‘Off-the-shelf’ logo design is available all over the internet for very little cost…

So why would you pay a Graphic Designer several hundred pounds to create something?

The words ‘Bespoke’, ‘Unique’ and ‘Targeted’ may give you a clue!

No logo design for £50 here, I’m afraid!

Logo design is an essential investment not an extravagant expense.

For many start up businesses logo design gets a lower priority than marketing or a website. That is understandable, although may be a little short sighted!

Choosing a clip art symbol to represent your business may be cheap and do the job but what job is it actually doing?

Just being attractive or ‘pretty’ is not enough, it must be memorable for the right reasons:-

• Does it illustrate what your business does, who you are or what you believe in?
• Does your logo leave people with the right impression?

Some business are very hard to explain face to face or from a business card. However a good logo will create impact and enhance the impression you want to achieve on first glance.

Kinesiology is a great example of a business that most people do not understand and is hard to explain in a few minutes. The challenge is to design a logo that will be unique and promote such a company.

This is only possible when understanding the key elements and the overall concept of the business. Furthermore only achieved from a good brief and in-depth conversations with the client.

Kinesiology or human kinetics, treats the whole body, the mechanics and the psychology. How the body is made up and how it reacts to chemicals, allergies and mental states – the balance and wellbeing of the whole person. The logo uses these concepts in images, the body, chakra colours and the DNA symbol, basing the image on the medical symbol Caduceus and the Leonardo da Vinci Vitruvian Man.

Your logo design and branding should tell a story about your business.

It is all about you and your beliefs. What you are offering to your customers and what they need. It is on these essential foundations that your business is built and differentiates your business from your competitors.

The CedarTree Advisory Service is a financial regulator with a story. The origin for this logo and the name of the company derives from the roots of the Clients surname, Kiedrowski. The story goes that during the second crusade a Knight was saved from an attack by a lion while sleeping under a Cedar tree in the Lebanon. As a reward for his bravery the knight awarded land to the squire that saved him. From that location in Poland the town of Kiedrowice was founded and remains to this day. Kiedrowice being derived from the word for Cedar in Greek, i.e. Kedros!

Reflecting your personality or the personality of the business comes naturally with the choices you make.

The images that appeal to you are personal. The logo design for Garage Doors and Shutters Services is a great example. I met Dave on Twitter and we clicked, he has a wicked sense of humour. Logos for businesses that sell Garage doors are pretty similar and not very inspiring. Concentrating on the various services he offered for commercial and residential buildings produced a design that simply illustrated the variation of doors and shutters. Some strong typography gave it a professional look to balance the ‘cartoon’ style.

He has had many compliments, attracted lots of attention and the business is growing fast.

Attracting the right audience is also important.

What you may like may not be what appeals to your target audience.

A recent project was to create a branding for a Commercial printer. Having inside knowledge of the profession is sometimes helpful and insightful but can distract you from who you are targeting.

Immediate ideas included the 4 colours that printers use to create the printed article but in reality only people who know about print understand the process. We were also targeting the general person in business as well as the print buyer.

Printing is all about producing the right literature. Creating publications of all sizes and all colours and a very precise process. Using a grid and fills in various colours and sizes created blocks to represent a Mondrian-effect image – which just happened to be a favourite artist of the client! WIN WIN!

The logo is neat, interesting and attractive while illustrating the business.

The benefits of a good logo design-

A logo design for £50 will rarely meet this criteria and represent your business as it should! The benefits of a good logo and branding, do not only extend to attracting the customer but excite and enthuse the people working in the business. Being proud to launch the branding, feeling confident when handing out business cards or marketing literature and seeing the company branding appear on print or online. Promoting your business with vitality and confidence will build customer trust.

Why should customers invest in your business when you don’t?

Written by Angie Phillips, Design Consultant - Helping you create business by creating IMPACT! Fabulous effective design that makes you say WOW! Using my expertise to promote yours. Fiercely committed to my clients and getting my hands on your assets! Always happy to offer help and advice. Promoting and helping you to grow through networking & introductions even after our work is done. #CreatingBusinessByDesign  #CreatingIMPACT  #LOVEwhatIdo

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