Choosing a Graphic Designer

Logo Auctions vs. Local Graphic Designers

Design can be very personal. Especially when it comes to creating a logo to represent your product or business. Some logos may appear arbitrary at first glance, but a good designer can explain the rationale for their choices, including why a certain color works over another.

When choosing a graphic designer for any part of your integrated marketing campaign, there are other factors to weigh besides the obvious cost considerations. For instance, what type of clients have they worked with? Can you see portfolio samples of their work? Do they have references? Are they responsive, and available to meet in person or only online?

Remote Design

One avenue for those looking to see more design options for less money has been online logo “auction” sites. The basic premise of a logo auction is like a contest. Here’s how it works:

A design “auction” site connects you with designers from all across the world. You provide direction by giving basic background information about your company and type of business, your tag line (if any), and what attributes and qualities your logo should communicate.

Determine what you can afford to pay and offer a cash “prize” (somewhere between $150 – $1,000). The higher the prize, the better the quality and variety of logos you will receive. Then set a deadline (standard contest length is seven days) and choose your winner. Feedback and revisions may be necessary before making a final selection.

The downside of the logo auction route is that you should know going in what potential uses you may have for your logo. If you don’t know how to give good direction, you could be in trouble down the road.

Face-to-Face Design

If you’re not very experienced at working with designers or giving direction, you may want to choose a local creative team that you can communicate with more easily. Key questions include:

• Do you know all the different versions you’ll need for your new logo? Maybe it will need to be in black and white. Will it be used on a giant outdoor wrap, or for signage?
• Does the logo need both a horizontal and vertical format?
• Will it be used on a trade show booth, in a video or TV commercial?

All these potential uses have different design requirements. If you or your designer don’t know the right questions to ask, it can be difficult to provide the proper direction.

You may need to go back to your designer at a future date for logo modifications or variations, depending on the usage. There’s a certain comfort in knowing you can meet your designer in person to resolve any issues. However, if you hired someone on the other side of the world through an auction site, be aware that it may be tough to get a hold of them again.

​Transaction Coordinator

Transaction Coordinator