Picking The Design Company Which Is Right For You

So you've decided to go for it-you're ready to choose a design company to create your logo and other marketing materials. It seems easy enough. After all, when you make a purchase online of, say, a book, you simply go to an online bookstore. You already know what you're buying. But now it's not so clear. You do a search for "design companies" and hundreds of names pop up, all claiming that they are the ones who should do your logo.

Welcome to the virtual design world-beyond the fancy Web sites and fancier claims, some do not even have a portfolio, a pricing policy, or a work philosophy. The virtual world is a place where traditional gestures of trust-a handshake and looking-in-the-eye-don't exist. You want to proceed with caution. So what should you do?

To help you along, read the following points. They'll help you figure out which companies you might want to consider.

1. A design company must be creative.

Creativity does matter. It seems obvious, but many firms lack the creativity and originality it takes to keep their work fresh and interesting. Which is what gets and keeps customers interested. Without creativity, a company is not a design company but merely a place to shop for tired old logos.

2. Look at the portfolio. It tells you a lot about what the firm is all about.

Yes! There is intelligent life beyond those Nike swooshes. Lots of thought goes into good design. If a company has a versatile and varied portfolio, you can get a good idea of whether it'll be a good fit to your business. Even if the portfolio doesn't contain a piece that directly relates to you, it can tell you what the company is capable of doing.

3. Read the testimonials

It's not the amount of testimonials presented, it's whether or not they're for real. Anyone can put 300 testimonials on their Web site and claim they're from actual clients.

The only testimonials that count are ones that come from real people whom you can e-mail to check references.

4. Does price matter to you? Read between the lines.

Here's another tough question. What is cheap, and what's expensive? To come to a conclusion, you must know exactly what the companies you're comparing are offering. Some may charge $20.00 but are selling templates: logos that are pre-designed that no one owns the rights to, and therefore can be copied. Is that what you want for your business?

5. Experienced designers?

No one can measure a designer's experience simply by years. The amount of time matters, but the designer must have a strong aesthetic sense when dealing with fonts, colors, and illustrative elements would be qualified to say what's the best solution for you.

6. Can I trust this company?

Whether in the virtual or real world, if you do not trust a person or company you will not do business with the individual or company. Send inquiries, view their portfolio, give them a call, read their testimonials, and check references. Then ask if their prices and portfolio are a good fit. If everything checks out, then perhaps they're the one for you.

7. Relationship: The secret to a successful design project.

You've decided to hire a design company to develop your logo because you want to hear ideas. Real ones, not ones dreamed up by a brother-in-law of neighbor who happens to be a computer nerd. You deserve better than that. You want a design firm with courteous service, technical know-how, and professionals who listen to you and understand your needs.

About the author:
Eduardo Pereira is Creative Director and Project Manager at ImageLogos.
For 15 years he has provided services to ad agencies and printing companies and has served as an online design consultant.
Contact:design@imaginelogos.com

____________________

Advertisement: Honest Riches - Click Here!

Advertisement: Lost AdWords - Click Here!

Advertisement: Get $1 Million A Month In Google Pay-Per-Click Ads Free! - Click Here!

Advertisement: Who Loves Money? - Click Here!

Advertisement: SEO Elite, the GrandDaddy of SEO Software - Click Here!

---

Id Buy That: Getting A Brand Mindset

Feel that? The crisp tingle in the air? It's fall. Fall ushers in the promise of eating, seeing, and getting. It's my favorite time of year. By... Read More

Tips for Creating Brilliant Business Names

Imagine if Yahoo! had been named TheInternetDirectoy. Or StarBucks was christened "Premier Coffees". The names would be far more descriptive than their current ones. But they wouldn't... Read More

Eye On The Pie: Branding From an Investors P.O.V.

When building a business as a brand it's important to avoid a myopic view and consider another important aspect of the business game as well-- investing. After... Read More

Branding Your Business To Make More Money

Branding your comapny should be the first thing a company does. You have to convince potential customers to buy from you. Very few people have a monopoly... Read More

Your Business Logo and Color Scheme

My business logo and color scheme started one lovely spring day in my office, after two years of working with words and images. I purchased some rubber... Read More

Corporate Identity - A Rough Guide

A rough guide to corporate identityThe tabloids report the millions spent by large corporate companies on their logos as a scandal... Those small swathes of colour adorning... Read More

Profitable Partnering

Become your customers top-of-mind choice.Some of these snapshots of real life SmartPartnership success stories can be adapted to help your kind of business (or non-profit or government... Read More

Build Customer Loyalty by Promoting Your Customers

Do you want to attract new customers while building greater loyalty among your current customers? Include your customers in your marketing and promotions. By creating greater awareness... Read More

Effective Branding...Whats in a Name!

Ask any marketing executive and they will tell you that a company's name is golden. There are certain associations that people have with a name, one that... Read More

How A Crazy Branding Stunt Can Bring Results For Years

As a beginner, you would be forgiven for thinking that marketing is simply advertising your product or service, how wrong you are.Marketing is the art of allowing... Read More

Logo-ize For Instant Identification & Increased Awareness

The task of creating an indelible impact on the memory of your target market is arduous but can be made much easier with a well thought out... Read More

Branding Your Radio or TV Campaign With A Musical Identity (aka Audo Logo, aka Jingle)

You don't think twice about a business card and letterhead logo for the visual aspect of your campaign, why not an audio logo to brand your broadcast... Read More

Managing the Corporate Brand - a Reputation Perspective

Adored, respected and coveted by customers and organisations alike, corporate brands represent one of the most fascinating phenomena of the business environment in the 21st century. Their... Read More

Branding Guru - Brand Identity Guru

Branding TodayHave you ever had a good brand experience? How about a bad brand experience? Is there a difference in your mind? How many people do you... Read More

Go Ask Alice

One of fiction's finest marketing minds, The Cheshire Cat, once told Alice in Wonderland something all business owners and marketers should remember:"If you don't care where you... Read More

Pressure Washing Companies and Co-Branding

Pressure washing companies often miss what we call 'super niche' markets, those industries which very much need pressure washing services and are willing to pay top dollar... Read More

Build Brand Value BIG Time

Ask your self this question, In which business are we really in? And stay far from the dark world of commodities...I am astonished!!! I just witness how... Read More

Don?t Overlook Your Email When Considering Your Brand Identity

You wouldn't skip letterhead when sending out a sales letter - Or would you?How many emails do you send each day? If you are anything like me,... Read More

Im Just Starting, Why Do I Need a Logo Design?

Businesses eager to open often give little thought to their identity. With so much to get done, designing an appropriate logo hardly seems like a top priority.... Read More

A Lesson in Branding from Paris Hilton

I have never been a fan of Paris Hilton.I see her parading around in her odd-looking clothing choices, leading her loyal following of giddy anorexic schoolgirls around... Read More

The Big Uneasy: Clearing the Clouds of Guess

People often come to me to assist them with developing their brand because they are unable to accomplish the business success they desire. They're experiencing what we... Read More

Light Up Necklaces Help Promote Red Doors Movie at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival Awards

June 13, 2005 -- Jane Chen (Producer) of the Red Doors Movie stated, "The necklaces have been a huge hit. Several people have offered to buy them.... Read More

Into The Limelight

To stand out in a cluttered world, become a recognized expertThere are millions of small businesses vying for our attention. Yet, because the marketplace is more discriminating... Read More

Branded Email: Email Branding is the Next Generation of Email

All You Need is Branded Email Or Always Branded Email There to Remind MeFor the past 75 years, almost every form of popular communication has transformed from... Read More

Brand Love, Part 2

Last issue, I talked about increasing your Brand Love-- meaning to increase the affection that prospects and customers feel toward your business.Why?Because increasing "affection" will build relationships.... Read More

Branding Your Products Is Important

I was chatting with a couple of friends, all of us are either copy writers or graphic designers?or both?.in the advertising industry, so, naturally, our conversations leaned... Read More