QUESTION: Can you whip up a logo for me tonight? I have $20.
Short Answer: No. (Sorry.)
For the longer answer, we need to agree about what a logo is and what its purpose is. And also a little bit about branding.
In its simplest terms, a logo is text, a graphic, or a combination of both that represents something else. Over my 15 years as a designer, I’ve developed dozens of logos for companies, nonprofit organizations, church ministries, capital campaigns, events, and individuals. Some designs take longer than others, and costs range greatly, depending on the complexity of the project.
Note that the complexity of the project does not necessarily correlate to the complexity of the logo.
Simple logo
Complicated logo
A logo development project requires multiple steps, even if the client isn’t interested in what I refer to as a full branding process. See below for more on that:
Logo Development Process
- Research & strategy
- Design concepts
- Design revisions
- Color selection
- Design revisions
- Creation of final files
Full Branding Process
- Brand development workshop
- Review existing brand
- Research & strategy
- Design concepts
- Design revisions
- Color selection
- Design revisions
- Creation of final files
- Brand guide development
Either way, developing a logo is a multi-step process. The process gives us insight into practical things like:
- how the logo will be used
- where it will be used
- how many versions are required
- What are your organizations strengths & weaknesses?
- Who are your main competitors?
- What do you differently from them?
- Why should someone trust your organization?
- Who is your primary target audience (hint: it’s not everyone, everywhere)
- What are your brand’s “personality” traits?
- What colors, style, and imagery portray those traits?
You’ve probably seen or heard something like this before:
The truth is, we don’t offer this “pick two” approach because we’re professionals who care about quality… which means “good” always has to be in our equation.
That leaves us with:
- Good, cheap, and slow
- Good, fast, and expensive
Honestly, neither of those options are appealing to me, and I hope they aren’t to you either. At Lime, we strive for excellence, which takes time… and our time is valuable, so it’s not cheap.
Sounds like I’m saying we’re good, slow, and expensive, doesn’t it?
Let me put it another way:
- We’re good. View our portfolio for proof.
- We can be pretty fast if we have to be. But we prefer a steady, collaborative pace that allows us to research, strategize the best plan, and give your project the focused attention it deserves.
- Our prices are competitive with similar agencies in our area (…very competitive if you’re used to a more metropolitan area than Lancaster). We quote projects up-front, and we only bill for the time we need. We also don’t add an upcharge services like hosting or domain name registration. Our invoices are itemized and clear so you know what you’re paying for. Plus, we accept payment by check, debit card, or credit card—your choice.
We can’t whip up a logo for you for $20 tonight. I mean, we could. But we won’t, because your project deserves more than that, and so does the business, nonprofit, club, team, or group that you want to visually represent.
Ready to get started?
Gather up your project sketches, your spreadsheets, the scribbled-on napkins, your dream journal—whatever you have—and drop us a line! We’re looking forward to hearing from you!
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