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Will You Add? - Logos: Price, Process and Pitfalls
This article is an excerpt from an interview with golf course architect Kevin Norby.What are the most important considerations for a developer when choosing a golf course designer? Knowledge and experience. As an owner, you want to make sure you're working with someone who can guide you through the project approval process and provide some assurance that, when complete, the project will be successful. In particular, it is important that the client determine who they are building the golf course for: Whether the course is designed for private, public or resort play will have a considerable bearing into the design elements. These are important factors as an owner considers what their maintenance budget will be, as well as the caliber of golfer that will play the course.A golf course architect is also valuable to the owner in terms of providing guidance regarding maintenance facilities, maintenance equipment, sighting of the clubhouse, the amount of parking required, finding good contractors,
Then the designer prepares a series of rough sketches, followed by digital renderings in a variety of fonts. At this stage, all work should be in shades of black and white (grayscale) only, so as to keep the focus on the design. If you like the final design in black and white, you'll love it in color. However, if color is introduced too early, it only confuses the process, as it is a very subjective element. A good designer will pre-edit the choices for you, to keep the process streamlined. (This is the part about trusting your designer’s instincts. You don’t really want to see all 58 versions, do you?)
Assuming you
ARE YOU IN THE HABIT OF SUCCESS?BUSINESS SUCCESS DEPENDS ON DEVELOPMENT OF GOOD HABITS!Being a successful entrepreneur can be quite challenging to say the least. As an independent, small business owner, I am the CEO, Manager, Customer Service Representative, Office Administrator, and am in charge of Employee Development. As the leader, and possibly the only employee of my company, where and how do I start to implement goodl "habits " that ultimately will ensure my company's success?The good news is we take one step at a time. The first step in developing good business habits is to start reading, or listening to books, ebooks, articles, and magazines that will help you focus on making a winning blueprint for your business. There are a multitude of top business, and personal development materials available at the touch of a keyboard. Books and articles are even available in audio email format which can be downloaded to an MP3 player for your listening convenience. You will want to make a list of known "guru's" in your particular area of inte
If you want a great logo, versus a mediocre one, you need to acquire a general understanding of what's involved in the process of designing one. You also need to know a thing or two about whom you're trying to sell to. Finally, you need to be able to trust your designer's instincts.
First, some basic terminology:
Icon: a symbol or brandmark. Think Nike's "swoosh."
Wordmark: graphic representation of the name of a brand. i.e. letters only (e.g. GAP, Coca Cola)
Brand Slogan/Tagline: phrase that supports the identity of a service/product over a lengthy period.
Logo: A combination of any/all of the above.
Trademark: a logo that has been registered to protect against imitation. (e.g. Coca Cola)
Brand Identity: a combination of all of the above, plus additional integrating graphical (and sometimes multi-sensory) elements arranged in a variety of flexible systems for use across multiple media.
How long will it take?
Most logos take 4 to 8 weeks from initial consult to final delivery. Some happen quickly, some don't. Since there’s no way of predicting at the outset, it's best to plan on 8 weeks. A longer lead time allows for more time to mull it over and the results are generally better. The best time of year to call a designer is mid-winter, from December 15 and March 15, when business is seasonally slow. The worst time is mid-summer to late Fall.
How much will it cost?
That depends on 1) the designer's hourly rate, 2) how quickly they are able to grasp your needs, 3) how quickly they work and 4) how many versions you require before you are satisfied.
It also depends on whether you want a logo, or a complete brand identity. Most ethical designers will not agree to "just a logo" because they know very well that you’ll need more than that. You'll need colors and fonts and layouts that integrate seamlessly with the look of the logo, so that the website, the business cards, the packaging, the storefront, the advertising, the uniforms, etc all meld into one seamless entity. Otherwise you’ll look like an amateur, and a cheap one, at that. Would you hire a chef to cook the food for a dinner party, but not pay for him to arrange the food on the plates?
Most designers will give you a minimum price, and an accurate estimate after an initial consult. You will quickly find there is a broad spectrum of prices, ranging from $500.00 to $50,000.00+ (for major corporations who require a lot of hand-holding, meetings, big presentations, etc). To complicate matters, you are shopping for something that doesn't yet exist. So there's no way to know in advance who will do the best job for you. You just have to do your research and then go with your gut.
Section 2: The Process
Designers have different methods of creating logos and brand identities. Most start with a free initial consultation. This usually lasts about an hour. The more information you can provide, the more help they can give you, and the more accurate your estimate will be.
A day or so later, both parties sign a contract which outlines inclusions, costs and copyright agreements. This prevents many a misunderstanding down the road.
Then the designer prepares a series of rough sketches, followed by digital renderings in a variety of fonts. At this stage, all work should be in shades of black and white (grayscale) only, so as to keep the focus on the design. If you like the final design in black and white, you'll love it in color. However, if color is introduced too early, it only confuses the process, as it is a very subjective element. A good designer will pre-edit the choices for you, to keep the process streamlined. (This is the part about trusting your designer’s instincts. You don’t really want to see all 58 versions, do you?)
Assuming you h
Businesses can be incorporated online. Incorporation can be done filing papers and handing over the forms to the office of the Secretary of State where they will be incorporated. It can be done by the applicant or by a lawyer. If you chose to do it yourself, online medium offer a fairly easy way. There are intermediaries who will do if for you, but you must keep in mind that they are just service providers and don’t offer any legal advice.There are many of service providers on the Internet who provide incorporation services. The services include filing the papers, providing registered agents for those states where the business is to be incorporated, name checking and final delivery of the documents. The charges include state filing fees that vary from state to state and service and shipping charges. If the incorporation process has to be expedited, the charges are usually higher.Before filing online, you have to do a lot of homework either by yourself or with the counsel of a lawyer. This includes deciding on the type of corporation -- the most impo
How long will it take?
Most logos take 4 to 8 weeks from initial consult to final delivery. Some happen quickly, some don't. Since there’s no way of predicting at the outset, it's best to plan on 8 weeks. A longer lead time allows for more time to mull it over and the results are generally better. The best time of year to call a designer is mid-winter, from December 15 and March 15, when business is seasonally slow. The worst time is mid-summer to late Fall.
How much will it cost?
That depends on 1) the designer's hourly rate, 2) how quickly they are able to grasp your needs, 3) how quickly they work and 4) how many versions you require before you are satisfied.
It also depends on whether you want a logo, or a complete brand identity. Most ethical designers will not agree to "just a logo" because they know very well that you’ll need more than that. You'll need colors and fonts and layouts that integrate seamlessly with the look of the logo, so that the website, the business cards, the packaging, the storefront, the advertising, the uniforms, etc all meld into one seamless entity. Otherwise you’ll look like an amateur, and a cheap one, at that. Would you hire a chef to cook the food for a dinner party, but not pay for him to arrange the food on the plates?
Most designers will give you a minimum price, and an accurate estimate after an initial consult. You will quickly find there is a broad spectrum of prices, ranging from $500.00 to $50,000.00+ (for major corporations who require a lot of hand-holding, meetings, big presentations, etc). To complicate matters, you are shopping for something that doesn't yet exist. So there's no way to know in advance who will do the best job for you. You just have to do your research and then go with your gut.
Section 2: The Process
Designers have different methods of creating logos and brand identities. Most start with a free initial consultation. This usually lasts about an hour. The more information you can provide, the more help they can give you, and the more accurate your estimate will be.
A day or so later, both parties sign a contract which outlines inclusions, costs and copyright agreements. This prevents many a misunderstanding down the road.
Then the designer prepares a series of rough sketches, followed by digital renderings in a variety of fonts. At this stage, all work should be in shades of black and white (grayscale) only, so as to keep the focus on the design. If you like the final design in black and white, you'll love it in color. However, if color is introduced too early, it only confuses the process, as it is a very subjective element. A good designer will pre-edit the choices for you, to keep the process streamlined. (This is the part about trusting your designer’s instincts. You don’t really want to see all 58 versions, do you?)
Assuming you
Most TV commercials you see, radio commercials you hear, training films, and more use the voice of a professional announcer. In the media industry, these much sought after voice pros are called Voice Over Talent.A fine voice over talent can give you a warm, friendly read that not only entices prospects to take an interest in you, but effectively urges them to buy. A good voice can accentuate just the right words, stress the right phrases, and literally create an emotion in the listener.In the past, many producers both large and small avoided working with top voice over talents because (1) they were hard to contact, (2) took weeks to finish the job, and (3) were very expensive.The usual method was to contact an advertising or talent agency who set up a session with the voice over talent. Not only could this take days, weeks, or even months for some top talents -- the fee could range from several hundred to thousands of dollars and more.Today the old system in still in place, but other top voice over artists are making the experience M
It also depends on whether you want a logo, or a complete brand identity. Most ethical designers will not agree to "just a logo" because they know very well that you’ll need more than that. You'll need colors and fonts and layouts that integrate seamlessly with the look of the logo, so that the website, the business cards, the packaging, the storefront, the advertising, the uniforms, etc all meld into one seamless entity. Otherwise you’ll look like an amateur, and a cheap one, at that. Would you hire a chef to cook the food for a dinner party, but not pay for him to arrange the food on the plates?
Most designers will give you a minimum price, and an accurate estimate after an initial consult. You will quickly find there is a broad spectrum of prices, ranging from $500.00 to $50,000.00+ (for major corporations who require a lot of hand-holding, meetings, big presentations, etc). To complicate matters, you are shopping for something that doesn't yet exist. So there's no way to know in advance who will do the best job for you. You just have to do your research and then go with your gut.
Section 2: The Process
Designers have different methods of creating logos and brand identities. Most start with a free initial consultation. This usually lasts about an hour. The more information you can provide, the more help they can give you, and the more accurate your estimate will be.
A day or so later, both parties sign a contract which outlines inclusions, costs and copyright agreements. This prevents many a misunderstanding down the road.
Then the designer prepares a series of rough sketches, followed by digital renderings in a variety of fonts. At this stage, all work should be in shades of black and white (grayscale) only, so as to keep the focus on the design. If you like the final design in black and white, you'll love it in color. However, if color is introduced too early, it only confuses the process, as it is a very subjective element. A good designer will pre-edit the choices for you, to keep the process streamlined. (This is the part about trusting your designer’s instincts. You don’t really want to see all 58 versions, do you?)
Assuming you
If you are just starting out in construction, the process of bidding may be a little confusing. When you are drawing up an estimate, you are basically calculating the total expense of the project you want to bid on. It is important that you remember to include all expenses and allow for unforeseen expenses that may crop up. When you estimate a job, you need to stay as close to the estimate as possible.This is very important because if you do not estimate properly, and ask the client for more money to complete the project he or she will undoubtedly become angry. The contractor will loose money in the end. On the other hand, if you over estimate then the client will most likely choose a lower bid.This makes the building construction estimating one of the most important aspects of managing a construction company. It is crucial that a contractor examines and understands what is needed for a project before they create an estimate. There are certain steps that need to be taken to insure the success of your business.A construction estimate needs to
Section 2: The Process
Designers have different methods of creating logos and brand identities. Most start with a free initial consultation. This usually lasts about an hour. The more information you can provide, the more help they can give you, and the more accurate your estimate will be.
A day or so later, both parties sign a contract which outlines inclusions, costs and copyright agreements. This prevents many a misunderstanding down the road.
Then the designer prepares a series of rough sketches, followed by digital renderings in a variety of fonts. At this stage, all work should be in shades of black and white (grayscale) only, so as to keep the focus on the design. If you like the final design in black and white, you'll love it in color. However, if color is introduced too early, it only confuses the process, as it is a very subjective element. A good designer will pre-edit the choices for you, to keep the process streamlined. (This is the part about trusting your designer’s instincts. You don’t really want to see all 58 versions, do you?)
Assuming you
If you have employees, you are responsible for payroll taxes. This is a term that lumps all the different forms of employment taxes into one category known as “payroll tax”. In reality, payroll taxes encompass Federal and state income tax withholding, social security and Medicare taxes (also known as FICA), Federal unemployment tax (FUTA), as well as any state and local unemployment taxes assessed. Payroll taxes are deducted each pay period from an employees gross pay. The remaining money distributed to the employee is what is known as “net pay”.Along with any taxes deducted from an employee's wages, there is a social security and Medicare liability incurred by the employer. You must match the social security and Medicare amounts withheld on each employee. This is the employer paid contribution. Until recently, most employers reported and paid payroll taxes quarterly. With the advent of the EFTPS, or Electronic Federal Tax Deposit System, taxes are now paid on a monthly basis by all employers. The payroll taxes may also be paid via a tax coupon tha
Then the designer prepares a series of rough sketches, followed by digital renderings in a variety of fonts. At this stage, all work should be in shades of black and white (grayscale) only, so as to keep the focus on the design. If you like the final design in black and white, you'll love it in color. However, if color is introduced too early, it only confuses the process, as it is a very subjective element. A good designer will pre-edit the choices for you, to keep the process streamlined. (This is the part about trusting your designer’s instincts. You don’t really want to see all 58 versions, do you?)
Assuming you have requested a brand identity and not just a logo, your designer will also include additional coordinating colors, fonts, proprietary patterns, and decorative elements, all of which are designed to integrate well with your logo. These are delivered to you in a variety of sizes and digital formats.
Section 3: Pulling it all Together
COMPOSITION
The reason most people hire a designer in the first place is that they have tried to do it themselves, only to be disappointed by the results. Software alone is not enough; what you need is someone with a trained eye, someone with the skills to create a balanced, original composition using the raw materials that you provide and the ideas that you agree upon in collaboration. This is an art, and one that only comes with practice and a passion for the task. It’s a bit like cooking: give the same ingredients to a skilled chef versus a beginner, and you’ll see completely different results.
Without balanced composition, a logo looks awkward, unfinished, or mediocre, despite heroic efforts on the part of the novice. More importantly, an unprofessional logo will not inspire confidence in your target market. Especially when compared to a more polished-looking competitor. Want proof? Try flipping through the yellow pages and ask yourself which ads attract you and which do not.
FONTS
Font(s) can make or break a logo. If a logo looks boring to you, it's probably because the fonts used are ones common to most computer systems. A good graphic designer will have more than 500 fonts at their disposal, all categorized by characteristics or personality. In addition to the font, the weight chosen (bold, roman, light, ultra light, etc) and the tracking, kerning and leading (space between each letter, each word, and each line) will affect the overall impression. There are certain conventions that apply as well: upper case (capital letters) are used to convey formality and stability, while lower case conveys informality and playful unpredictability. Imagine your bank or university name in all lower case… doesn't convey much authority, does it? Or a pre-school name in heavy capital letters? Yikes. That’s a little too much authority.
COLORS:
When it comes to choosing colors, resist the temptation to choose your favorite colors. Your logo should reflect your business and its clientele, not your personal preferences, unless the two coincide.
ICONS:
This may be the trickiest part of all. Humans are far better at retaining images than words. Having an icon certainly helps when selling to foreign markets where words may not translate, or may translate into something undesirable. (It has happened.)
When brainstorming an icon, there are two mistakes people often make that you, dear reader, will want to avoid:
1) they go with the first idea that pops into their head. This is generally a literal interpretation, or a cliched idea and the results are either corny or derivative of other brands
2) they go with an abstract concept. Logos that are abstract are either really boring (whic
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