Why does a company need a logo?
A logo is like a brand's superhero emblem. It's a visual cue that triggers certain vibes and feelings among your audience. Initially, a strong branding strategy helps to create a recognisable trademark that will be associated with a particular business and attract customers. Later on, branding (when it’s well-designed) can be the main reason for the increase in customer loyalty. This means that customers will be more loyal to the brand and come back for a repeat purchase.
Nearly everyone today can identify the logos of Apple or Toyota, but what makes these symbols so distinct? The answer is that we see these logos all over the place on phones, cars, media and advertising. However, these logos didn't always hold the recognition they do now. Every company, even the most prosperous ones, had humble beginnings.
How can I get a logo for my start-up?
Professional Design Studio
This option seems to be the most reliable and traditional one. From year to year, professional studios have been executing thousands of company logo orders. The design studio develops a project that takes into account all the wishes of the client, and also studies all the features of the business industry. Let's see the pros and cons of working with a design studio.
You can find design studios on Behance or Dribbble.
Pros:
- Uniqueness. With vast experience working with diverse companies, professional design studios typically offer a custom approach to logo development, ensuring a design that best complements the brand.
- Quality. Professional designers use state-of-the-art software and advanced technology to create a top-notch logo.
- Adaptability. Design studios create a logo, taking into account its display in different environments. This means that the logo can easily be used on any medium from a business card to a billboard.
- Reputation. Having a logo designed by a professional studio signals a business's serious commitment and professional approach to its brand image.
Cons:
- Cost Factor. Let's talk numbers. Logos made by pro design studios can have you shelling out anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 and beyond. Now, if you're a fledgling startup, you might think twice before dropping that kind of cash on a logo. There could be other, more immediate areas that need your financial attention.
- Time Investment. The clock is ticking, and in the startup world, time is as good as gold. The average design studio might take weeks. To some, that might seem like a millennium compared to other faster (but maybe less refined) options. And don't forget, there's some legwork to be done on your part too, choosing the right studio is going to eat up some hours.
- Time. The average time it takes a professional design studio to devise a logo is around 2-4 weeks, which might seem a bit too long compared to other options. On top of that, you will have to spend a certain amount of time on choosing which studio to contact.
I think all startups would like to order a logo design from a design studio, but it is too expensive and time-consuming. In addition, at the initial stage, many companies make a pivot in development, which can mean a change of brand.
Freelancer
Freelancers are either designers alone, or small groups of designers who work remotely and are willing to do small orders. Freelance exchanges are now plentiful, and it is relatively easy to find the right contractor. However, there might be a tremendous difference between two seemingly similar freelancers - anyone who has ever worked with a freelancer knows this. If you aim to find a person who will make a decent logo for a reasonable price and you actually find one, you are definitely lucky.
Most popular freelancer marketplaces to hire freelancers are 99designs, Fiverr and Upwork.
Pros:
- Price. The average price that freelancers charge for their work is lower than that of a studio. It can start with $50 and reach $1000, if a freelancer is experienced and has a good portfolio
- Time. In general, freelancers present a finished logo much faster than a design studio, which might be crucial in case you need your logo ASAP.
- Flexibility. A freelancer can work with you at your convenience and strictly according to your requirements.
- Experience. Modern freelancers tend to have experience in versatile areas of design and that is why they can offer you a unique and creative approach to your logo.
Cons:
- No guarantee of design uniqueness. Freelancers don't usually provide guarantees for their work, which can lead to problems once the logo is received. In the worst case, you might even face the risk of copyright infringement.
- Limited choice. Freelancers may offer a limited selection of styles and colours, which not always meets your requirements. Or even worse, freelancers may use some of the pre-made templates, making your logo an ordinary and boring picture.
- Limited number of edits. As a rule, the work of a freelancer includes 2-3 edits (revisions) of the design. You have to pay extra for additional revisions.
- Failing to meet the deadline. Not all freelancers get their work done on time; sometimes, they might simply forget about your order or complete tasks that are a higher priority for them.
AI Logo Generator
Creating a logo online without human involvement is a service that has become available with the rapid development of Internet technology. Now, when AI programs are slowly but surely taking over entirely different markets, finding a worthy AI logo generator (such as the one I made, Turbologo) is as easy as one-two-three.
Pros:
- Price. Automatic logo generators usually offer their services at a low cost, which makes them affordable for all companies, especially for start-ups. Sometimes, the use of a logo generator is completely free of charge, but typically they require to pay to download results from $20 to $100.
- Time. Designing a high-quality logo for an automatic generator is only a matter of a few seconds.
- Post-pay. All the leading logo generators charge their clients only if they are satisfied with the result obtained. In case you don’t like the generated logo, you can simply leave the website without paying anything.
- Versatility. Logo generators can create logos for companies representing completely different industries, from esports to cotton candy production.
- User-friendliness. Most of the modern logo generators have a simple and friendly interface and don’t require special design knowledge. It means that you can create a masterpiece within a few mouse clicks.
Cons:
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Limited choice of designs. Logo generators usually offer a limited choice of designs that may not exactly fit the company's needs and its brand. Moreover, some of the generated designs turn out to be standardised templates.
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Making adjustments. Some logo generators don’t allow changes (even the smallest ones) to the design, which may result in the need to make an additional order and pay extra money, respectively. But it really depends on the service, so it’s better to make sure that
adjustments are free of charge.
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Copyrights or licences issues. Unfortunately, there are unfair logo generators on the market which use commercial fonts or icons without a proper licence. An even worse scenario is if a generator sells you a logo that is protected by copyright and you only realise it after you have bought it. So be sure to check the licences of the fonts and icons used in your logo.
Which option to use?
Depending on your personal situation, you might find any of the options listed suitable for your needs. Undoubtedly, each described way of ordering a logo for your company has the right to exist.
However, if you are only starting your own business and don’t have infinite resources, I would highly recommend you to try the logo generator method. Not only is it extremely cheap (or maybe even free), but it will almost certainly provide you with a suitable solution to your logo-searching problem - I have tried it myself several times. Nowadays, there are plenty of different automatic logo generators, but the most popular are
Conclusion
Logo generators are convenient and accessible tools for aspiring entrepreneurs seeking distinctive logos. AI-powered generators offer a range of templates, colors, fonts, and design elements to customize according to specific needs. They also enable the creation of prototypes, ensuring alignment with expectations and business identity. With logo generators, business owners can swiftly craft professional and appealing logos that differentiate their brand and yield a competitive edge.
Even the most successful companies started somewhere, and using an AI-generated logo as a startup's initial branding is a proven and practical solution in today's market.