From the Designer’s Desk: The Dangers of DIY Logo Design
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Creation - the accessible to anyone and everyone. With the Internet being the complete toolkit to us creators, we can do anything. With a website, we are the business owner. With a digital camera, we are the photographer. With a 3D printer, we are the product designer. And with clipart, we are the graphic designer. Nothing is stopping anyone from obtaining and learning the tools needed to create within whatever category.
With this complete toolkit, why are business’ still paying these hefty price tags for just a logo? Why can’t we just continue to be the creator? And why are we preaching the dangers of the do-it-yourself logo?
The Power of an Expertly-Crafted Logo
Apple, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, IBM, Google, McDonalds, GE - What’s similar with the most valuable brands in this entire world? These multi-billion dollar companies all have a logo that remain recognizable without a single word. Logos are intended to be the “face” of a company; the graphical communication of the business’ heart. These graphical displays of a company’s unique identity - expressed through shapes, fonts, images and color. This is what individualizes and this is what expresses the essentials about a company.
The logo, or logomark, is the shorthand way of referring to the company, yet still providing the same impact. This is particularly useful in advertising and marketing materials - making a mark as simple as the Nike ‘swoosh’ iconic. With DIY logo design, it is very unlikely that you will be able to create a unique and professional face for your company. Your brand identity will deteriorate with a logo design that blends in with the crowd or you will have a brand identity that no one will want to associate themselves with.
A Well-Designed Logo is More Than a Mark
A logo is a deep understanding of the company, an understanding of form and function, understanding the impact of negative and positive space and the power of abstraction. Graphic designers go to school from anywhere between 2-6 years (on average), with years of practicing and experience. You could try and rebrand if your creation doesn’t hold well with it’s audience. However, performing a rebrand is not only a timely and costly investment, it’s a risky investment (after all, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) rebranding campaign cost $1,800,000).
A great logo will provide the perception and understanding of your business without confusing the consumers and brand loyalists. A great brand identity will not only provide a way for current and potential customers to easily recognize and remember your business, but a face to last forever. Once your company launches, that brand identity will remain out there forever. Make sure it’s a face you can live with for your entire life. There are no take-backs.