It seems that almost everyone needs a logo or brand these days. You don’t need to pay a fortune to get a quality logo designed. It can be affordable.
Step 1.
First, I recommend that you outline as many details about your desired logo as you can. The more clear you can be on what you want, the better.
Here are the details that will be helpful to a logo designer and get you better results faster:
- What wording is needed? (the name of your company, slogan, web address, etc.)
- What fonts would you like? (name the actual fonts or font styles you’re looking for, modern, fancy, grungy, etc.)
- What color scheme would you like? (white, blue, etc.)
- Icon/design element or any additional ideas of what you’d like to see in the logo? (maybe an icon of a house, dog, some other unique design element, etc.)
- References? (are there any other logos that you like that you could show the designer to get them on the right track)
- Dislikes? (are there any design elements, colors, fonts, industry cliches, etc. that you specifically want to avoid)
Onto finding someone to design your logo. I’ll list three great resources for your logo in order from possibly free to cheap to more standard rates.
Step 2: Free or Cheap
If you don’t already have an account, sign up here.
You may want to start by posting a listing asking if a student or new graduate might be interested in designing your logo for practice (be sure to make it clear upfront that it’s for no pay). Although lots of seasoned designers will frown upon this and you may get some nasty feedback, there is actually nothing wrong with this (allowed by craigslist).
The fact of the matter is that there are students that do need practice, to receive credit for school, or to begin building their portfolio. Some schools actually have programs where they offer to design logos and websites for free so that their students can get real-world experience. Good luck getting on one of these lists or not being 437 in line though.
Step 3: Flat Rate
If you’re willing to pay at least $100 for your logo, there are some reputable professional services that offer affordable quality work without limits on revisions so that you won’t get stuck with a logo you don’t want.
Step 4: Contest-based
If you don’t already have an account, sign up here.
This is a pretty neat service. You basically enter your logo details to be designed in a contest format. Many designers will provide you with designs for you to rate and leave feedback for. Eventually, you’re expected to pick a winner and then pay them for the final design. It costs $39 (see updated pricing) initially to enter. Then, to purchase your final design it will run you between: $299 – $799+.
Tips & Warnings
- When working through craigslist, make sure to really research the designer, checkout their portfolio, etc. It’s standard for freelancers to ask for partial to full payment upfront (this is okay). Just make sure you get a good feel for them first, so you’re not getting scammed out of your money.
- If at all you have any trouble or questions about this how-to or find any errors, please comment and I’ll work to update and resolve the article so it’s more thorough and clear.
Ethics
If you have an ethical problem with people getting logos designed by any of the available avenues above, you probably agree with this comment. To avoid redundancy you can read my response to that mindset here. If you have a different view altogether I’m always welcome to friendly, intelligent discussion and debate.