Gone from creating my own to having one created for me by someone new to business with graphics training to hiring a profession.
IMO, you get what you pay for.
