Business Column: Make your logo unique, adaptable

A logo is more than just a little design or your company name written in a fancy font. Logo design is a special skill, and there's no one definitive method that is better than the others. All good logos, however, have a few things in common. When you're designing your logo, aim for something that:

Isn't trendy and doesn't need to be redesigned each season.

Will look good even in black and white and reduced to fit on a business card.

Is adaptable enough to fit on different products or marketing pieces.

Is integrated into your overall marketing strategy.

You'll probably want to use a combination of your company name and emblem. That's the best, safest bet for most small businesses. Done correctly, your logo can become an important part of your intellectual property and can offer real value to your business.

If you want your logo to communicate effectively who you are and what you do, you've got to know precisely who you are and what you do. That sounds obvious, right? But far too many businesses can't articulate what makes them unique. In 10 words or less, what is your business? You need to discover the essence of your industry and what people want to find there.

Now it's time to go out and get your very own logo. There are several options for doing this.

Create your own logo. Designing your own logo is the cheapest option available. And you don't have to spend time trying to communicate the details. However, you might find that it's difficult to translate your vision into a logo if you're not a professional designer. Worse, you might find that you get what you pay for — and when you pay nothing, that bargain price might be reflected in your new logo.

Hire a freelance designer. Working with a freelance designer requires more investment; however, it also has its advantages. Freelance designers create logos for a living and have a lot of knowledge and research to support their creations.

Hire an ad agency. If you can't find a freelance designer you like, or if you're just wary of doing business with an individual, you might want to look into an advertising agency. In many cases, several designers will likely collaborate on your logo. That's good and bad. Good, because more creative visions mean more ideas. Bad, because sometimes too many cooks can spoil the soup.

Use an online logo design service. A relatively new development in the design world is the advent of online design services. These companies provide fast-turnaround logo design at low prices — to the tune of a professionally designed logo in three days for under $300.

source:- recordonline.com/