Logo Design

5limJim

Hi all, I forever feel as though I am trying to extract every ounce of knowledge form you all, but in the true nature of this website I am looking for the most cost effective way to do something.

Having realised what me and my business partner are looking to do, and identifying a market for this, we need to design a logo for our company, and in true moneysaving style we'd like to do this as cheaply as possible. Barring calling in favours, can anyone suggest a cheap method in which we can get a good logo designed for our business. Looking around on the web I have seen prices like £300 etc. oney saved on the design means we can spend more on the marketing (Brochures, flyers etc). I have already looked at templatemonster as was suggested in a previous thread but it seems very 'americanised' with its corporate logo's etc.. (It beign an american site)


Thanks all

Any help greatly appreciated

**BG Note - URL edited**

Mark7799

Usual first response - try your local business link advisors either on 0845 600 9006 or https://www.businesslink.gov.uk (different schemes apply in Scotland, N Ireland & Wales)

1jim

Have a look at some of these, all are reccomended and very reasonably prices, Im sure much cheaper than you have been quoted already

http://www.dorsetwebdesign.net/index.htm
http://www.glassraven.com/index.htm ---- around £50 quid or so
http://www.greensanddesign.co.uk/ --- site is being redesigned currently but ocntact details are there
http://www.daffodil-design.com/index.php

se999

I was working at a place, quite a few years ago, and they contacted the local F.E. college/art & design college, and offered a cash prize for the best design.

If it's a good College it's not that much of a risk.

Courses nowadays mean that students have to learn to design to a clients brief.

There was also free local publicity with running it as a competition in the local newspaper I think.

Werdnal

I work for a local Playgroup, who until I joined them had no "corporate image", ie random often handwritten correspondence and nothing to identify ourselves.

We got the kids to do drawings, and picked one which was suitable (2 stick like figures holding hands). We added our name with stencilled letters and I scanned it into my image editor of my PC. Bingo - one .jpg image which we use on everything from leaflets, invoices, letter heads etc, to our new premises sign which a local signwriter is making as we speak (he took the logo, enlarged on his software and converted to a sign board). We have also passed it to our local screenprinters and they've made up a stitching template for our staff uniform.

I would go with the suggestions of approaching your local art student courses, see what they come up with and you could probably use their graphics packages to enhance the final design!

bridiej

That's a really good idea.

When I used to work for GEC in Lincoln they had a staff competition for logo designs and the winning one got £200.

frugal_dougal_3

It's not really difficult to design your own logo. The best ones are quite simple.

Give us some ideas as to what type of business you are in and there might be some creative suggestions coming your way.

5limJim

frugal_dougal wrote:

It's not really difficult to design your own logo. The best ones are quite simple.

Give us some ideas as to what type of business you are in and there might be some creative suggestions coming your way.

We're moving into an outsourced payroll/hr admin business, so its within the business sector... and we were looking for a logo to reflect it. If any of you have more of an imagination than us (we're swamped in all the other setup details, who knew there'd be so much to look into) and want to give it a bash feel free to design away. Am sure me and my business partner could gladly donate something to Martin for the upkeep of the board (if that wouldnt be an insult)...

PS: The amount of information I have gathered from here has been invaluable, thanks to all who have contributed to the many many threads I have researched

Rockee

Further to other the other advice. What sort of image are you wanting to create for your company? Are you looking for a 4-colour process (CYMK) logo or monotone (single colour)? Are you intending to have a web site and/or printed leaflets? How many leaflets do you want printing? If it is a small quantity, then you can have them digitally print them (you can print them in RGB).Logos for the web are 72dpi whereas for printing in 4 colour your logo needs to be 300 dpi.

I am sorry if this is becoming a bit 'technical' but I could go on - I have been in the print & marketing industry for 25 years! and the amount of times people have brought to the printer, artwork that they did themselves or got a student to do it and is not compatible with the production process, you don't want to know. If you go down the student route, find out whether they have a good understanding of the printing processes, whether they have done work experience and where, then check out that company to se if they are of good reputation.

Nowadays, we all get leaflets that are pushed through the door - local takeways etc..- a lot of them look like they have done it themselves (and usually have) but their 'image' is of a fast food takeway.Whereas a similar leaflet for say a tourist attraction, will be more upmarket. Keep these and others and show whoever creates your artwork what you do and don't like. Decide what you will require:- letterheads, business cards, comp slips, invoices, labels, tags, brochures.......They should be consistent with your 'corporate look'. I could go on and bore you, if you want more info, then PM. Good luck.

lellie

There are loads of people - there are people on this board that can do it.. myself included.

frugal_dougal_3

5limJim wrote:

We're moving into an outsourced payroll/hr admin business, so its within the business sector... and we were looking for a logo to reflect it.

With this type of business it is tricky to come up with a logo that states what you are about and forms an instant connection in someones mind.
But then, does that really matter ? As presumably you will not be getting your customers from the general public.

It might be better to go for a motif of something that is totally unconnected or to use the company name or initials creatively laid out. You also need to consider whether you want contemporary or traditional.