How To Create A Low Cost Logo

I thought some tips on creating a logo would make a nifty follow on from my earlier post, 6 Simple Steps To Naming Your Lifestyle Business.

I do believe that in life you generally get what you pay for and that the ideal course of action therefore would be to brief a professional designer. Preferably one who will integrate logo design with creating your company’s whole visual identity - which encompasses things like typefaces, colour palettes, and page layouts.

However, most of us when starting out with our businesess don’t have much spare cash lying around.  The good news is, it’s perfectly possible to create a  low (or no) cost logo yourself.  Here are some do’s and don’ts:

DO

1. Keep it simple.

Aim for a clean, non-fussy look - something that people will get instantly.  A good test for simplicity is whether the logo works when small. Probably the smallest you would ever need your logo to be is the size it would apear on a business card  - so mock one up as a test.

2. Keep to one or two colours

If you need any more than two colours to make the image work , it probably means you don’t have a strong design.

3.  Make sure it will work in black and white

Even if you think you’ll always stick to colour, others who are using your logo may be restricted to black and white (eg. trade magazines featuring your business).

4. Experiment with low cost do-it-yourself websites like www.logomaker.com or www.logoyes.com

These sites have great software that takes you through a handful of very simple steps to produce a professional looking logo. The main downside is flexibility - you can only use the images and typefaces they have in stock - but there are still a lot to choose from (Logomaker has over 10,000 images). You can get your logo in minutes for as little as USD 49.

DON”T

1. Don’t try to do it yourself if you completely lack a sense of design!

We all have our weaknesses and if a sense of what looks good is not a strength of yours, I’d avoid even the hand-holding DIY sites.  A better idea is to approach your local art and design college for a student. They are likely to create your logo for little cost because it helps them to build up their portfolio.

2. Don’t think you always need an image

You don’t need to follow the convention of image plus business name. There are some great examples of logos which are simply the business name in a distinctive font and colour. If it’s a short punchy name this can have a lot of impact.

3. Don’t forget that your logo is only one aspect of your brand

Your logo is only one element of your company’s visual identity, which in itself is only a part of your branding…a big subject for another time.  For now, before you settle on a logo just make sure that you are happy with the colours it commits you to. You might like pink and purple for your logo, but are you happy using those colours for subheads, banners, highlighting?  Mock up a sample web page (just in Word is fine for these purposes) and see how the colours work in a wider context.

4. Don’t kill yourself getting everyone’s buy-in

Same principle as choosing a business name. Check your logo resonates with your potential market by testing it out on friends and acquantainces who fit that category. But personal taste varies, so don’t try to please everyone.   I’d aim for a 60% friend approval rating and of course liking it yourself - you’ve got to live with it!

Have fun with it.