Good design is a solution

Logo designers are a dime a dozen anymore, do a search on Google and you will get hundreds of thousands of results for “expert logo designer” but here’s the catch, just because you call yourself a logo designer doesn't mean you know what a good logo is and it also doesn't mean you are going to provide a service that will benefit the customer.

The reason so many logo designers are out on the web is because the people shopping for a logo are just as ignorant about what a logo is for as the guy they hire to design it. Just because you are an expert in Photoshop or Illustrator doesn't make you an expert logo designer anymore than knowing how to cook a frozen pizza makes you a gourmet chef.

I’m contacted almost everyday by a someone that has designed their own logo but lacks the skills to make it “look professional”; 99% of the time I turn these logo projects down, not because they don’t want to spend anything (they usually don’t) and not because I can’t conjure up a professional logo from their sketch (I usually can) but because I have a conscience; I was raised to believe that there's more to life than money and it’s just not right to take advantage of people.

The customers I take on are often experts in their field and they understand if they want a job done right they need to hire an expert for that job. Logos aren't just pretty pictures anymore than websites are pretty boxes of stuff. They are tools, they have a purpose and that purpose isn't to let people know the owner has great taste, they are tools that solve problems... good design is always a solution to a problem.

Does every business need a logo?

I certainly won't argue that a logo is a good investment but starting a business is expensive so unless you have a budget for one it may not the right time to invest in one.

A new business only needs one thing to make a go of it, customers and a logo isn't going to sell anybody on doing business with you, sure it might help get you noticed and it might help you be considered but that’s about as far as it will get you. Logos don’t sell anything and selling is what businesses are all about.

A logo isn't going to advertise your business unless it's on a sign and unless you're opening a store you might want to focus your budget on advertising... or surviving

Success is a marathon

To me business, good business, is about trust, it’s about mutual success and it’s about having customers that like my work so much that they tell everybody they know what a great guy I am to do business with. I've been doing this for a long time and I came to learn early on that if you trade your integrity for a paycheck, it will cost you somewhere down the road (plus you'll disappoint your mom).

I want the work I do for people to make a difference in their lives, I want it to help them be successful. Good business is symbiotic, it benefits everybody involved, it’s the only approach that works in the long run. Success isn't a sprint... it's a marathon.