The essential handbook to

getting a logo designed for

your company, product or
service.
Steve Douglas
The Guide to Great Logos V 1.0
Copyright 2011 The Logo Factory Inc. All rights reserved. The
information presented in this publication are provided ‘as is’ and as such
no warranties are guaranteed, offered, or implied. Neither the author
nor the publisher shall be held liable or responsible to any person or
entity with respect to any loss or incidental or consequential damages
caused, or alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by the
information contained herein. References are provided for
informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement of any
websites or other sources.

The Logo Factory is a registered trademark of The Logo Factory Inc.

All other logos and trademarks are the property of the original holders.
Used with permission.

For more information visit us online at www.thelogofactory.com.

CHAPTER TITLES
Introduction 5
Who needs a logo? 7
Do you need a logo? 12
The value of a logo. 16
Getting a logo designed. 22
The ‘value’ of logo design contests. 30
The McLogo effect. 36
Hiring a logo designer. 46

The Guide. 51
Logo design action list. 52
Starting out right. 54
Potential pitfalls. 62
What makes a great logo? 67
The case for simple logos. 75
Fourteen things not to do. 77
Logos to avoid. 91
Breaking the logo design rules. 99
Logo footprints and aspect ratios. 107
Designing logos for websites and blogs. 111
Designing logos for social media. 113
Types of logos. 117
Text based logos. 119
Iconic logos. 123
Graphic logos. 128
Illustrative logos. 133
The logo design process. 138
Logo design road maps. 142
Text logo road map. 145
Iconic logo road map. 149
Illustrative logo road map. 152
Tips for working with a printer. 156

Protecting your logo. 161

The poor man’s copyright. 162
Trademarking a logo. 165

Using your new logo. 168

3
CHAPTER TITLES
Changing your logo. 173

Logo design file formats. 178

Vector based file formats. 179
Spot color print reproduction. 184
Four color process reproduction. 189
Black and white vector-based file formats. 193
Screens and tones. 196
Outline font vectors. 197
Bitmap pixel-based file formats. 200
Black and white pixel based formats. 203
PNG file formats. 204
JPG file formats. 206
Changing logo formats. 209

File formats quick reference guide. 213

Full color vector. 214
Full color bitmap. 215
Two color vector. 216
Two color bitmap. 217
Black and white halftone vector. 218
Black and white halftone bitmap. 219
Black and white linear vector. 220
Black and white linear bitmap. 221

4
INTRODUCTION
The Guide to Great Logos.
The Guide To Great Logos is not your typical logo design book. Rather than
simply showcase designers’ work (though it does that too) this book takes a
logo buyer through the entire logo design process, from start to finish,
doling out a myriad of tips and pointers throughout the way. The Guide
looks at some of the ways to get a logo designed, selecting a logo designer
and working through the various stages it takes to develop a great logo. We
also offer up a wealth of technical knowledge - perfect for the logo do-it-
yourselfer - that will allow you to use your new logo once it’s been created.

About the author.

Steve Douglas has been involved in the graphic design and arts field for
almost thirty years, having studied traditional illustration at the Sheridan
College of Visual Arts (Brampton), as well as traditional art and photography
at Ontario College of Art and Three Schools (Toronto). Steve has been a
magazine art director, a photographer, as well as an ad agency art director
until he founded his own freelance studio in 1990. This freelance project
evolved in 1996 via the Internet into what is now known as The Logo
Factory - a small design shop that specializes in logo design for small to
mid-sized businesses. He lives in the outskirts of Toronto with his wife Sue,
children Amy & Matthew, three dogs, a cat and too many fish to count.

5
 Client: Sips Media
Designer: The Logo Factory

6
WHO NEEDS
A LOGO?
Does every business need a logo?
Or can you exist without one?
Who needs a logo? In the purest sense – nobody does. Anybody can create
a business without one. In theory, anyone can toil away, providing their
client base with the best in service and/or products – relying on word of
mouth to expand. Putting faith in the old fashioned method of knocking
door-to-door. Many of you are not convinced of the value of a full-blown
logo design treatment. Or the expense involved in creating one. “My
business will succeed by itself” you exclaim, “I don’t need no stinking logo!”
Oh sure, you still need to concentrate on your business basics (a great
brand will not bail out a sloppy business – we don’t promise that). But a
decent logo (and hopefully a great one) will help to carve out a
preconception of what your business is all about, and that will help your
business to succeed. As a logo design company, it’s obviously our sales
pitch to argue that a logo should be part of your overall business plan. It’s
also something we believe. After all, it was part of our business plan. And
having picked up this book, you’re at least willing to accept that we know
something about logos.

How many logos do you view a day?

Still not convinced? Look around you. It’s estimated that the average person
is exposed to over 300 business logos or brand marks an hour. Sound
outrageous? Lessee. You start off the morning with a branded coffee (even
‘no-name’ brands have their own logo – in one of the great marketing
ironies), eat your branded cereal, shower with your branded shampoos and
soaps. On the way out the door to your branded car, you dress in your
logo’d clothing, and pass by untold branded stores, billboards and even
bumper stickers on the way to work. You’ll probably pass a FedEx truck or
two on the highway (did you notice the hidden arrow in their logo?). If you
have access to the Internet in your daily labors – your 300 per hour
exposure rises exponentially.

What a logo means.

A logo – the word is an abbreviation of the word logotype (or logogram),
which is defined as ‘a symbol representing a phrase, word, or idea’ – has
represented many things throughout the times. The swastika became the

7
WHO NEEDS
A LOGO?
universal symbol of absolute evil (even though it had its start in Indian
culture as a representation of good luck) A logo can represent the better of
man – the cross has come to represent Christianity (when colored red – it’s
a logo for Red Cross medical services), a crescent moon Islam (when
colored red – the Islamic version of the Red Cross), a star has come to
represent the Jewish faith. Logos have come to mean more mundane
things as well – a red octagon means stop, little stick people mean
washroom (the one with the skirt is for the ladies), arrow mean ‘this way’,
etc., etc., etc.

The Big Boys can’t be wrong, can they?

In our commercial endeavors, logos have come to mean a quick meal (the
McDonald’s arches and other fast food logos), sports (the Nike swoosh) soft
drinks (Coca-Cola – who even brought us today’s version of Santa Claus as
part of their branding endeavors). Our comic book characters get logo’d
(the Bat, the ‘S’ and the ‘X’), teams have sports logos aplenty (the San Jose
Sharks set records for their first season logo covered merchandise sales –
the logo was that cool).

Our rock legends do it too, with band logos dotting the entertainment
landscape. There aren’t too many people who don’t recognize the unique
typography of KISS or Aerosmith. Even punk bands have them too.
Remember the Ramones logo? And even though they might be before your
time, The Beatles logo adorned Ringo’s drum kit long before they become
one of the biggest bands in history. Star Wars, Jaws and 007 have their own
logos, as do Star Trek, Lethal Weapon, Shrek and the entire Godfather and
Harry Potter series. Not to mention the flying logos of the movie companies
that produce them. And there’s a reason why every minute of CNN and Fox
news reporting is accompanied by their simple icon at the corner of the
screen. Books, cars, clothes, food, entertainment, religion and sex (yes sex –
the Playboy bunny doesn’t mean Easter egg bearing small furry animals).
Military branches have ‘em, countries have ‘em, and even space (if NASA has
their way) – will have ‘em. All of the Fortune 500 companies have logos too.
And when it comes to kitsch, can anything top the smiley face logo? Not
surprisingly, Smiley is very big business.

Why do all these entities use logos? Recognition folks. Recognition. In the
incredibly cluttered visual space of the average consumer you have a

8
 Client: 18 Sins Golf
Designer: The Logo Factory

9
WHO NEEDS
A LOGO?
nanosecond to grab their attention. You better make it good. If your brand
is a clip art logo found at the local print shop, and is also used by twenty
other folks clambering for attention, what chance do you really have?
Slightly, and I do mean slightly, more than someone who doesn’t even have
one. And yet, when it comes to creating a business model, many folks
believe they don’t need a brand identity. Or if they do, a discount ‘clip-art’
solution that can be found in their local print shop will suffice as their new
company logo. Or second-rate logo templates that cost $70 over the
Internet. In essence, they believe that every other business, country, sports
team and religion on the planet – from the smallest to the absolute largest
– have got it all wrong. Maybe they do. But as a business owner myself –
until the church, the USA, Microsoft, Nike and my fave rock band are proven
wrong, this is one tried and true business model I am willing to follow. And
follow it religiously.

Attention to the Nuts & Bolts.

On a surface level, the benefits are simplistic. A great logo on a well-
designed letterhead or business card design will stand out against a bunch
that aren’t. A nicely developed brochure or flyer will stand out better than
one that isn’t. You want to be among the .05% of promotional material that
isn’t headed for the trash. Simple yes, but it’s more than that. On an ‘gut’
level a well executed logo design gives your clients a psychological ‘lift’. A
well-designed logo (accompanied by an effective ‘look-and-feel’ branding
system) gives newcomers to your business a perception of professionalism
and attention to detail. You look after all the ‘nuts and bolts’ of your
business and in turn, will look after them.

Conversely, if you pay such little attention to your businesses’ image –

what’s really going on behind the scenes? (At this point the nay-sayers will
argue they’re paying too much attention to their client’s needs to care
about a silly logo, but is anyone really going to buy that? I know I wouldn’t.)
A professional logo and corporate identity gives the impression that you
care about your business, and in turn, care about the things your business
does. You take pride in everything about your company – from how it looks,
which obviously translates to how it looks after its customers. It is an overall
image of strength, quality and professionalism that starts the minute your
clients are exposed to your business. Often that initial exposure is a split-
second. Don’t you want to make it count?

10
 Client: Pick a Pizza
Designer: The Logo Factory

11
DO YOU
NEED A LOGO?
A litmus test.
While the previous chapter spoke more in general terms, what about your
particular case. Do YOU need a logo? Maybe. Maybe not. While this may
seem somewhat odd, especially from someone who makes his living at
selling design services, this is perhaps the most critical step to the entire
logo design process. How can you tell if you need a logo?

Well, ask yourself a few questions starting with these;

1) What are the short term, mid range and long-term goals of your company or
the product/service you are developing?

2) Are you going to be competing for the attention of prospective clients and
customers in a crowded marketplace?

3) Will you be entering an already thriving industry and – let’s not be coy –
fighting to ‘steal’ business away from other, more established companies?

4) Do you need to get people’s attention – the “here I am, and here’s what I do”
kind of attention?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then you’ll probably
need a logo design and all that entails. Conversely, if you’re working for ‘the
man’ during the day, and moonlighting to a few friends at night – say,
accounting services come tax time – then you don’t need a logo, simple as
that. Word of mouth, and casual referrals are likely to keep you more than
busy enough.

More ‘bang’ than you need?

Sure, you may want something ‘nifty’ to doll up your invoices, but you can
probably manage that on your own – using standard business software and
the supplied logo templates. You may even be able to crank out your own
rudimentary letterhead and business cards (Avery and other paper
suppliers offer pre-cut material that can be printed on your personal
printer). As much as my studio (and any other graphic design professional)
would love to work with you on your new identity, it’s probably more ‘bang’

12
DO YOU
NEED A LOGO?
than what you need for the expectations you have, and the goals you have
set. If, on the other hand, your business aspirations are to develop your
business further, more investigation is probably in order.

Advertisements need a logo.

One of the litmus tests we can employ at this juncture is this; if you’re
planning to develop some brochures, maybe even an advertisement in the
local paper – you might need a logo. You’ll notice that’s still a ‘might’.
Bulletin boards at the local supermarket are full of hand-posted ‘flyers’ – you
recognize them by the multitude of tiny ‘pull off strips with hand-written
phone numbers, and while these advertisements might be more noticeable
with a decent logo, they probably perform to the level that can be
expected – a trickle of inquires and one or two solid leads. If that’s all that
you’re after, then a full-blown logo, and the work involved in creating one,
is still more than what you need.

However, if you’re planning to drop a few hundred on an ad that is to be

featured on a newspaper page with a load of other ads, then yours better
stand out (for the most part, classified ads still enjoy the ‘no logo needed’
status). Yes, your deals are better. Yes, your service is faster. You’re even a
nice person. But if people don’t notice your ad, who really cares? A version
of the ‘if a tree falls in the forest’ and ‘the sound of one hand clapping’
arguments. Same goes for your website.

The intangible feeling of unease.

Think of this – you’ve been looking for a product or service on the Internet.
You’ve run into sites that sell what you’re looking for, but for one reason or
another, you’ve chose to look elsewhere. Oh sure, it may have been price.
But haven’t there been times when you’ve backed out of a web site
because the website wasn’t ‘right’? It didn’t ‘look’ as professional as the site
that finally earned your business. Perhaps it ‘felt’ a little shady. Bad graphics.
Spelling mistakes. And yes, it probably featured a bad logo, maybe even a
hideous one. Pretty nebulous stuff. You probably couldn’t put your finger
on it at the time. Trouble is, if your fledgling company or service is poorly
presented, neither will your potential clients. They’ll just ‘feel’ that
something’s not quite right about your business. And you’ll lose the sale.

13
Client: Penny Licks Ice Cream
Designer: The Logo Factory

14
DO YOU
NEED A LOGO?
Selling your company to strangers.
Once again, if you’re simply filing tax returns on behalf of friends and family
for a few bucks on the side, none of this is an issue. Simply naming your
company should be enough. If, however, you’re trying to sell you services to
strangers – and have but a few seconds to convince them that you are
exactly what they’re looking for, you need to think about branding your
company. Because that’s what a great logo (and related branding) is all
about. Convincing strangers that you are the best (or at least very good) at
what you do.

Strangers you ask? Sure – let’s take another example. Let’s say your
homemade chili was such a hit at family picnics you decided to sell it at the
local farmer’s market for a few bucks a jar. You could probably still get by
without a logo on the jar and your booth. Captive audience, word of
mouth, returning customers and a limited production capacity (how big is
that crock-pot really?) combine to render a logo less than critical. If I
wanted to be a stickler here, I could also argue that if the chili is good, a
good branding workup will help move it through attention grabbing
branding. I could also point out that if your chili is, in reality, simply
mediocre – family members can be very forgiving – a good identity is
practically a prerequisite. You’ll have few return clients and you’ll always be
looking for new customers. It might also behoove you to have a flyer
through which your word-of-mouth referrals can find you. I am, however,
trying to avoid nuance here, so I’ll stick to my original black and white
point.

So, while it’s true that not every company or business needs a logo, it can
similarly be argued that in some instances a decent corporate identity is
absolutely critical to the longevity and growth of others. And only by taking
a long, hard look at what you want to accomplish with your entrepreneurial
aspirations, can you decide which applies to you.

15
THE VALUE OF
A LOGO.
How much should a logo cost?
Well, isn’t that another $64,000 question – what is a logo worth? Is it worth
hundreds, or thousands of dollars? Can we even put a dollar value on
something that will represent your company for (hopefully) its lifetime?
That all depends on whether you approach the branding of your company
as an expense, or an investment in the future of your company. If you view
your logo as a simple expense – in the same category as say, FAX paper, you
probably won’t view it as being worth very much. Using the time-tested
philosophy of ‘you get what you pay for’, and if your logo is simply a pretty
picture that you want to slap on a few printed papers and the right-hand
corner of your 3 page website, then you might be well enough served by
shopping for your new logo design based on sticker price. Get it cheap. Get
‘er done.

If, on the other hand, you view your logo as an investment in the overall
picture of your company, a flag around which you, staff and customers can
rally, then your logo is going to be worth a lot more. And worthy of the
extra time, and expense, involved in doing it up right. That’s not to say you
have to break the bank to get a great logo – you don’t – and it’s up to you
to decide how much you pay for your visual identity.

The value of a good logo.

What is a logo’s value? The answer varies from case-study to case-study so I
can’t speak for every business owner. I can, however, speak about someone
close to me and her company. Pretty well everyone on-staff views their logo
as a bad logo. It’s been around for years (it was designed by one of the
founders’ children as part of a series of ‘expense saving’ in-house logo
design contests) and no-one has the courage to even suggest changing it.
In the development of marketing and advertising materials, rather than the
usual ‘make the logo bigger’ mantra, the directions usually involve making
the logo smaller (while certainly refreshing, this was due to lack of
confidence in the logo as opposed to anything clever). The logo has been
hidden. Ghosted. Screened to almost invisible levels in the background.
Sometimes, the logo wasn’t used at all (this became so prevalent that a
recent management directive makes it an official company policy to use the
logo in its un-tampered version). Sum result – the company has no

16
THE VALUE OF
A LOGO.
consistent identity or brand. Which is a pity. The company is in the
community service field, sends out a bucket load of brochures and tri-folds,
prints a ton of event T-Shirts, banners and trinkets. The logo is on the side
of the building and I’m sure that they lose a great deal of walk-in business
because no-one is making a connection between the brochure they just
received in the mail, and the big building that’s down the street. Everybody
on staff knows this, but rather than change the logo (and risk offending
someone ‘upstairs’) they trudge on, marketing services without a cohesive
banner to market them under. Is their bottom line suffering? Placing a
dollar figure on the loss would be impossible, but I’d argue yes, and I’m of
the opinion that this outfit is in dire need of an effective logo. As are many
companies in early phases of start-up. In terms of the value of a logo,
perhaps we should take a look at what you can, or should, expect from your
new corporate identity.

Will a logo make or break your company?

So what can you expect from developing a logo for your company? Will, for
example, a good logo build a business? No. If your business comes from
word-of-mouth or referrals, I’d argue that you don’t even need a logo. A
new company name will suffice (or even your own name if you’re pushing
the personal touch). It’s only when you’re trying to market, compete and
promote your company against other folks would it really become an issue.

If you ‘own’ a particular business sector, why bother with the expense, and
hassle, of a custom logo work-up (unless you’re interested in ‘looking
good’)? If, on the other hand, you don’t ‘own the sector’ you’ll need an
arsenal of marketing ammo to grab the market attention, and in a few
nano-seconds, communicate that you’re better, faster, cheaper (or whatever
particular ‘hook’ you’re trying to promote). You need to stand out in a
cluttered landscape and truth to tell, your company logo is but a part. How
much of a part? Depends on what kind of marketing you’re trying to do.

Sometimes, it’s critical. On many occasions, you won’t have the real estate
to write a war-and-piece diatribe about your company – you’ll ONLY be able
to use your logo and a few scraps of type. You’ll need something eye-
catching, as well as at least a hint of what it is you do. Ask yourself honestly
– does your current logo do that? If not, it should. A good logo can also
lend ‘instant’ credibility to your organization pretty quickly – and can help

17
 Client: Mapador
Designer: The Logo Factory

18
THE VALUE OF
A LOGO.
any small business appear (on one level anyway) on the same playing field
as the ‘big boys’. Will a good logo help salvage a bad business plan,
eradicate poor customer service or poor pricing models? Of course not. But
it certainly will help you give the impression that you’ve ‘arrived’. The rest is
up to you. ‘Leading a horse to water’ and all that.

The $800,000 logo. More than meets the eye.

How much is all of this branding goodness worth? Depends what we’re
talking about. A few years back, the design and business communities were
grousing about the approx. $800k that organizers paid for the new 2012
London Olympic Games logo. In all fairness, I suspect the now-squirming
owners received a lot more than just a few vector versions of their logo for
that hefty sum. We’re probably talking about a full brand work-up and
integration plan (we’ve seen animations, movies, pins, etc) as well as the
primary (and I’d might be tempted to argue, misguided) focus-groups that
are involved in a project of this size. Over my design career I’ve been
involved with brand roll-outs of this scope (I worked on some of the brand
implementation programs for the development of the new NorTel logo in
the mid-nineties, not as a designer of the logo itself, but some of the
supplemental marketing material). The plan was to completely re-brand
Northern Telecom to the hipper NorTel, complete with a new logo (arguably
the first true ‘globe and swoosh’ logo of the internet era) and an officially
abbreviated name. The cost to NorTel was in the $600K range, but included
all the design, and across-the-board implementation of the new brand (the
style guide alone was over 400 pages) as well as all the support material,
trinkets and marketing. The new design had to replace the old one at the
same time, on every scrap of material while being kept under wraps till the
very last minute. Early speculation on a brand makeover ran the risk of
giving stockholders the ‘jitters’ so we had to sign NDAs (these agreements
also forbade us from buying NorTel stock within a certain time frame, due
to our inside knowledge). A re-brand can indicate either a company that’s
in trouble (and fumbling around for an identity) or a company that’s ready
to take it to a new level. The number crunchers with the spreadsheets had
figured out that keeping the re-brand on the QT was a better strategy – the
less time available for market speculation, the better. And true enough,
when the new logo and name were unveiled, NorTel stock leapt
dramatically (only to tank about a year later). Overnight, the company
made millions – so the $600K they spent was a comparative pittance.

19
THE VALUE OF
A LOGO.
Money spent vs. money back.
I guess my point is that when people read about $800k logos. or $10k logos
or even $5k logos, they believe that the artwork, and only the artwork, cost
that much. Far from it. But it’s why we get the ‘I could have designed a
better logo for less‘ comments from people who don’t understand the
‘behind the scenes’ of something of this size. And at the risk of ticking off
some of my designer friends, no, they couldn’t. Most small design studios
and freelance designers couldn’t finance a massive roll-out of this nature
(nor can their respective clients) – that’s why large campaigns are generally
doled out to established agencies with the necessary budgets (and more
importantly, huge lines of credit). So, when a small business owner pays
$500, $1000 or even $2000 for a business logo, they are NOT getting the
same results (nor should they expect the same) as someone, in this context
the London Olympic organizers, are getting.

When design companies brazenly compare their $150 logo design

packages to $80k brand implementations at Landor, they’re comparing
apples with oranges while hoping clients are wooed by the magnificent
(and quite ludicrous) price difference. They’re also marketing their services
to business owners as an expense, and when viewed from that angle, their
‘cheaper is better’ is fine. I’d argue that a corporate logo is not an expense –
but an investment in your company’s future – and approaching it in the
same head-set as buying printer toner can be detrimental to the outcome.

Relatively speaking, and over the course of your company’s lifetime, there
will be few things that you’ll get as much mileage from than your logo, and
the money that you spend initially for its development. It’s up to you to
decide how much that investment is worth. If your projected sales for an at-
home business are in the $10K per annum range, does it make sense to
drop a few grand on a logo and brand work-up? Probably not. Are you
aiming to drive those sales into the $100k or higher range? Then the
investment makes more sense. And so on.

The logo sticker price.

It’s difficult to put an actual dollar figure on the value of a logo (as opposed
to the expense of same) but I’d argue that it’s substantial. An effective logo
is a way that you can tell potential customers your story, or more accurately,

20
THE VALUE OF
A LOGO.
part of your story. Sometimes it’s the only method available – best to make
it count. And while it’s true that you can always rustle up some cheap
design work by doing-it-yourself, hiring some student, or opting for some
discount logo design service you’ve found on the internet, it’s probably
wise to think long and hard before doing so. There’s an old adage that goes
something like “you get what you pay for.” No reason to believe that doesn’t
include logo design.

Setting a logo design budget.

So how much should you pay for a logo? That all depends on your
expectations. If you simply want a pretty picture, you’re looking at a couple
of hundred dollars. This type of project involves the client acting as an art
director and in some aspects, the defacto designer of the logo itself. It takes
the designer out of the creative side of the process and reduces them to a
pair of hands, a Mac and a copy of Adobe Illustrator for rent. Pragmatically
speaking, following a client’s ‘move this and add this’ instructions are the
‘path of least resistance’ – revisions and original concepts are murder on a
time clock – and can ultimately lead to less time spent on any particular
design project. Hence the lower price tag. It’s not even that such a method
renders developing a decent logo impossible. If we were to put odds to the
equation, I’d put chances of developing a decent logo at about fifty/fifty.
But does it represent design value? Maybe not. This ‘get ‘er out the door’
methodology buys into the premise that creating a logo is simply moving
pixels and vectors around a monitor, trying to create a pretty picture that a
client ‘likes’, will approve and ultimately pay for. If, on the other hand, you
want to work ‘with’ a designer (a very large distinction), and you’re open to
exploring their ideas and concepts – even those that are a little ‘off the
reservation’ – you may be able to develop a killer logo and something out
of the ordinary. This process is a little more involved and more time, and
monetary investment is required. More research about the your company.
An overview of related branding efforts. An understanding of the people
that the logo is supposed to resonate with. Bit of a hassle I know, but the
extra time spent can present a designer with all sorts of information, ideas
and direction that will aid them in creating a unique piece of visual real
estate. It can be a teeth-grinding, hair-pulling back-and-forth, but at the
end of the day, aren’t you hiring someone to DESIGN your logo – and with
all that entails – not just produce pretty little pictures with your company
name slapped on it?

21
GETTING A LOGO
DESIGNED.
Do it yourself vs. hiring a professional.
Many business owners are the very definition of do it yourselfers - this
probably applies to you as you’re taking time out of your hectic schedule to
read this book. You’ve cobbled together a successful business from scratch,
with little to rely on other than your wits and imagination. Like most
business owners, you want to take a hands on approach to every aspect of
your company, and when it comes to developing a logo for your business,
who knows the market, audience, and company personality more than
you? You know the direction you want to take your company, its strengths
and selling points, as well as what makes your company unique from all
others. Designing a brand yourself can t be that difficult, can it? You may
have some some great ideas for a logo. If you don t, fret not. There s tons of
do-it-yourself software (only $30!) and loads of so-called do-it-yourself web
sites ($39 with a starbursty claim of no clip art logos either!) where you can
peruse a series of icons, swishy things and scribbles, slap on your company
name, and Bob, as they say, is your Uncle.

Doing it yourself.
Can you do it yourself when it comes to your new logo? Well, yes. And no.
You might be able to design your own logo using one of the following do it
yourself methods, (and save a few bucks into the bargain). That s the YES
part. Though, as this book is supposed to be dedicated to developing the
very best logo possible, we have to ask ourselves is that benchmark
possible? Alas, that would be the NO part. The decision on whether saving a
few bucks outweighs the caveats is a decision only you can make.

Logo design software.

Recently I received this notice via an e-mail ad:

Now available - Logo design software. Only $30.00!

Must admit I found that a little odd. I have what could be called logo design
software - it s known as Adobe Illustrator. But that cost me over $600.
What’s the difference? The advertised version of logo design software is not
actually design anything. At best it can be called clip-art composition
software (and that s being very charitable). The premise is that you can pull

22
Client: Virginia Plastic Surgery
Designer: The Logo Factory

23
GETTING A LOGO
DESIGNED.
a few (badly) pre-designed logo templates together and add some text
and viola - you have a logo. Sounds like a great idea, but on further
inspection not so much. The templates cannot be protected by copyright,
or even more importantly, a logo trademark. You see, you never own the
icons supplied -the company that sells you the software does. And because
hundreds of people are using the very same templates, you can forget
about unique. You can also say hello to reproduction hell - most of these
templates are in pixel based format so they require four color reproduction,
cannot be resized for larger applications and are impractical for most
applications other than the web. This software likes to advertise as no
design skill needed . That shouldn’t come as a surprise - there s very little
design taking place. In fact, ALL of these DIY logo design solutions -
including the shiny web based Flash logo generation websites - are nothing
more than template logos with pretty packaging. And using a template is
NOT the way any professional should want to brand his/her company. In
our obviously biased opinion of course.

Getting your hands dirty.

On a popular “How Do I Do This or That?” themed website, there’s a section
on graphic design which leads, naturally enough, to do-it-yourself logo
design. They offer up a slew of suggestions, encapsulated by the proverbial
how-to list, describing in somewhat simplistic terms, how you can design
your own logo. It goes something like this:

1) On a piece of notebook paper, make a rough sketch of your logo.

2) On a white sheet of computer paper, use a fine-point black permanent
marker to re-draw your logo on one side. If you have no large shaded regions,
skip the next step.
3) Flip the paper over. On this side, you will notice that the shaded regions have
bled through.
4) Re-color those shaded regions on this side, to give the logo an even shade.
Flip the paper over.
5) Using ONLY colored pencils (erasable works best), color in the areas that
need color. When done, go over the color areas again with the colored pencils.
If you don t have a flatbed scanner, skip the next step.
6) Take another sheet of computer paper and place it under your logo, to
prevent any shadowing when scanning.
7) Place the logo in the scanner. If you have a flatbed, place it face-down. Scan.

24
GETTING A LOGO
DESIGNED.
If you don t need to scan it again before saving the image, skip the next step.
8) In your scanning software, create a bound box around your logo with a 1/2
inch (12 millimeter) size and save the image. This will cut your image down to a
size that includes only the logo.
9) Edit your logo in any photo editing software, as needed. Apply the logo to
whatever you have in mind.

So there you have it. Who needs to hire professionals when all it takes is to
sketch your logo design idea, scan it, and then edit the artwork with either
an amateur level paint program (that will render your logo unusable for
almost every application) or one of the most sophisticated (and difficult to
master) design software programs around. Of course, if you follow the links
in the article you’ll find that the real purpose is to promote another version
of do-it-yourself logo design software which, as we’ve just discussed, is a
totally ineffectual way to develop any professional identity (and against
their own advice, bypasses the sketch phase with a whole mess of mass-
produced templates). While I don’t want to be overly critical of someone
else’s design suggestions, there’s so much wrong with this how-to list that I
don t even know where to start (ahm, colored pencils?) But in a similar
spirit, here s my suggestion for do-it-yourself dentistry -

1) buy tools.
2) find cavities.
3) fix teeth.

Or accounting.

1) Add stuff up.

2) Subtract stuff that you bought.
3) Submit taxes on this amount.

It s easy to write a how-to list. Not so easy to make it work. The real jaw-
dropper phase of this logo how-to is the first - make a sketch of your logo .
That one simple step is the reason tens of thousands of designers go to art
school and colleges and spend a lifetime honing their skills and talents.
They go on to suggest that you scan this logo into a photo paint program,
edit to your hearts content, and apply to everything you want. Sure, if you
want an RGB low resolution pixel based image that always has a bounding

25
 Client: Anna Lords
Designer: The Logo Factory

26
GETTING A LOGO
DESIGNED.
box (filled background) and can’t be printed as a spot-color on business
cards, brochures and the like. This is added to the how-to as an after
thought (the how-to fails to mention that Adobe Illustrator costs around
$600 and has a rather steep learning curve, one that takes experienced
designers years to master). If you do wish to try your hand at developing
your own logo, try to use vector based programs, rather than pixel based
programs. Furthermore, this is what the professionals use, and when it
comes to developing your brochures and other advertising material, most
printers worth their sand would prefer to receive their print-ready artwork
in this format. With the suggested pixel based program (such as Paint), if
you are to change the sizes of your logo, then it s going to produce the
blurring effect that we’re constantly trying to avoid.

Template logos.
The sales pitch of this method goes something like this; rather than a
custom logo, business owners can select from a library of pre-designed
images and customize (minimally, it’s usually just a matter of adding your
name) for their company. Generally costs anywhere from $25 to $150.00.
Often the images are low quality, and may be copied from other sources
(without permission). We’ve even seen some of our work show up in logo
template libraries (even bought it too, just to make a point). The templates
are usually sold to multiple users, creating potential copyright and/or
trademark issues. Also, the ability to copyright or protect these types of
logos once purchased is very unclear.

Template logos are sometimes marketed through web sites that advertise
themselves as “Make Your Own Logo”, etc. While these sites claim the logos
available in their extensive libraries are NOT clip art logos, there is very
little doubt that they are. Clip art is defined as artwork being available for
many users as opposed to stock logos, a much more preferable solution, in
which the rights are carefully managed, and/or the artwork is only available
for outright purchase. Here s a rule of thumb - if the template site you’re
purchasing a logo from (even these new-fangled Flash -driven
customizable icon websites) doesn’t allow you to purchase the logo
outright (and subsequently removes the logo promptly after you check
out), walk. And if a template site offers BOTH exclusive and non-exclusive
purchase options, walk away faster. How do you know someone hasn’t
ALREADY purchased the design as a non-exclusive license, hmm?

27
GETTING A LOGO
DESIGNED.
Hosting a logo design contest.
Logo design contests have always been with us, though the Internet has
seen the rise of this phenomenon to almost deafening levels. There are
even a slew of websites dedicated to the practice, euphemistically known
as crowdsourcing, which promise to bring clients and designers together so
that you, in theory, can develop your new company identity. The basic
premise is this; you offer up a cash prize and ask a whole bunch of
designers to submit entries from which you can select a winner. The
benefits to the client are supposed to be the sheer volume of entries and
designers. Much more selections to choose from. Sounds fair enough I
guess. The benefits to the designer are & well, there aren’t any benefits to
the designer which, as it turns out, is one of the main reasons that logo
design contests are a pretty poor way to have your logo developed.

Design contests are the bane of the industry, and not only frowned upon,
are actively campaigned against. Most design organizations have an
absolutely no-go policy on this practice, viewing it as unethical and
damaging to the field itself. There’s even an organization - No Spec! - whose
only purpose is to educate designers and clients why this kind of activity is
bad, bad news. Why should you care one way or another? Simple. The
designers who enter these contests don’t even view themselves as
professionals, so (at risk of alienating some) aren’t experienced enough to
be working on any professional level company logo project. As much as it
pains me to say this, logo design contests also attract some design
charlatans, folks who aren’t above submitting borrowed work in order to
have a chance at winning the cash prize. We’ve witnessed quite a few
instances where our work has been submitted as entries (one was even
selected as the winner). Too, as these contests generally take place on
anonymous web forums, there’s no way of telling who is presenting those
fab ideas. Do you really want designguyz5145 developing the brand you
hope to present to the world? And how easy will it be to contact him when
your brand roll-out goes horribly wrong?

28
 Client: Electric Lemonade
Designer: The Logo Factory

29
THE VALUE OF LOGO
DESIGN CONTESTS
Is “more for less” a valid approach to logo design?
Logo design contest and crowdsourcing sites market themselves as a
superior alternative to working with a freelance designer or design firm,
mostly due to the raw number of concepts contest holders will receive. Do
they have a point? Is a ‘more for less’ mentality an effective way to get a
logo designed?

Gotta admit, when you read ’300 submissions’ to this or that logo design
contest, it represents a pretty hefty number. For a client it seems like great
value – a couple of hundred submissions for a couple of hundred bucks.
Choice, choice, choice. Upon closer inspection, the benefits aren’t nearly as
clear cut. The numbers advertised (ie: 99designs is named after the number
of designs, on average, that are submitted to their contests. Crowdspring
claims 110+ concepts) are a hodge-podge of design, of various levels of
usability (or salvageability if you will) that we’ll break down using our
handy-dandy pyramid infographic on the next page. Granted, the chart is
completely unscientific and arbitrary, but does represent some casual
observations we’ve made over the years.

Unusable concepts.
To be charitable, and at the risk of being called a snooty designer, the vast
majority of logo concepts submitted to design contest sites are crap. This
shouldn’t come as a surprise – most design contest sites have absolutely no
vetting process and advertise membership to their sites in the same way as
those ‘Make Money Online’ spam e-mails we get every couple of hours. As
in “design for our clients and make money online”. While crowdsourcing
sites claim anyone can design, that’s simply not true. There’s also some
technical know-how that’s necessary to pull off a successful logo design
and most people in this category simply don’t have it. When the only
requirement to ‘have a go’ at a logo contest is an e-mail account, you can
rest assured that the majority of people signing up have no idea what
they’re doing. It is the nature of the internet. It is the nature of people.

Sub-par concepts.
Having said that, there’s lots of people with working knowledge of
Illustrator and.or Photoshop who also pitch their wares into contests. The

30
 Quality,
original ideas.

s
on
Recycled concepts
ssi that have been submitted
to previous contests.
mi
Stock art, clip-art & concepts that
have been copied from somewhere else.
ub

Sub-par concepts from people with working

knowledge of software but little design skill.
tS
tes
ns

Unusable concepts.
Usually from people who are not designers,
Co

with little or no design skill and

very little knowledge of design software.
Enticed to enter your contest
go

by the 'Earn Money, Anyone Can Submit' membership advertising.

Lo

31
THE VALUE OF LOGO
DESIGN CONTESTS
contest holder stands a better chance of obtaining something of worth
from this category – these enthusiastic folks can probably cobble together
what looks like a logo. But are these logos any good? Are they worth the
couple of hundred the contest holder has plucked down to get things
rolling? I’m not entirely convinced. One of the pro-contest talking points is
that they’re a great way for inexperienced designers to learn how to design.
That’s cool and all, but these would-be designers are learning in live gigs,
and technically on the contest holder’s dime. Your dime. That’s not downing
the designers who are trying – my hat goes off to them – but are they able
to create decent logos at every contest, sometimes dozens at a time, they
enter? Even an experienced logo designer would be foolish to make that
claim. And as the theme of this chapter is the ‘value’ of logo design
contests, what ‘value’ is there in paying for dozens of designers, who may or
may not have a clue what they’re doing, to design your company logo?

Stock art, clip art and pinched ideas.

The amount of clip art, stock art and ideas pinched from other sources that
get entered into logo design contests is staggering. What do you expect?
When people only have a slight chance of getting paid (if their design is
selected) many put in the effort that is commensurate with working for
free. That’s human nature. When you combine this with the anonymous
aspect of most design contest sites, it’s practically guaranteed that stock art
(usually not licensed for logos), clip art (ditto) and pinched artwork will end
up in most logo design contests. No big deal (as long as you catch the
infringing designs) but does (at best) eliminating copied logos from your
contest or (at worst) selecting a knocked-off logo, have any bearing on the
value of same? I’d think not. The boasted ‘drenched in design’ ain’t looking
so hot now is it? But wait, we aren’t finished yet…

Recycled ideas from previous contests.

This one is becoming more and more prevalent as designers who have
entered hundreds of contests (often without winning any) begin to stock-
pile unused design concepts. When working on spec (ie: getting paid only
when your design is selected) what would you prefer to do – spend an
awful lot of time coming up with unique concepts each and every time, or
dip into the reservoir of unloved concepts that are collecting digital dust on
your hard drive? I know which one I’d pick. Maybe, after entering the same

32
THE VALUE OF LOGO
DESIGN CONTESTS
logo in 1, 5 or 10 contests, someone might actually pick it, huh? Nothing
wrong with that per se, but it’s one step away from picking a stock logo, and
doesn’t lend itself to the supposed ‘value’ of running a logo design contest.

Quality, original ideas.

Sure, there are some decent designers on crowdsourcing sites, and as much
as it pains me to admit, you’ll probably find some quality, original ideas
pitched during the duration of most design contests. However, the number
will be a small fraction of the overall tally. And there’s where the true value
lies of running a logo design contest – denoted in our pyramid infographic
by a small yellow triangle. But does obtaining such a small sample of
quality original ideas equate to the ‘more for less’ value as boasted by
contest and crowdsourcing sites? From where I sit, and using my admittedly
old-fashioned financial filters, it certainly doesn’t. Wading through an
immense sea of unusable concepts to (hopefully) find a pearl seems like a
terrible waste of a lot of people’s time, including that of the contest holder.
Your time.

Logo contest survival guide.

In the interest of fair play, and lest I get accused of ‘sour grapes’, we’re going
to give people who still insist on holding a logo contest a few tips on how
to avoid getting stuck with someone else’s logo (which I think we can all
admit, is never a good idea). Here’s how it works.

Whenever less than ethical ‘designers’ enter contests, they immediately use
Google Image Search (Yahoo & MSN have them too) to search for designs
that suit your project using keyword combinations that would describe it.
They look for an image they like and it you’re lucky, they’ll change it a little
so that it won’t be recognized by anyone but the owner and/or the original
designer. There’s about a 50/50 chance one of them will find out. If they do,
whether these design changes will be enough to pass a legal challenge is
anyone’s guess. If you’re not so lucky, they’ll pass someone else’s logo,
unchanged very little (or not at all) as their own. Then, a lot of people will
notice, raising the threat level of getting into hot water to almost 100%.

If you hold a logo design contest, you should perform the same searches
using the resources just mentioned. Search through Google Images using

33
THE VALUE OF LOGO
DESIGN CONTESTS
the various keyword combinations and descriptions that describe the logo
your contest is supposed to be about. If you’re lucky, you’ll find any
potentially infringing designs before things get too out of hand. Before
you’re stuck with thousands of business cards and letterheads that you
can’t use, because you’ve plastered them with a design that belongs to
someone else. And before the nasty e-mails start arriving.

Or, you could avoid logo design contests altogether. You’d be better of
working one-on-one with a freelance or design firm and see that itty-bitty
yellow triangle get a lot bigger.

34
 Client: Official Rali
Designer: The Logo Factory

35
THE McLOGO
EFFECT
The internet has changed the logo design industry
forever. Sometimes, not for the better.
As competition for design business has heated up, so have the promises
and sales pitches of logo design companies (especially those that you’ll find
on the internet). Some are perfectly legit. Others, not so much. It’s often
quite difficult to decipher the come-hither pitches and blinking starbursts
you’ll find on many logo design websites, especially if you re taking a stab
at designing your own logo for the first time. That’s not to say that every
site you’ll run into on the web is promising you the moon, but if our
experience in the logo wars is any indication, it s quite a few that you’ll find
using the keywords “logo design” in a search engine toolbar.

When you run that search on Google, or a similar search engine, you’ll
bump into a ton of blinking, flashing web sites, all promising seemingly
impossible feats in their ‘come hither’ sales pitches. It’s as if ‘logo designers’
on the web have developed an entire new language in order to lure visitors,
via search engines, to purchase their goods and services. While using the
Internet to find a design house that can create a new corporate brand is
tremendous (it allows people to work with top-notch designers that they’d
otherwise never had the opportunity), it also features a unique set of
pitfalls and caveats. As competition has heated up, so has the rhetoric
involved in the marketing of logo design services via the web.

As you wander from site to site, you’re sure to bump into some promises
and sales pitches that you’ve never heard of before. Especially as it applies
to graphic design. Which ultimately leads to a deceptively simple question
–

“why do you want to charge me $x, when I can find dozens of companies who
want to charge me $x/10 with unlimited revisions, 2 day turnaround, etc, etc,
etc?”

To the untrained eye, their logo design samples looks as good as most
(they’re not really), yet their published rates are 1/10 of what a reputable
design studio charges. The advertising pitches seem too good to be true
(unfortunately, they are – as it turns out, we’re comparing apples and
oranges). You have to ask a squishy situation – what exactly is the

36
THE McLOGO
EFFECT
difference between their process and other designers?

So let’s decipher the ‘sky’s the limit’ promises that are being dangled in
front of you. For your edification, we’ve put together an anthology to help
you understand the slick, confusing and sometimes downright misleading,
promises that these logo sites pitch via their online design marketing
efforts.

Our 1,000 logo designers are the best!

One of the top Google ranked sites boast that they have over one thousand
logo designers who are “the best in the world”. In fact, they are described as
“the same people that other businesses pay thousands of dollars just to get a
few hours of their time.” They also go on to claim that over 100(!) of these
designers work on your project. Hmm. For a couple of hundred dollars?
Sounds a little far-fetched but, okay. What you’re not clearly told is that
projects are offered, as a contest, to thousands of untested freelancers
(pros, students, hobbyists alike) who compete against each other (hardly
the ‘Team’ advertised) to get your approval. These poor souls are paid
peanuts (if their projects are accepted in the first place) and admit to
putting in effort that is commensurate with it. Not quite the ‘top-notch’
professional designers being advertised. It’s actually a glorified logo design
contest – and that method not only has some very serious drawbacks, but
(if you’re EXTREMELY budget minded and don’t mind the risks) can also be
had for much, MUCH, less money than being requested.

A business magazine described the process as follows –

Designers love it for the following reasons: They never have to meet with the
clients; payment is immediate; they can work at home, day or night, with total
flexibility; they can make $100 per design. That may be peanuts to a Madison
Avenue pro, but not to a youngster making his or her mark“

I’m not ripping on ‘youngsters making their mark’ – was one myself a long
time ago – but that’s NOT what’s being advertised (the words they use in
the promo copy as ‘Madison Avenue Pros’). It’s just that I’m not sure if I want
a ‘youngster’ who is ‘making his or her mark’ to be working on my new
corporate logo. And what’s with the “never meeting (talking) with the client”
bit? After all, hadn’t you just shelled out some pretty serious money to work

37
 Client: The Radio Central
Designer: The Logo Factory

38
THE McLOGO
EFFECT
with a ‘seasoned veteran‘ that other businesses pay “thousands of dollars
just to get a few hours of their time?” Okay – never mind.

It’s all about the numbers.

Some online logo design firms promise that more designers will work on
your project (for more dough, natch). Not sure I understand that one either,
unless you take into consideration that these designers are working
remotely, and in isolation. Having more ‘eyes’ on a project is cool and all,
and many designers work in a studio environment (as opposed to remotely)
so every project features a collaborative effort of multiple designers and Art
Directors.

The idea that you pay more money to obtain a collaborative effort (that is,
one supposes, the reason you selected a company to design your new logo,
as opposed to a solitary freelancer) is ludicrous. Besides, as it should be
pointed out, a top-notch logo artist DOES NOT inject his/her style into a
project, but rather the project is 100% unique for each and every client (or
it should be). Combined with the collaborative efforts of studio-mates, this
guarantees the production of a great original logo. This idea that “more is
better” is an idiotic philosophy that doesn’t (or shouldn’t) apply to a design
process. More visual Spam as opposed to a targeted, researched approach.
In any logo design project you should not simply be looking for more stuff.
You’re looking for the right logo. For. you. If you're looking for the unique
one-on-one design process that a qualified freelancer offers, then this
promise should be irrelevant anyway. One great designer can obviously
create a better design solution that ten mediocre (or inexperienced)
designers can.

Your own project manager.

Granted, a ‘project manager’ has a nice ring to it, but I thought the exercise
here was working with the designer? Not quite. This phrase usually
indicates that the person taking instructions, comments and directions is
not the one executing them. They’re being passed on, broken telephone
style, to a designer who is not close to the phone (or, one supposes, an
active e-mail account). In other words, to a freelancer with unqualified
credentials. Once again, that advertised in-house designer (the one with all
the skills) doesn’t even work for the company. Clients are not ‘allowed’ to

39
THE McLOGO
EFFECT
talk to the designer because the company doesn’t quite trust the designer.
After all, the designer could harvest the account (such is the risk when
paying peanuts). You probably noticed the company based on the strength
of their portfolio. How do you know if the designer working on your project
is even featured in the company’s logo portfolio? You don’t. And if
someone’s willing to pull the old ‘project manager’ ruse – it’s a safe bet
you’re not going to get a straight answer should you ask the question. You,
on the other should prefer one-on-one service and the accompanying
attention to detail. Portfolio should also reflect the designer(s) who are
working on your project too…

Money back guarantees.

On many of these sites, if you wish to explore the fine print, it seems there’s
a little detail called a ‘service charge’ – usually in the $75 range – that’s been
left off the starburst. Now, I was never that good in math, but if memory
serves $X minus anything is not 100% of $X. The so-called 100% refund also
expires the minute the client requests revisions after the first round of
preliminary designs. Okay, so let’s run this one through the McLogo
translator –

“You pay up front for the full job, we spend about an hour working up the
preliminary designs and if you don’t like them, pay for the hour we spent and
we’ll give you the remainder of your account back“.

Now, that sounds fair – pretty close to how we do it at our studio. Trouble is,
that’s not half as impressive in blinking text as tah-dah – “100% money-
back guarantee“.

Our logos improve your bottom line.

This, I suppose, was a natural extension of the 100% money back
guarantee. But how to claim more than 100% money back? Easy – “we’ll let
you use the logo for a while and if it doesn’t work, we’ll still give you your
money back.“ Nice promise. On closer inspection, however, not nearly as
impressive as it sounds. In fact, it borders on madness. Firstly, this promise
is almost impossible to quantify. On the other hand, one would hope that a
new logo would improve the bottom line. Anyone who needs a logo is
invariably in start up, and the logo is the beginning phases of some fairly

40
 Client: Jasmine Dreams
Designer: The Logo Factory

41
THE McLOGO
EFFECT
hefty marketing efforts. One would hope that sales are going to increase
with the use of this new logo. But what if they don’t? There’s a slight snag.
In order to get your money back, you have to supply the company
‘professionally produced’ versions of stationery, brochures and the like. That
means you’ve spent significantly more in reproducing the logo, than the
original $300.00 you spent on having the logo designed. You also have to
agree to stop using the logo (including the newly printed stationery,
brochures and the like) and then you’ll get your money back. Guess what
that means? You promise not to use material that you probably paid $1000s
of dollars to produce, in order to get a refund of $300.00. Oh yeah, you also
have to deliver (at your expense) all the printed material to the logo design
firm so that they can do with it what they see fit. Chances are, if anyone
thinks this is a good guarantee, their lack of financial progress has nothing
to do with the logo in the first place…

Lightning fast turnaround.

NASCAR logo design. First one in wins. Lessee – these companies are
boasting that they’ll spend less time than everybody else on my new,
staggeringly important logo design? Sound’s good – where do I sign up?
Good design takes time, and rush creative work usually costs a lot more –
designers have to be paid overtime. Other designers need to be assigned to
the project. But here we have bargain basement pricing. and ‘lightning fast
turnaround’? Something has to give. What critical aspects of the logo
design process are we shaving off to speed up the process? Research?
Development? Rendering and fine-tuning? Or could it be that we’re pulling
logo ingredients, Frankenstein style, from a library of previously designed
material? Just wondering is all.

Unlimited revisions.
Have to admit – “unlimited revisions” looks impressive in a red starburst.
And at a flat rate too. How is this possible? Answer – it isn’t. Speaking
bluntly, ‘unlimited revisions’ on a logo design project is a goofy concept,
impossible to maintain, and the use of these two words is designed to do
one thing, and one thing only. Separate design buyers from their cash.
Firstly, it shouldn’t take ‘unlimited’ revisions to arrive at a great logo. A
decent designer should be able to hone in on an effective logo within a few
revision cycles. After all – the preliminary concepts were initially worked up

42
Client: Kokobana Mexican Grill
Designer: The Logo Factory

43
THE McLOGO
EFFECT
with target market and business philosophies in mind. Anything else is just
Visual Spam – throw enough designs at the project in the hope something,
anything, will resonate with you.

Here’s a fun test – order a logo from one of these online companies, and
request, nay demand, that your work-in-progress logo to be previewed in
one million color combinations (alright, let’s be more reasonable – ten
thousand color combinations) within the three day turnaround schedule.
Ten thousand is not even ‘unlimited’. Unlimited is, well, unlimited. And if the
answer is anything other than “yes”, then the service is NOT really offering
unlimited revisions. Simply put – when companies promise you ‘unlimited
revisions’ on ANY design project they are lying. Flat. Out. Full. Throttle.
Lying. Simply put, nobody can truly offer ‘unlimited revisions’ with any ‘flat
rate’ design project (unless on billable hours and in that case, the more the
merrier). Any single project risks bankrupting the studio. Great-
grandchildren could still be working on this logo design project.

Online do-it-your logo generators.

We’ve seen these flash-based web sites describing themselves as do it
yourself logo design, usually advertised with the description “you don’t
need a designer”. Well, considering that design is about conceptualizing a
logo, and these DIY sites are simply a glitzy logo template generator, it’s
technically true. You don’t need a designer for their service. As there’s no
design work being performed. Where I come from, these would be known
as ‘clip art logos‘. Not many people flock to rent dentist drills to perform DIY
dentistry because the company involved promises “no dentist required”.
Here’s how the DIY service works – you select an icon from a library of pre-
designed material (usually rejected preliminary designs from ‘real’ logo
design projects or, ‘borrowed’ from other design sites). You type in your
company name (using a generic, usually shareware, font) and the DIY
cookie cutter spits out a logo. Sound familiar? It should – used to be called
clip art. And last time we looked – clip art was not among the
recommended approaches to corporate identity design.

When it comes to online logo generators, there’s also the question of

originality, or even legality, of some of the icons offered for sale. Witness the
fine print on one such site regarding pesky issues like trademark and
copyright:

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THE McLOGO
EFFECT
“(2) Trademarks and Copyrights. User acknowledges that no trademark,
copyright or service marks are being conveyed under this Agreement. User
acknowledges that LogoGarden has no obligation or duty to perform
copyright, trademark or service mark searches to validate the symbol database
is not infringing on any trademark, copyright or service marks. Accordingly,
LogoGarden encourages Users to perform their own independent searches.
User acknowledges that LogoGarden shall have no responsibility to assist User
in seeking state or federal intellectual property protection (i.e., trademark
registration). LogoGarden shall not be responsible to assist User to perfect the
Users rights.”

Course, if you find any infringing trademarks and/or copyrights, the good
folks that run the site would like you to let them know:

“(3) Third Party Rights. If Users believe any content appearing on the Web Site
infringes another party’s rights, please to notify us of this infringement.”

Not exactly a resounding endorsement of their own services.

McLogo - a summary.
Alas, it seems that despite these wonderful attempts at skinning the
proverbial cat in unique ways, there’s only one way to create a custom logo
design that is worthy of representing a great new venture. That’s working
with a seasoned professional who has a client’s best interests in mind, as
well as a pride in his/her craft. Sure, they may not promise unlimited
revisions, a free coffee mug (it’s been done) or other three ring circus sales
pitches. They will, however, produce a solid, technically sound and original
logo that you can proudly use as your corporate identity. And isn’t THAT
what it’s all about?

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