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If you’re looking to get a new logo, or if this is your first logo, here are four things you should have ready to discuss with your graphic designer. This information will help your designer understand the look you are going for, it will keep you on target, and make the process go a lot smoother!
This worksheet includes detailed questions to help you hone in on what you want from your logo and save you a lot of back-and-forth with your graphic designer.
The purpose of a logo is to let your ideal client what you do and why they need you. It needs to be more than your favorite fonts and colors to be effective online and in person. Be sure to make notes on these topics and how they directly relate to your company…
Four Things You Should Know Before Hiring a Graphic Designer to Design a Logo
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Consider Adding a Tagline
Attach this to your logo for clarification of what you offer.
Talk to your graphic designer about this or your use my Logo Worksheet to help you figure out if a tagline is necessary for the functionality of your logo. In most cases, having a tagline on your logo is an excellent idea. For my Elegant Designs logo, I ended up adding a tagline after receiving a lot of questions asking if I did interior design. Adding a simple tagline as I did can help clarify who you are.
For example, a logo with only the name “Custom Creations by Chelly” could be for anything design related. Adding the tagline to the logo that reads “Farmhouse Signs” helps everyone know immediately what you create! There’s no need to complicate it. The tagline doesn’t have to be cutesy and should most likely be blunt. If a tagline is too cutesy, it won’t mean anything to someone who is looking at your logo for the first time.
A tagline should speak directly to your audience at first glance and let them know what you do.
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Buzz Words
Define who you are and what you’re selling.
I always ask my new clients who need a logo to come up with 3 to 5 buzzwords to tie into the logo design. But what is a buzzword? These are the immediate things you want people to think of when they see your logo.
For example, “Custom Creations by Chelly” creates farmhouse signs, so they want everyone to look at their logo to get a sense of farmhouse signs. Depending on your business it can be challenging to come up with these specific keywords.
Your buzzwords are very important and might be something you utilize already but sitting down and mapping out how to effectively use them can really help.
Sharing these buzz words with your graphic designer will help you to reach more of your target audience.
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Figure out who your ideal client is
Know precisely whom you’re marketing your business to online and in person.
Don’t think of this as your entire customer base, think of honing in on your ONE ideal client. This one ideal client is actually a group of specific clients whose needs you can best meet. Thinking of your ideal clients like this is one way that can help target your audience.
I did these three things for my DIY website and saw a massive response! Using everything I had mapped out I ran an ad on Facebook and in a week I had about 3000 new likes on that page! This list doesn’t only work for logo design, you can apply it to any marketing for your business.
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Give your Graphic Designer samples
A picture is worth a thousand words [or at least an hour or two of a graphic designers billable time] LOL
When you are trying to come up with a logo idea clients generally have a picture of something that your designer does not see.
For example, your graphic designer might have a different visual in mind when you say you want a rustic farmhouse style logo. Pinterest is a great place to find visual ideas for logos to share with your designer. Of course, never ask to copy ideas but find styles to share so you both have the same visuals in mind. I find when someone describes a font, it’s not what I am thinking they mean. But also remember, designing a logo is a skill – trust the designer, Or at least be open to their ideas.
Bonus tip!
Remember to think of your client. Although you want to LOVE your logo, keep in mind it needs to speak to your ideal client and attract them to buy your product or service. A good logo has meaning.
