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CANADIAN INDUSTRY ONLINE - JUNE 2014
W
I TH THE SEEMINGLY
end-
less supply of agencies, de-
signers, and online sources available
for small business brand and logo de-
velopment, it’s easy to be over-
whelmed. And, with prices all over the
map, how does a business owner truly
understand what they are buying, and
what the best option is?
Experience is critical.
It seems obvious, but an abun-
dance of experience in small business
branding is a key factor. You want a
designer or firm that has done this
type of work often, and boasts a port-
folio to prove it. If all of their work
is more corporate, they may not be a
good match for your needs; or, if they
are a traditional graphic designer, they
also may not be an ideal match. Just
because they are a traditional graphic
designer does not necessarily make
them a brand designer. These are es-
sentially two different skill sets. Busi-
ness owners often make the mistake
of assuming that the person who de-
signed their brochure or website is
also qualifies to create their brand. But,
if you compare the work of full-time
brand designers to graphic designers
who rarely do branding, there is a clear
difference in the level of work.
Who actually does the
work?
The internet has spawned
countless companies and logo mills
that churn out a ton of work. Often,
though, the logos displayed on the site
are done by a designer who may no
longer be on staff--or may never have
worked there at all. Even if the worker
truly was done by the company. It may
or may not be an indication of the type
of work you can expect to get. What’s
worse is when the work presented
does not belong to them. We have had
several of our logos stolen and pre-
sented on the portfolio pages of other
sites.
Will you speak to the de-
signer directly
?
Since many online logo sources
outsource their work overseas, you
may not have a chance to speak di-
rectly to the actual designer. Instead,
they may rely on online creative briefs
and email-only communications to
navigate the brand-building process.
Of course, I’m biased in thinking that
this doesn’t work as well as communi-
cating directly with the person respon-
sible for your brand’s creation.
In my view, the process involves
two-way communication. There
should be equal amounts of listening
and advising when it comes to the cre-
ative direction.
Do they understand all the
media critical to your small
business?
It is important that you choose a
designer or agency that truly under-
