Logo design and reality

I am to the point where I need to have a logo designed and would like to get a little info. I believe you get what you pay for, but I know that only goes so far too. I have seen quite a few logo design ads on the web (mainly Craigslist) where you pay $50 up to $700 for logo designs. I tried to contact a local graphic design artist, but his number no longer worked. What is a fair and expected price to pay? I would like the final product in different formats so I can easily use it when and where I want. I know if I try to do it myself, I will get a crappy design. I don't want to go buy some logo design software for $99 and be limited by my own imagination.... Are these companies on CL legit? Anyone here ever use Logomojo or a company like that? Heck, anyone here work for any of these companies? (is it ok if I ask that????)

I could give it a go for $70.. No fee up front, ill just watermark the design until you've paid for it. If you dont like it, no obligation to buy it. No hard feelings.

You've got nothing to lose.. Only pay if you like it

I cant comment on the companies you have listed though

PM sent to you Lewwy...

I would like to try it as well...if you don't mind lewwy

Post details, we can all have a go

Ah bugger
Competition always increases the risk of losing, HAHA!

Nah, im up for it..

If I do lose, and my designs look like they were done in MS-Paint :O, I shall blame it on all the other really important design jobs I was doing at the time

Ok, didn't expect this to turn into this, but.....here you go.

Company: Gym Star Photos
I primarily take photos of sporting events, Team and Individual portraits, Event coverage, but I am also open to anything ( This weekend I am shooting a baby Christening ).
I do not have a preference of colors ( I originally chose the green on my website because it green was one of the colors of my daughters cheerleading team---thats where I started this whole thing at...)

Take a look at my site ( yep, the one in the sig..) to see what I do mostly with the cheerleading. The word is getting out locally but don't have portraits up on the site.

Ok, everyone cool with a 'closing date' of Monday 9pm GMT?

Gives us the weekend to have a little play then

sure and this is just for a logo, nothing more, correct? i will start coming up with concepts

Just a logo....nothing more. After I chose one, we can then talk about more possibly (?) and compensation for it.

i think 70$ is insanly cheap for a logo but it was already agreed upon

macwannabe said:

i think 70$ is insanly cheap for a logo but it was already agreed upon

Click to expand...

It is insanely cheap.

To the OP:

Yes, logo design work can cost upwards of $200 or more.
Most designers would require at least 25% of that as a down payment before anything is shown to you as well.
You're getting a huge deal if someone has agreed to do all of the work for an amount that many others would consider just a down payment.

To Lewwy:

The client won't lose out on anything, but you could lose a lot if a client hands over your "watermarked" work to another designer.
Even if you add one, a watermark can be removed or otherwise circumvented (rather easily) by an experienced designer.
No offense intended, but anyone willing to provide artwork to a client prior to being paid anything is either an inexperienced student, a new (and inexperienced) business owner or just plain desperate for work.
Sure, even if you are paid by a client, they could still take your work to someone else... but at least you got paid for the time and effort you put into it before they bailed on you.
Besides, if a client pays you first, they aren't as likely to take your work elsewhere anyway.


To both:

Be sure to get your agreements in writing before any money is exchanged and before any work is done.

I may end up getting the deal of a lifetime here, but that is yet to be seen. I completely understand everything said above.

To all who take a stab at this.... I WILL NOT DO ANYTHING WITH YOUR WORK without everything being in order. I am not looking to collect logos to hand out or modify in any way. I'm not that good, or I would do it my self... I will not take your work to anyone else. I am constantly fighting parents from stealing my images from my website, so I know what its like to have your work stolen...won't do it. I intend to give credit where credit is due (link to your site on my website????)

If anyone feels their work is in jeapordy of being stolen or used in the wrong way, feel free to not give it a shot. (hope that made sense...)

Im not here to rip anyone off. I did not open the thread as a way to get a competition going or free work.

I never meant to infer that you personally would take anyone's designs and run off (I should have clarified that in my previous post), I was merely demonstrating a point.

It's just that I have seen many fellow designers fall into a similar situation and have their works lifted.
I get clients every week that bring in their "concept work"... which in actuality is the final design and work from another design company that the client went to first.
(I don't use any of it and I make sure to explain exactly why I won't use it to a client before starting on a new design for them)

Point is that anyone involved should be clear as to what they expect to receive... and have it in writing first.
A classic case of inexperienced/student designer is the Nike Swoosh.
That person was lucky and Nike actually ended up rewarding her with a hefty portion of company stock, though that was never part of the original agreement.
Nike didn't have to do that could have received (what is now) one of the highest recognized logo identities in the world.... all for only $35.

honestly i would have said around $350-400 for a logo... i have a friend that does it for $500. The people that charge $50 on CG mostly likely just use a lil logo program the most likely downloaded to make a few quick bucks.

my teacher told me that when you do logo's for large corp. charge about $2500 b/c you never know what may happen to it and such.. could be just like that nike swoosh.

I will take a stab at the logo too if I have time...

I completely understand what has been said here, and I appreciate the input and advice.

The price may be cheap for a logo, from an experienced designer, who has designed 100's of logos, but they had to start somewhere right? Ive been learning about web design for nearly 8 years, just *really* started with vector graphics (which is ideally what a logo needs to be, for scalability), so for me to charge too much over what im asking would be an error on my part.

Im not an inexperienced student, although I may be inexperienced to the program.

Im a relatively new business owner (If you count my freelance business, which has been relatively good to me to be fair)

Im not desperate for work. I wont turn it down.. But im not desperate for it.

I work full time as a web designer so the money isnt an issue for me, and I would just like a little more practice with Illustrator, sure I could make up company names and create logos for them, but im not challenging myself, or getting a proper brief.. Im designing what I want to see, not what my client wants to see, which is what I need to be doing.

I understand there is a chance that the OP wont pay for my work.. Its the chance im taking.. I wont be offended if they dont chose it, because I dont have say the knowledge or confidence in myself using the program to justify an argument, all I can say is I had a good crack, and move on.

There is also a chance that the OP could steal my work, and ask another designer to knock it up cheaper.. But weve already established that $70 is really cheap, so short of them learning the program him/herself it seems unlikely.

As I say, its the risk im taking and I appreciate the comments and advice. But I understand the risk im taking, and the time I could be wasting

If anything, I could end up learning from my mistakes.

Cheers,

Lewis.

i agree with Lewwy, i am just training myself to work faster with more quality production. getting paid will be a benefit.. but again i am a student.



with that said, i have created 3 pretty solid logos...

if you pick one of mine, i will do 2 different revisions with consult from you.

btw i cant wait to see yours lewwy

I took nothing personal from the earlier or any posts here. I just hope I can make everyone comfortable with showing me some designs and not fearing that I will run with it. I may be new to the photography business, but I take it serious. Everyday I try to figure out what I can do to improve and get more business. I went as far as registering the business name and getting a Certificate of Authority to charge sales tax, so its not just a "side job" I run out of my basement. Why did I say that??? To try to let everyone feel comfortable with doing business with me. Thanks to everyone giving it a shot, I love the creativity everyone on this forum displays and can't wait to (hopefully) see my new logo soon!

here goes nothing..










i had these done a while ago but didnt know if i wanted to post them up..