Action Steps to Get Your Business Logo Design
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Create a logo design brief to help your designer develop the right business logo

Whether you will be your own designer or plan to hire a professional to develop the perfect company logo for you, you need to be clear about your objectives. There is no better way to get clear about your design aims than with a design brief. A design brief clearly outlines your company information, your logo design goals and your logo design expectations.

I recommend: Check out Ars Logo Design's informative logo design brief tips before developing your own. Then, visit the University of Minnesota Communicators Forum to see an example of an effective logo design brief.

Conduct marketing research before launching your new corporate logo design

In a way, it does not matter how much you like your custom logo design concepts--what really matters is how much your customers like and respond to your logo. Before you invest in your logo and include it in everything from packaging designs to your business cards, hire a market research company to make sure that customers will respond well to your design. Many logo design firms offer market research services as well, and you can use these services to test your clients' reaction to your new image.

I recommend: Vivalogo offers personalized logo design and package design services as well as market research services to test your new concept. Creative Works Unlimited is a full-service agency, offering both logo design and market research services, so that you can have your logo tested before you commit to investing in your new trademarked item.

Seek out a packaging design company offering services that can help you test your logo

If you already have a logo, hiring a packaging design company allows you to test your idea or allows you to have packaging designed around your logo so that the two marketing materials work well together. Some packaging design firms even offer both packaging design and logo design services so you can have both your product packaging and your logo designed together for maximum compatibility.

I recommend: Ameripak is a full service business package design company. They offer design and testing services so you can see, in advance, what your new business logos will look like on your final product. They can also help you design a package around your logo. Packaging Graphics is a full service packaging design company, offering logo design services and package designing services that let you combine your product packaging and your company logo design seamlessly.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Keep in mind that making the most of business logo design means ensuring that your logo works with all of your marketing materials. For this reason, you may wish to test your logo out on all your materials--business cards, shopping bags, corporate giveaways, banners, brochures and other materials.

Guide to Business Logo Design

How to find great, low-cost logo creation for your small business

By Daniel Kehrer, Editor, Business.com & Work.com

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Go online for a complete, low-cost design package for company logos

Top online logo design services offer packages in different prices ranges ($100 to $1,500) to fit every budget. They'll do logo creation for your entire business, for a package design, or perhaps even for a single event.

I recommend: LogoWorks.com has the system nailed. They'll put 2-5 freelance business logo designers on your case and can do logo creation in three business days. Get stationery, brochure and Web site designs for your business logo at the same time. It all works online. Other Web-based logo creation winners include: The Logo Company, LogoBang, Got Logos and Logo Design Creation.

Use do-it-yourself Web tools to create logo designs for under $100

Web services that combine a custom library of logo designs with tools that let you mix and match to create your own look are a great way to get a good business logo, cheap.

I recommend: If you're on a super low budget, need a logo fast and don't mind doing it yourself with online help, LogoYes.com is perfect. View samples and try it before you buy.

Business logo designers you can talk to directly

If your company logo design project requires that you have designers you can talk to directly, select a firm that has its own in-house logo creation staff.

I recommend: The Logo Loft employs a Web-based system, but uses only its own in-house business logo designers.

Get your company logo design trademarked

You may be able to trademark your business name, business logo design and package design.

I recommend: Get the skinny on trademarks for company logos at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO).

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Take time choosing and seek other opinions. Your business logo design will be your public face.
• •  Choose a look appropriate to your line of business. Accounting firms, for example, might avoid frivolous company logos.
• •  Your company logo design helps define your business personality, so tell designers what message you want to communicate. For example, do you want serious, whimsical, classy, high-tech?
• •  Consider how your logo will be used. You may end up using it for package design, on clothing, Web sites, billboards or the side of a truck.
• •  Keep it clean and simple. Some of the world's most recognized company logos are extremely simple. Too many elements or too much detail makes for a messy business logo design.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Educate yourself about company logo design so you can formulate an action plan

Many business owners in need of logo design get into trouble because they don't understand good logo design or what a logo should accomplish. Looking at examples of good and bad company logos, you can better communicate with your designers about the logos you need to promote your business. Understanding the basics of logo design also means that you know what to look for when evaluating potential logos that may one day represent your business.

I recommend: Tim Robertson has written an online guide that clearly explains what makes a bad logo--and what businesses can do to avoid a bad company logo. The Logo Factory has a useful list of attributes that make a good logo successful. They also offer visual examples of both successful and bad company logos.

Run a due diligence investigation to ensure your logo is as unique as you think it is

If your business logo is not unique, your company could be sued for trademark infringement. If you hire a design company to create your logo, ask about the due diligence they conduct or consider running your own investigation. While this step does add to the cost of designing a logo, it can spare you from legal costs down the line. When hiring investigators, keep in mind that some group logo checks under due surveillance services while others conduct such searches under the guise of trademark investigations.

I recommend: Visit PInow.com to easily find local investigators specializing in due diligence. Kessler International offers a number of intellectual property investigative services, including due diligence investigations.

Hire a logo design company to develop design ideas for you

Even if you understand how logo design works, you don't necessarily have the artistic skills to create a memorable, yet simple logo. Hiring professionals allows you to tap into creative designers' expertise and get the logo that best represents your business.

I recommend: Business Logo Design specializes in creating logos for businesses in all industries. Logo Design Pros offers rush custom designs--they can help you design an effective logo in no time.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If your business sells a product, keep packaging design in mind when creating your company logo. Your logo is a crucial element of product package design, so make sure your new logo will fit and look attractive on your packaging. Always test your logo designs on your product packages before deciding which logo is best for you.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Aliasing

Aliasing describes the method of pushing the pixels along the edges of different colors in a digital images close together to provide a smooth appearance.

I recommend: Go to LogoBlog.org for a definition of aliasing and other logo-related terminology.

Cap height

Cap height is an important term to know if your logo will contain text. It describes the font height from the bottom of the uppercase and lowercase letters in one line of text, to the top of the uppercase letters.

I recommend: Read the informative definition of cap height provided by E Company Logos.

Ascender

Ascender describes the part of lowercase letters that rise to the same height as uppercase letters in the same line of text. Letters with ascenders are: 'b,' 'd,' 'f,' 'h,' 'k' and 'l.'22 'h,' 'k' and 'l.'

I recommend: A Digital Dreamer provides a definition of ascender along with a helpful illustration.
a helpful illustration.

Descender

Descender describes the part of a lowercase letter that falls below the baseline of a line of text. Letters with descenders are 'g,' 'j,' 'p,' 'q' and 'y.'2C' 'q' and 'y.'

I recommend: Get the definition of descender from AboutLogoDesign.com.3EAboutLogoDesign.com.

CMYK

When it comes time to print your logo, it is important to understand the meaning of CMYK. Also known as full color, CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow and black which are the four base colors used in printing that are capable of creating all printed colors.

I recommend: Adrial Designs can provide you with all of the information you need about CMYK and how it pertains to your logo.

Color separation

Color separation describes the process of splitting your logo into different layers based on color (cyan, magenta, yellow and black). You will need to understand color separation in order to provide a properly layered file of your logo to a printer for CMYK printing.

I recommend: Read about color separation at ARS Logo Design.