Where does a Logo Designer get inspiration? (apart from his client)….. answer; this book! 400 logos designed by leading design practice Pentagram. If I achieve even half of what this agency has done I’d be happy.

Some advice on creating a brand…

Creating a brand can be a very tricky thing to accomplish. Ultimately your goal is for everybody to know who you are and this starts with your logo design. Your logo will be on all of your advertising and when somebody sees your logo they should know exactly who you are. There are some common mistakes that people make when both hiring a designer and attempting to design a logo for yourself. As with all bad jobs you only end up having to repeat the process, doing damage to your brand along the way, and costing you more money on top of what you paid out in the first place.

Use a Professional – You shouldn’t go out and hire a company strictly because they are cheap. If you do hire a company based upon cost you will likely get a design that just doesn’t work. It may look OK to you, but your goal is to make it unique and have it remembered so you can solidify your brand name.

Professional – If your logo looks cheap and childish then that is the illusion your logo will give people when they visit your website or engage with your advertising. You want to create a logo that will let the customer know that they can trust your company because your logo shows professionalism and trustworthiness.

Stay Away From Trends – As you know trends come and go and if you design a logo based upon a trend your logo will be out-dated and you will either have to get it re-designed or stay with the out-dated design. When developing a logo stay away from trends even though this is extremely tempting.

Stock Art – Don’t and I repeat do not use stock art in your logo. This makes your company look cheap and shows people that your company lacks creativity.

Fonts – Don’t use more than one/two fonts and don’t use weird fonts. Try to keep your font consistent it looks more professional.

As with everything there are exceptions to the rule, but if you want to grow a successful business, do it right from the beginning, it will save you time and money. Get a professional, (even if it isn’t me) and work with a designer long term to help promote your brand. You can’t do everything in your business and your marketing needs to really count.