Logo Shopping: Hand-Crafted Or Factory-Made?

There are numerous online logo design factories that, in general, create a certain genre of logo designs. The majority of logos fall into the category I call, "logo-strations." They are mini logo-illustrations that describe what the business is about. Most of them are simplistic in theme and often busy or flashy in their appearance. I’m generalizing, but I think their business model promotes and supports this method of making a logo. If you are going to pay $199 or less for a logo, it had better look like some work was done, right? There had better be a bright palette of colors, swooshes, illustrations or type effects to justify the payment.

Recently I considered a small group of freelance logo designers, who brought logo-stration to a very high level. I think this group is revealing, because they are designing on such a high level that the "illustration" really becomes a viable mark or symbol. This is where the line between a very good logo design and an average logo design revealed itself to me. Poor logo-strations describe the entity, whereas very good logos are symbolic of the entity. To make a symbol is by the nature of the process—reductive. Poor logo-strations are by the nature of the process—descriptive.

Picture in your mind some logos that are common in every day life: Google, Exxon Mobil, Marlboro, Apple, Wal-Mart, CNN, Pepsi, Hanes, GAP. None of them are logo-strations. There is no newscaster microphone cord illustration woven into the curvaceous CNN logo. There’s no web icon of a magnifying glass over search type next to the Google logo. There’s no illustration of a gas pump worked into the "E" of the Exxon Mobil logo. There isn’t a pattern of 3-D bubbles dotting the "i" in the Pepsi logo. You get the picture.

Because of the proliferation of these logo factories, they have collectively created a niche that is self-validating. If it is online and cheap and plentiful, it must therefore be redeeming. Certainly the cost is redeeming. Particularly for small businesses and start-ups—better to put your money into marketing than dumping too much into the logo. Well, unless you want to get known nationally or you need to pitch big clients. Then, you would look a little foolish with your logo-stration and the branding that would have to match it. Several years ago I made a logo for a small business that didn’t have a lot of money, but they had a vision. They are successful now selling on Target.com and a suite of logos I designed helped to pave the way. Paying double, triple, quadruple the online logo factory price was an investment for them—an investment that paid off handsomely.

This is the fork in the road of the logo design decision-making process. You need to decide: is the logo something I need to buy "off the shelf" or is it something to develop as part of the greater business plan? Whichever answer is right for you, budget accordingly and try to get the best product you can afford. The logo is the cornerstone of your branding and all other print designs and web designs will take their cue from the logo. The more you are in touch with your own goals, the more comfortable you will be with the direction you ultimately take.