Tips on how to succeed as a logo designer in today's dog eat dog society.

Written by Buddy T. Pittman Friday, 01 July 2011 10:16

Logo Design is actually a specialized division of graphic design and requires several years to master. This information is intended for new graphic designers or self-employed designers who want some hints on how to do well at professional logo design and corporate branding.

Logo Design is actually a specialized division of graphic design and requires several years to master. This information is intended for new graphic designers or self-employed designers who want some hints on how to do well at professional logo design and corporate branding.

Let us discuss my best top five suggestions:

1) Use the appropriate logo design software. Logos need to be designed utilizing vector based design software such as Adobe Illustrator. It might be alluring to use Adobe Photoshop since that's what most of us are comfy with when we begin, however, you can't develop genuine vector artwork in Photoshop and that is certainly likely to cause problems for your client later on.

2) Research. You might be employed by a legitimate client or just developing sample logos for your online folio, don't forget to execute plenty of research on the marketplace you are developing for. For instance, if your client is a real estate agent, at the very least do a Google search for real estate agent logos locally and nationally. This will assist you to discover what has previously been done so that you do not accidentally produce a logo that is similar to another real estate agent.

3) Discover ways to be adaptable. Branch out and research new methods to broaden your capacity to design logos for any marketplace. Don't get me wrong - it's all good delivering your own style as that is certainly what separates you from the common pedestrian type work that everyone has seen before. Having said that adhering to that style religiously can limit your capability to design for a wide variety of industries and business types. Regardless of whether you're a new or experienced graphic designer, keep testing totally different styles. You never know, you may amaze yourself!

4) Learn from your competitors. Irrespective of whether you go to the library, buy a logo design guide book or simply search the net for top logo designers, you will get a good idea on the most recent trends, design techniques, along with the who's who's of logo design. Get familiar with what constitutes a good design by discovering what top rated graphic designers are working on.

5) Have an extensive logo design portfolio. This is a genuine issue with new graphic designers. How can one have an extensive design portfolio if one has no customers? Well every seasoned logo designer today has been faced with a similar problem in the course of their profession. This is why your creative skills must be utilized on marketing yourself in addition to designing attractive looking logos.

I know that quite a few recognized top end logo designers don't go along with me on this, however I believe that you should do anything you can to get discovered and develop a 'real-world' portfolio, even when it includes carrying out work with no immediate reimbursement, particularly in the current state of the economy. Think of it in this way: you may not get compensated right now but it's a smart investment in your future as you'll grasp rewarding and increase your portfolio with genuine work from real clients. So where do you find this particular work?...

Do pro bono work. Approach local charities and not-for-profit organizations since they typically will need design work and have limited budgets. If you're going to work for free, at least it will be for a worthwhile cause. Contact a design company you would like to work for and offer to work on one of their client's project. If you do an outstanding job you may obtain some remuneration anyway, at the same time, the company may provide additional work.