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I am getting frustrated trying to design a logo for my company. It is taking me longer to launch my website because of it. Should I have a professional handle the logo for me or should I just throw up something I am not satisfied with?

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    You're kind of asking a group of professionals if their services have merit. :) I suspect you'll get the same answer from many :)
    – Scott
    May 10, 2015 at 18:51
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    This is completely a matter of opinion. In my opinion, yes.
    – DA01
    Mar 14, 2016 at 14:27
  • I'm voting to close this old question, as it's completely a matter of opinion (in my opinion, yes, hire a designer to do a design job)
    – Luciano
    Oct 26, 2018 at 12:31

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If you're asking this question, 99% of the time you should hire someone.

By asking this question you show that at least one (likely all of) the following are true:

  • You care about the design enough to want it to be done very well (as you should).
  • You don't feel very confident in your own ability to create a great logo.
  • You don't have a very clear goal in mind and could use some more thought on the subject.
  • You don't have the know how or time to carry out your idea in a way that creates the logo at a high quality.

If two of them are true (I sure hope the first one is), you should hire someone to do it for you. That doesn't mean you pay someone $5 to do it either, you need to pay someone who actually knows that they're doing or else they won't be of a help to you at all, which means it may cost little more than what you're wanting to pay. A good logo is hard work and takes a lot of thought and effort. Compensation has to cover that.

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    re: your closing sentence: a modification for the sake of non-designers, good design works sometimes takes very little perceived effort, with the majority of the work and effort having been spent in the previous 10-20 years of work and effort on other projects. To a novice, there are many possibilities, to an expert, few.
    – Yorik
    May 26, 2015 at 15:25
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I've been designing logos for 20 years and designing a logo for yourself is a difficult task. You need a good design process, time and confidence. If you can afford a good designer I would recommend that.

If time is important then use a distinctive font and come back to the logo later. Many successful businesses have revised logos that are nothing like the one they started with eg. Apple.

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    FWIW, 'distinctive font' isn't even always critical (Crate&Barrel, American Airlines, etc)
    – DA01
    May 11, 2015 at 14:55
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Should you hire a [plumber] or just [fix the toilet] in a way you are not satisfied with?

Should you hire a [mechanic] or just [guess what's wrong with the car] in a way you are not satisfied with?

Should you hire a [lawn care service] or just [use that old push mower] in a way you are not satisfied with?

This isn't a graphic design question. It's a question asking if you should hire a professional to do something or do it yourself even if you won't be satisfied with it.

The answer to that question, alas, is something only you can answer.

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Designing a logo is tricky. You need to take many surprising factors into account. Some of the things include aspect ratio, printabiliity, scalability, colors for print web and black and white, uniqueness etc etc... There are also all kinds of skill factors involved.

A person that has done it before can help because they now some of the caveats. In reality logo design is much more than just coming out with a logo. Its about a corporate branding strategy that's closely tied to the business strategy. As such be prepared to help the logo designer quite much.

It is also important to not be too critical for the end result, otherwise you will be doing versions for eternity. Self criticism can ruin even a perfectly good logo. So hiring somebody with a known good taste can be worth it. (Sometimes however the designers are known to troll, just to see what they can get away with).

Don't expect the logo designer to turnaround the thing faster as there's all sorts of questions that they need you to answer.

See:

Which should be designed first: logo or website?

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Nothing in graphic designing is difficult as the difficulty of designing a Logo. The logo is summarizing in a visual language your concept. it is your idea about your company and the way people will remember you. It is something like nativity.

So first before thinking about Colors and shapes. Think about the idea ... The Concept behind your service. The philosophy of your company/service. take you time to figure out what is your actual message you want to keep in your customer memory. if you succeed finding a concept -which is sometimes is a very difficult to find- then you should find something to represent your concept in a visual representation that is echoed in the depth of human knowledge through the ancient history to the present.

why we do that? because we design for humans. and humanity is a very complex thing you must deal with.

When Designing a Logo actually you are sending an SMS (Short Message Shock) it must be recognizable with your concept in a visual message.

sometimes you can do that from the first design and sometimes your logo can be a living being that can be developed through years and ages.

Logos designing seems to be a Graphical designer task but actually it is a philosopher thesis. :)

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  • Any citations for these things such as 'Short Message Shock'? And what does 'logo can be a living being' mean?
    – DA01
    May 11, 2015 at 2:34
  • @DA01 do you really want to know? or you are just makes a mockery of me!
    – hsawires
    May 11, 2015 at 6:34
  • they are rather esoteric phrases that I've ever heard. Do they have a source? If they are of your own creation, I think you need to explain them.
    – DA01
    May 11, 2015 at 14:54
  • They are my own !? not really but I promise If I had enough time I will explain ... as it force me going into "Languages and philosophy terms" and this is out of subject here.
    – hsawires
    May 11, 2015 at 15:22
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If you need profesional help depends if you want a profesional look on your company or not.

It would be an interesting topic to analyze about how people starting a company want everything done by themselves. This could be a budget issue, but sometimes is about being afraid of delegate things.

There are things to consider in a logo besides personal satisfaction. Design trends, technical issues, abstraction level, and the most important, a professional look.

So, it's up to you.

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  • This suggests that an individual company owner cannot create a professional logo which I don't agree with
    – Zach Saucier
    May 11, 2015 at 5:21
  • @MarkMussler I don't see it suggesting that at all. I think what it's saying is that an owner can do everything themselves, but maybe they shouldn't.
    – DA01
    May 11, 2015 at 14:56
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Your logo defines you and your company voice. You should work out a brief detailing what it is that your company provides services for. Once this is clear you can delve into the design of a logo as this creative brief may help point out clues that lead to a path for the logo creation. Brainstorming the basic elements of your product usually helps me in creating a logo. But in reality if you are unsure of anything its always best to have a professional create it for you, & I don't mean on fiverr which is destroying the creative industry. Remember you get what you pay for. Graphic designers are highly undervalued when in reality they create the face of your company and the branding of your product.

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While you're asking about the logo, I think this question has bigger implications. A logo is only one aspect of your company/brand (albeit a very important part). A distinctive design for your website (or marketing materials, or whatever it is people will see) can be just as important, depending on what it is you do.

Hiring and developing a relationship with a designer may be good not just for your immediate logo needs but so you have a ready person that already understands your mission/goals, a person you've already vetted and can work with.

But as Dean's answer suggests, a simple text logo isn't the worst thing (many great logos are simple--IKEA comes to mind), and it can always be changed later.

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First Option: If you have shortage of time, you can just start with a simple text logo, use two colors max and select a font that suites your company image

Second option: is that if you have any ideas, then roughly draw them on paper or get some inspiration from web and send those ideas to a professional designer as it is not easy to select Font and colors or create a specific Mood/brand.

Also your logo is going to appear on your Business cards and will have the first impact on your customers/site visitors when they see it...

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I've tried making my own site with such wysiwyg tools but they stll look very unprofessional. I would suggest hiring a designer, a small site won't cost much or you can try crowdsourcing platforms. Make a contest, name your own price and choose from dozens of proposals.

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    What means "good one"? Good one for you, good one for me (how could you know that?)? Please explain the advantage of the named site or delete it (otherwise it could be interpreted to be spam ...)
    – Mensch
    Mar 14, 2016 at 12:15
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    Design contests are a great way to waste your money. Remember, you're 'hiring' people willing to work for free in that situation. You rarely get top talent...or even mediocre talent in that situation.
    – DA01
    Mar 14, 2016 at 14:30

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