Logo Design

How To Hire A Logo Graphic Designer – Custom Logo Design And Price

Where do you start when it comes to hiring a graphic designer to design a logo for you? Start by knowing what you want, and being clear with what you want. As this will make working with a logo designer a lot easier.

Here are the 3 things I go over in this post:

Things To Know Before Looking For a Logo Designer
How To Find The Right Designer For You
Where to Find a Logo Designer – $ vs $$

Things To Know Before Looking For a Logo Designer

1. Know The True Cost of a Custom Logo Design

Big agencies and famous designers can charge up to $5,000, $10,000, $20,000+ just for a logo design.

So when you find a logo designer who charges say $100, know that can be a reasonable price. And designers price their work based on the time they will spend on your logo, the experience they have, and what items they will deliver.

Also know that any small ‘added’ changes or extras – might sound simple to you, but take time for a designer to create. Say you want an extra jpg of the logo in a different color. Sounds simple and fast, but that is extra work for the designer that was not included in the original offer – so ask how much it would cost for anything extra.

2. Know The Right Budget

If you have a brand new blog, I would recommend spending between $100 – $300+ for custom logo branding. Yes you can definitely find people cheaper than this. But this is a good amount to spend, since you will get the right amount of quality that is needed for a new blog.

The only exception to this, is if you are creating physical items, or products that will need the branding printed. Since then you want to invest a solid amount, since you don’t want to be reprinting anything later on.

You don’t want to spend too much money early on. Because no one is really looking at your blog when you start. It is better to use your funds to create content and build up your viewers first. Then when you start getting more viewers and media coverage, then you can invest in higher end branding ($300+).

Things Change – Once you start getting more viewers, you will have a better understanding of who is looking at your blog, and also have a better understanding of who you are as a blogger. You might start out as a food blog that covers Asian cuisine, but after a few months – you realize that you enjoy mostly posting about family life and family based recipes. So this would mean needing to rebrand the blog.

3. Know What You Want

Before you start looking for a logo designer, you need to know what you want.

If you have no idea of what you want, then you would need a separate service called brand strategy. This is a deep dive into who you want to be as a brand, and what would attract your target audience to you – and finding the right way to balance these things into a visual way. A lot of logo designers can do this, but it will most likely be a different service, before the actual logo design.

I would recommend coming up with an idea of what sort of logo you want before looking for a designer. If you are a travel blogger – go onto Pinterest and look up travel blogs, and travel logos. See what catches your eye, and figure out what style fits with what you want to create. Do you want a modern logo (clean lines, modern font), something a bit more down to earth and hand drawn, or do you want your blog to have a more authentic look – then maybe a vintage logo design.

Be Really Clear: Take time to think about what you want your blog to stand for, and how it should look. You want to be clear when talking to your designer about what you want. “Maybe I want a vintage logo, or maybe a modern one” – that won’t get you good results. If a designer ends up working based on those instructions, then half their time is spent trying to figure out what your logo would look like with a vintage style, and half the time with a modern style. Whereas they could be spending 100% of their time making it look perfect in one of those styles, and creating different options for you to see.

Collect a group of logo designs that are the same style as the logo you want created. And send these to your designer so you are both really clear on what you want before getting started. Sending images is the best way to communicate about things when it comes to design work – versus trying to explain by text.

3. Know What Makes a Good Logo Design

I have a whole post on this here (Getting it Right: What Makes a Good Logo Design).

But some quick tips includes:

Don’t try to fit in more than one graphic into your logo.
Keep your tagline short – 3 words or less work best
Most of all, trust your designer. You are paying them to be the expert. So don’t start choosing which font to use, add in a lot of other graphics, make the decisions on how to lay out the logo, or ask them to use a lot of different colors.

How To Find The Right Logo Designer For You

Here are a few things to keep in mind, when you are looking at different logo designers:

Know what you want. This comes from the section above, about knowing what style you want for your logo design.
Look at examples of their work, and see if they have examples of work that match the style that you are going for. If you need something a little different, contact them to see if they can work on it.
Look at what items they will deliver with their packages – most logo designers will create JPGs, transparent PNGS (which you can put on top of photographs), and the source file (so that you can go to printers to have things printed, or edit the logo in the future (change colors, size, etc.)). If you need something else, make sure you bring it up before starting.

Where to Find a Logo Designer

There are a few platforms where you can easily find logo designers. But I feel the quality is somewhat limited on these platforms.

$50 or less – Fiverr – you might hear people talk about Fiverr. But I would not recommend this site. If you want a really cheap logo, then alright. But it might be a hit or miss finding a good designer who will take their time to work with you. Since it is a cheap service, designers need to work fast and move on to the next order to make a living.

Around $100 – Etsy – is a good place to find custom logo designers. People are more patient on Etsy, and are friendlier.

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$200-$400+ – Independent Designers – Premium Logos – if you have a higher budget $200+, I would recommend spending the time finding a designer outside of those platforms. You can find much more polished logo designers, and the logo you create will have a much more professional and polished look to it. You won’t need to upgrade it later on.

It is harder to find a designer on your own like this, outside of a platform. But it is worth it in the long run. I have worked on those platforms, and now on my own. Before I would have a large % of the money being paid, given to the platform. Now I have more time to work with people that fit my style. I can work on higher end logos and can work more closely with people who need to brand their blog.

Some places to look for these kinds of designers:

Join a membership group, like Food Blogger Pro if you are a food blogger. People talk in the forums about who they used to design their logo.
Use Instagram to search #logodesign, #logodesigner
Behance is a graphic design portfolio site that you can search for logo designers
The best place to search though, would be Pinterest. Just searching “custom logo design” pops up a lot of independent designers

The tricky part is finding a graphic designer in your price range. You will need to contact them to find out prices, and details about ordering a logo. That is why I like to include everything (price, what’s included, etc) on my custom logo page, just to make it easier for people to know what the packages are without needing to contact first.

So some designers, after contacting them, might be completely out of your price range. But this is alright. if you really like their work, save them as examples of the style you want – which you can show to a designer who is more in your price range.

Now you should be ready to go out and find a graphic designer that you can hire and communicate with to create your custom blog logo.

Take a look at my custom logo page, to see if I am a match for what you need designed – Custom Logo Branding Design.

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Hand drawn floral logos from my portfolio

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Off Grid Living News Logo Case Study: Ordering a Custom Blog Logo

Topics: Logo Design

Getting a custom logo made for your blog, small business, or Youtube channel can seem like a daunting task. How do you order a custom logo? Where do you even start?

That is why I have gone and asked some people who I have designed logos for, what is it they did to get their logo made. Yes, it ended up with me being their designer. But there are a number of things to do and think about before you can find and reach out to a designer.

For this case study, I reached out to Patrick who I designed branding for. Patrick has been living off grid since 1996. He grew up raising livestock, foraging for food, gardening, hunting, fishing, and preserving home foods. And has built 2 cabins over the years that now run off of solar power. You can find his blog posts on off grid living at his website Off Grid Living News.

1. Where did you look to find your logo designer, and why did you choose the place that you did?

I did a general internet search first. I looked at several different companies, large ones actually. Although they seemed very well organized, they were also expensive. A friend recommended Fiverr. I looked at the site and liked the fact that there was a large choice of designers to choose from. Each person had a profile and I enjoyed being able to view those profiles and get an idea of who I was dealing with.

2. What made you choose the designer that you did?

I chose the designer that I did based on reviews, ratings, and the number of jobs completed. I obviously wanted someone with proven experience. Ratings of 4.9 with 100 jobs completed ranks high in my opinion when I am contracting a service with someone I do not really know.

3. How did you know what you wanted designed, how did you know what style you wanted?

I went into this project blind. I vaguely knew that I wanted something with Earth tones and related to my niche, which is living off the grid. When I was asked to forward links to several logos that I thought were appealing, that made me look at the project much more in-depth.

4. What do you think is key to getting a logo design you are very happy with? Were there any mistakes you made?

Several things here. First of all, I think it is important to look at logo designs on websites and blogs that are related to the niche you are working in. By doing so, you find out what other people are doing in your space. Then gives you ideas that you may not have considered before. Plus you cannot really expect a designer to pull something out of thin air. They need to have some idea of what you are looking for.

Secondly, working with a designer that is responsive to questions and changes if they are needed. I think my biggest mistake was going into the project completely blind. Won’t do that again.

5. What advice would you give to others looking to have a custom logo designed?

Do some investigation first and get a general idea of what you want. Don’t expect someone to pull something out of thin air for you. Check out several companies, as well as individuals. Look at someone’s credentials and experience. Always interact with them in a professional manner. Be as responsive as you expect them to be. Never know, you might actually make a friend.

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I always ask people who have ordered a custom logo from me, to send me a few links to logo designs they like. This really helps me understand what they are looking for (a modern logo, vintage, typographic, etc.). If a person cannot send any examples, that is not a good start. If all of the examples they send are completely different from each other, then I start asking them questions to get the style more focused before I start designing.

Photos and images are the best way to explain things clearly when it comes to design work.

If you need a custom logo designer, you can view my page here for details and to message me.

Reader Generation Logo Case Study: Ordering a Blog Custom Logo

Topics: Logo Design

I have reached out to customers I have designed logo and branding for, and have asked them questions on the steps they took to order their custom logo. Since there are a few things that need to be thought out and done as you find your custom logo designer.

For this case study, we have Melanie from Reader Generation.

1. Where did you look to find your logo designer, and why did you choose the place that you did?

I didn’t know where to begin, so I turned to Etsy, since it is a world full of creatives and up-and-coming makers and designers.

2. What made you choose the designer that you did?

I searched custom logo design, and loved the style I found at Hatch. Quite a few of his logos caught my eye in the search results, and when I realized he also did custom work, I knew I’d found what I was looking for.

3. How did you know what you wanted designed, how did you know what style you wanted?

I looked within to define the style I was looking for. I wanted it to be “me” as well as accurately represent both the product I sell AND my heart behind my store and community.

4. What do you think is key to getting a logo design you are very happy with? Were there any mistakes you made?

I think open communication between designer and client is the key to satisfaction with the design. I provided some specific words associated with the style and design I was looking for, and didn’t hesitate to request tweaks when it was so “close” but not quite right. However, the designer is the expert, and I respected his counter-suggestions. The conversation between us was what yielded perfect results.

5. What advice would you give to others looking to have a custom logo designed?

Know what it is you are wanting to communicate with your logo and branding. It should be personal and fit not only your brand/voice but your persona as well. It should speak of who you are AND what you want to portray.

The best advice I can give anyone who is looking to get a custom logo design made, is to know what you want designed. I always ask people who want a custom logo from me, to send a few examples of logo designs they like.

I make sure that they are around a similar style. It makes it much easier for me to design their logo – and pictures are much better and clearer for explaining things when it comes to design work.

If you need a custom logo designer, you can view my page here for details and to message me.

Recommended Reading:

Getting it Right: What Makes a Good Logo Design

Topics: Logo Design

If you are looking to get a logo designed, here are a few quick tips on what makes a good looking logo design – and what to avoid.

1. Number of Graphics

You don’t want to cram everything you can into your logo. Yes you want your logo to hint at what your blog or business is about. But it is not a poster, explaining everything you do.

If you want a graphic in your logo, not all logos need one though, then it should be one main graphic that is the focal point of the design.

2. Short Text

There is not much you can do if you have a long name. It is easier though to design a logo for a shorter blog/business name.

But what you do have control over is your subtitle. I get people who give me entire sentence length subtitles. A subtitle should describe what you do in 2 words, 3 if you have to. “Cajun Cooking”, “Beach Traveling”, “Spicy Indian Recipes”.

Not “My Travels and Adventures Around The World”, “Home Cooking For My Family”.

If you have a long subtitle, you will end up with a logo design that has a block of text. This block of text will take up more room than your name, and graphic if you have one. You’ll end up with a logo design that has little impact, and won’t be memorable.

Work with a great logo designer, and trust them to design

3. Premium Fonts

I tend to get people requesting a specific font to be used with their logo.

The font choice in a logo design is very important. It can be almost as much as 80% of the design itself. And the font you use can say a lot about who you are.

There is no reason why you have to be stuck with a specific font. And you should allow a good graphic designer to make this decision. As they will decide this based on a lot of factors – the layout of your logo design, whether it needs to be bold, or skinny, and a lot of other reasons.

Also, a good designer will have a collection of premium fonts they use for designs. So they will know best when it comes to font choice.

4. Proper Color Palette

If you want to use color in your logo, then trust your logo designer to select the right ones. A good designer will know what colors work together, they will also know that too many colors can make a logo design look cluttered and messy.

If you have specific colors in mind, then make a suggestion on broad colors: “pastels”, “bight neon”. Versus picking out specific colors.

5. 100%

A good logo design is a complete and unified design. Not a design that is a mash up of different parts.

I sometimes get people coming to me and asking if I can take their own design, and “fix it”. Or a logo design another designer created, and ask for it to be “fixed”. “Here is my sketch” “Please use this font” “But please add your own ideas”.

Sometimes there are people who ask to combine 2 or even 3 of the logo options I have created for them, into 1.

You know this is going to be a messy mashup of a logo. As always, find a great logo designer, and trust them to design the logo for you.

Why Premade Logos Are Great For Beginner Bloggers

Topics: Logo Design

WHAT IS A PREMADE LOGO. A premade logo is a logo that has already been designed. When you purchase it, the seller will personalize the logo with your business name and subtitle (photographer, boutique, food blog, etc.). Just like the ones below.

Premade logos will also be available to other people. But you can find high quality logo designs for a low cost. This is because the designer spent time creating the logo knowing that they can get multiple orders for it.

Why a Premade Logo is Better Than a Custom Logo

Here is a quick list of reasons:

If you are are UNSURE of what you want for a logo, then instead of going back and forth with a custom designer and committing to a high priced custom logo – you can purchase a low cost good looking premade logo in MINUTES.
LOW COST: A great looking custom logo design will cost good money, whereas premade logos range from $15-50
You can get HIGH QUALITY logo designs for a low price (since the designer is able to relist the design)
NO SURPRISES, know what you are getting – what you see is what you get
SAVE TIME – Skip the back and forth of explaining what you want when working with a designer

Who Are They Good For

Premade logos are great for beginner bloggers. If you are just starting a new blog, you want to get everything out of the way so that you can get working on the most important part of blogging – creating your content.

In my post The Biggest Mistakes New Bloggers Make [coming soon], I talk about how bloggers get too wrapped up in the design and look of their blog. Spending days, weeks, even months – trying to get the logo perfect, and constantly making tweaks to the blog design. Procrastinating on the real work, the hard work, of creating content.

New blogs don’t have any traffic. If there is no one visiting the blog yet, then to a certain degree the look of it doesn’t matter. You want it to look presentable yes, but your time is best suited to getting started right away on content. You can always upgrade/tweak the design as the traffic starts coming in.

That is why premade logos are great. Combine a premade logo with premade website branding graphics [coming soon] and you will have a great looking blog up and running fast, letting you focus on content creation.

I would recommend against premade logos for small businesses. Businesses who have a physical presence, and need to print out packaging, marketing material, etc. On a blog you can change/upgrade your look easily and just for the cost of creating the logo. While a business with a physical presence will need to reprint their materials and signage.

Where to Buy Premade Logos

The only place where I have really seen premade logos for sale is on Etsy. They are priced around $15-30. You can also find premade branding sets that include watermarks, and other blog graphics. I have a shop on Etsy here that sells premade logos and branding sets.

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