Heading Northe

It was difficult for me to take myself seriously as a logo designer without having my own logo. Logo work requires a step back, examining the business and the goal from an outsider’s perspective. It’s simpler to design a logo for a company that is not mine, as I discovered in this long process.

The first thing I did was take a good look at what I wanted from my business and what my business represented. When I originally came up with the idea and brand of “True Northe” it was older, more traditional, with a spinning compass that represented finding the right design direction. Continue reading

I’ve posted under my FAQ section about “How much does a logo cost?” because it’s clear to me as I go about my day to day life, that most people have no idea what kind of work goes into a logo. A few weeks ago I was discussing this very subject with a group of people, and when they asked for a realistic price on a logo, I gave them $1,500 for a professional, one concept logo. I charge less than that, but that’s probably the going rate for designers who’ve been around the block for more than a few years. One person present said “No way should we pay that.”

So let’s think about this for a second. I can promise that FedEx, Pepsi, AT&T, Southwest, et al have paid a heck of a lot more than a thousand dollars for their logo designs. There’s an assumption that because a logo is small, it must be cheap. But think of how long a logo has to last? When it comes to logos, two of the most popular are Nike and Coca Cola. They represent everything a logo should be: memorable, simple, timeless, and the accurately represent their product. Each logo was created a long time ago, but they’ve stood the test of time.

I explained to my group everything a logo has to accomplish, and how much should that cost? If this logo is going to represent our organization, be placed on everything from our web site, to our literature, to possible t-shirts, business cards, fliers we post out in public, and maybe even a TV spot, don’t we want that logo to communicate who we are, be memorable, and fit with our mission? Can you honestly say that something like that should only cost a few bucks, or even a few hundred dollars?

Furthermore, to create a logo, not only is there a lot of research, conceptualizing (sketching, crossing out, abandoning, starting over), but to finally digitize the logo, one needs a vector program like Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw, and those programs aren’t cheap. Then of course you have to know how to use the programs, and that takes time. Most designers also work on Apple computers, and those babies aren’t exactly free. So not only are clients paying for a designer’s time and talent, but there’s a bit of overhead involved as well.

Logos may be small, but so are gems. And a logo should be just as memorable and as valuable as a gem.