By Catherine Lang-Cline
Recently, I was asked to do a podcast about finding yourself the perfect designer to define your brand. Would this mean I would be giving up our own secret recipe of how we do it at Portfolio Creative? No. Because ultimately, it is you that gets to decide. We can provide you with a few examples of who we believe fits your message, budget, and style but you are the only one that knows if this is the person to create your brand. Here is how you make the match:
Find a person that has already captured a look that you like. When we selected the designer to create our logo and our brand guide we already were in love with their previous work. So do a little research. Ask others who have logos that you like who designed their logo. Check out the website of brand designers for previous work. Too time-consuming? Contact us.
Find a person that is willing to listen. Sometimes we hold back on what we want or think that we don’t know what we want. Talk it out with a designer. Talk about what you like, what your brand is about, what your mission is, or simply the reason that your company exists. A great designer will want to know all of this before even starting. Be willing to pay them for an hour of their time to do some sketches to see if you are on the “same page” in your thinking before you commit. You are not going to just want something whipped up that looks okay, this is you…your brand…for the world to see.
It really is not about the money, it really is about the money. Logo design and brand can get expensive. Once you know that you are in it to win it, take the plunge into this investment in your company. The person you hire to do this IS making a living at this. So pay them what they are worth. The person you hire who truly loves doing this IS wanting to make you happy. This is WHY they do it. We broke into a quick sweat when we got our estimate to rebrand but once completed, we have never looked back. So what did we get for that quick moment of panic?
What you choose to invest in is a huge range, you can:
Just get a logo designed, includes Pantone colors and CMYK break down.
Get a logo designed with a brand guide. This includes the logo and its colors, letterhead, business cards, web logo, and its colors as it varies, and anywhere else the logo will be seen. This should also include preferred typeface use on these materials and all correspondence.
The ultimate is to have all of the above as well as a written document about your purpose, value, and mission. All of the intangibles that you want to be captured as part of your brand. A really good brand person can do all of this. Sometimes they rely on a copywriter and that may be an additional cost, but get that all in your estimate.
Again, this is the one big investment that you won’t regret at it sets the stage for you and your business to look like experts, top-notch, and the business that everyone wants to work with.
Still not sure? Contact us at Portfolio Creative and we will help you find your perfect match. This is a big deal and we really want you to get it right.
