Logo designs have the potential to be really lame. They also have the potential to make your brand. While a terrific, original logo may draw people in, a terrible one will turn them away 100 times faster. Your logo is the face of your business. It is often the first thing that people see and the one thing you want them to recognize. The advice given again and again – and, no, not just by logo designers looking for your business – is this:
Easy enough advice to follow, right? It seems that not everyone is willing to admit they aren’t logo designers. I, for one, am a very creative person. I have also done my fair share of graphic design and am comfortable behind the Photoshop (and now GIMP, too!) controls. However, I have been considering paying for a logo design lately. Not for this blog, but for another one that has me completely stumped.
You might be the most creative artist in the world, but your writing interests just might not fit your design interests. Admitting that you need a second pair of hands and eyes does not take anything away from your own talent. If anything, it shows that, like all uber-successful businesspeople, you know when to outsource.
Through my many searches, I have found a ton of interesting, imaginative designers. If you are looking to hire and you aren’t sure where to start, check out some of these portfolios:
- Juvanescence Design: Fresh and bright, JD’s logos look eminently useable in any format. Giving equal importance to color and whitespace, the graphics are strong and memorable. I could see any logo in this portfolio on any type of website, tshirt or other swag – both professional and casual.
Love!: OpenOutSource and KnitPat. - David Airey: Airey knows how to blend just the right amount of cutting edge with recongized symbolism. From the perfect choice of simplistic to an offbeat, edgy design, he seems to bend his style to whatever suits the project. An added bonus is that sometimes he walks you though his process.
Love!: Miskeeto and Davidson Locksmith. - sixonefour Design: Crisp and simple, 614 has a well-rounded portfolio of logos clearly designed by a pro. As with other designers, 614 also offers some impressive-looking packages that include logos, business cards, letterhead and other business branding needs.
Love!: Sage and 614 - J. Pink Graphic Design: Established by Jon Pink in 1998, J.Pink Design is “based in the idyllic Oxfordshire countryside with virtual offices in London and the USA.” Before starting the agency, Jon Pink was already a branding expert. His expertise clearly shows in the striking designs he creates. Though this article is about logos, J. Pink can serve up anything from mouth-watering websites to delicious print work.
Love!: Quoteme and Northfields Taylors Inc. - Gage Design: Anyone who ever said that logos aren’t beautiful wasn’t really paying attention. Gage Design’s logos sport clean lines and seriously clever images.
Love!: Mirksy Electric and The Painters Inc.
As I said before, there are tons of great designers on the web and you really ought to shop around before you choose one. It is important to find one that matches your style and can create a logo that you can live with for a very long time. I would be open to doing another roundup like this for designers (logo, web, etc.) so if you have an online portfolio and you would like me to take a look just leave a link in the comments.
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