Category: Graphic Design

A company logo is the face of your business. It is often the first thing your customer will see and associate with your brand, and it will be what sticks with them once they leave. If you think about 3 of the most successful companies in the world, all of them have logos that are instantly recognised and known. There is the notorious yellow ‘M’, the apple with a bite out of it, and of course, that famous window with 4 colours. Logo design is more than just a handy tool to add to your marketing materials – it is also a tool that you can bring a face and a voice to your small business. Professional logo design is something that will bring instant recognition to your company and it will be a useful way to reach more followers. Instead of throwing together a logo yourself, hiring a professional is crucial as they have the insight and the tools to create something that represents your business in the best possible way.

So how much does a graphic designer charge for a logo?

This is a question that has a broad spectrum of answers and it is largely because there are so many different graphic designers out there of different skill levels. You could pay anything in the range of £500 to £1000 for a well-designed company logo, through to over £2000 for a full branding exercise. This might seem like a steep sum of money, however, the value it brings to your branding and business will be seen for long after this. If you are on a limited budget and you want to spend closer to £500 for a logo – you will likely be looking at something that is text-based and minimal in its design. This can still be an effective choice though and will give you a professional look without you having to spend a ton of money. Logo design is a complex thing and involves a lot of precision, time, and effort. This is the reason that a logo design can cost a lot of money. Creativity and skill go hand in hand for a graphic designer and when you choose to work with a professional for your business needs you will soon see a difference. Whether your logo includes your name in a unique font, an icon, or a complex image will determine the money you spend on it.

What’s included in the price?

When you hire a graphic designer to design your logo, it is important to note that there are a few things included in the price apart from the design itself. There are several stages involved in the creation of a logo from design and brief discussion, to research, to sketches and concepts – and all of these steps take place before the design work even begins. Once a design is completed, backups will be made and the logo will be presented to you. You can even go further and include image styles, brand guidelines as well as typography.

Get In Touch for Advice

Hiring a graphic designer for the creation of your logo is an important step in business branding and it is something you should consider this year. Contact us today for graphic design Hinckley, and we’ll make sure that your logo represents you well and portrays exactly the image that you want it to.

Any high-level graphic designer will know that it’s not just a case of drawing up a few creative pieces and picking the one that suits the business, the customer, or the client best.

For budding designers out there, here are 7 significant factors that should be considered when creating something special.

Emphasis

When you create a piece, you’re going to want to draw the viewer’s attention to a specific area. The company’s name, the brand logo, or other significant information tend to be the aspects that need emphasis. Typically, you’ll place the most important facet in the centre. You’ll also use strong colour combinations in order to make the important information stand out above the rest of the piece.

Balance

Balance is quite literally the practice of aligning the weight of each element you place on the page. Each element has a particular weight, and it’s up to you to strike the right ratio. These weights can come in the form of colour, size, or texture. You can have symmetrical designs or you can have asymmetrical designs. The symmetrical ones can be more satisfying on the eyes – but a little more boring. Whereas, asymmetrical ones will provide a little more visual interest and movement to your art.

Contrast

Contrasting colours have always been (and will always be) a popular aspect of graphic design. If you want your final pieces to be attractive, then you’ll have to ensure that the colours pop out at the viewers. Contrast creates space and difference between elements in your designs and stops the potential blandness from making an appearance. If the background is significantly different from other elements, then it’ll make them work together harmoniously in tandem.

Repetition

Repetition is necessary for high-quality designs. While many colours might add a little more character to an image, too many can feel a little less professional and a lot tackier. Two or three solid colours will strengthen the design. A few more colours scattered around will look like mistakes or amateurish additions.

Proportion

If all of your elements are together and looking in proportion, then you’re going to have a more attractive piece. Proportion is quite literally how each element relates to each other, so you’ll want to approach your design in sections as opposed to as a whole.

Movement

You’ll want to tell the story to the viewers in order to let them know what they’re looking at. You’ll want to get your message across. For instance:

• A band is playing
• It’s at this location
• They’re playing at this time
• Here’s how to get a ticket

Create a design that lets them go from one piece of info to the next seamlessly.

White Space

White spaces may initially be approached with a sceptical mind, but they’re necessary in terms of dealing with creating hierarchy and organization. A white space naturally makes the human brain think about importance and luxury, so it’s a powerful addition to any piece. It allows space to breathe as well as telling eyes that objects in one region are separate from objects elsewhere.

Need graphic design advice?

Contact us, your branding agency Leicester, we’d love to hear from you.

Great graphic design is essential for all businesses and has a large role to play in the modern on and offline business world. Businesses need the services of graphic designers to create impressive marketing materials that will portray their brand identity across all mediums.

Here are examples of 3 graphic design products which all businesses need.

Your own set of icons or symbols that are instantly recognisable as your brand and will catch follower’s attention.

1. Logo design and brand identity

The starting point is always a great logo, it is important as it is one of the first things people see about your business it’s your opportunity to make that all important first impression. A well-designed logo will portray quality service, professionalism and your values. As it will be used on all your marketing materials it must be striking, memorable, and differentiate you from your competition plus portray you as a leader in your field. Logos can have symbolic connections and must connect with people’s memories and emotions. Choosing the right colours is key, select colours based on the feelings you want consumers to experience and actions you want them to take. Consider the human psychology of colour to create the right look and feel. If your logo looks cheap and unprofessional prospects will question how well you are able to meet their needs and provide the level of service they are looking for. Particularly when browsing the web people make snap decisions and poor design allows people to leave.  A professionally designed logo will bring all these elements into play and get the best possible result for your business.

2. Social media assets

The success of social media depends not only on content but also on great graphics. They increase engagement, improve user experience and make content more effective. Good graphics will make your business stand out in the crowded online market place no one will notice you unless the visuals grab their attention. The aim is to have a striking clear identity which sits with your logo and brand making your business clearly recognisable. Images with an instant impact which people like sharing are good and going to be remembered. Your own set of icons or symbols that are instantly recognisable as your brand and will catch follower’s attention. As you build your social media following.

3. Website design

Graphic design is a fundamental part of any website design. Alongside the usability of the site, it is how your business is portrayed it is essential to look professional and have the ability to hold the visitor’s attention whilst they look round. The colours, style of graphics, images, button controls, banners all paint a picture of your business and can also affect usability. Users will move on quickly if the graphics do not make the navigation clear and simple. A good design will boost the value of your site a bad design will lose prospects and leave the user with a bad experience. Visitors are more likely to consider your content to be of value and worth reading if the pages have aesthetic appeal.

Above are just 3 examples of how graphic design is essential to any business, but it needs to be used across all marketing channels and mediums. Being consistent is key to developing a strong brand that clients and prospects will become familiar with, follow and engage with. A strong visual presence will allow you to confidently communicate and showcase your products and expertise.

When starting any logo design project, the key to success lies in communication with the client and understanding the client’s business, design preferences and what the logo needs to portray.

The only way to do this at the start of the project is to ask the right questions.

1. What is the company name?
This may seem a very obvious question but it plays a major role in what will be represented in the logo. Sometimes the name its self is the logo sometimes it is incorporated in the logo if it is too short it may need a strapline or too long it may be shortened to initials.

2. Which words in the company name do you want to emphasize?
If the name is made up of multiple words some words may need to carry more weight than others. They will need to stand out against those that need less emphasis.

3. Do you want to include a strapline into the logo?
This has to be done with some consideration. They can over complicate a logo however, for some clients it is appropriate to include their USP or a reference to the quality or reliability of their product or service.

4. What is your company’s area of business?
This is really important as it dictates the style of the logo, different types of business call for different sizes shapes and colours of the logo. The logo must portray what makes that business stand out from its competitors. 

Engineering, legal services or finance may suit straight lines, geometric shapes, Blues, Greys, Black. Whereas food companies, restaurants, fashion outlets, may suit curves, long flowing lines brighter bolder colours. At first glance, the logo should instantly portray something about the business.

5. Who is the target audience?
The logo needs to appeal to the client’s audience. Different age groups and demographics have very different tastes the appeal has to be quite specific and not try to cover all options or it will be less effective.

6. Who are your competitors?
Looking at their logos will allow the designer to do something different whilst still in scope for your business. The aim is to make your business stand out from the crowd in your market sector. Your opinion on other logos will help formulate ideas.

7. Do you have colour preferences?
Whilst there are certain colours which are suitable for different business types the client may have specific dislikes or preferences within these colour ranges obviously these need to be taken into account. 

8. Where is the logo going to be used? Where will it be displayed? What type of documents will it be used on?
A business will use its logo in many different places, on the website, business cards, stationery, signage. and any other uses specific to that business. All of this needs to be considered as the logo will need to work in various sizes, in colour and in greyscale.

When all the questions have been explored, the designer should have a good idea of the brief for the project and the client’s preferences. The design process can then begin. A selection of logos will be produced to fit the brief, the aim is always to make it hard for the client to choose as they love them all!

Contact us on 01455557766 today for your branding Leicester.

A big question that needs to be broken down into elements to fully understand.

There are 2 main elements Graphic and Design which combined together produce visual communications

Graphic

“Graphic” is the visual element. It’s expressive, imaginative and artistic involving lots of different mediums like drawing, painting, engraving, all giving clear visual detail. The visual elements that are combined to create graphic design are line, colour, shape, texture, space, form and typography. Our creativity guides us to choose these elements in various combinations and layouts to create a look and feel the visual communication of an idea.

Design

Design is deciding on the look and function of something before it is made. This involves thinking, problem-solving, considering practicality. In graphic design, there are rules which have to be followed “The principles of Design.” All these principles have a relationship with each other and appear in every well-designed piece of work you see. A good grasp of design theory will mean there is always substance and thought behind the work. The key principles of design are contrast, alignment, hierarchy, balance, contrast, proximity, repetition, simplicity and function.

These are brought together, the visual elements the graphic and the design principles together, create a Graphic design. It is not drawing or painting or creating a logo on the computer it is the organisation and presentation of information developed through a creative process. When starting a graphic design project, we must first understand the brief, what is the purpose of the piece of work, what is the message it is giving, what is the tone of voice, who is the audience? Then research can begin, thinking, imagining, developing to and create a solution. To create a concept that communicates the information and tells a story puts forward an idea or message in a visual way. It’s only when there is a solid idea developed can the design process skills be used to formulate colours, layout, type and imagery to bring the idea to life.

Graphic design now is implemented across a wide spectrum of print and digital mediums. Communicating messages, shaping our thoughts and influencing our culture.

Originally the only tools available to do this were pencil and paint on paper. Now there are many tools to explore computers, cameras, printers. Since the development of the printing press which enables reproduction on a mass scale, we have been surrounded by visual graphic communications worldwide. Graphic design now is implemented across a wide spectrum of print and digital mediums. Communicating messages, shaping our thoughts and influencing our culture.

Being a part of that now involves jobs in very varied areas including advertising, web design, branding, magazine production, packaging, infographics, signage, to name but a few. Through these different mediums, our world is being influenced. The combination of the two entities creates an artistic expression and practical application, to produce great visual communications.

So, what is the future of graphic design?

It will continue to depend on technology to create interesting and compelling concepts and designs. As the quality of 3D augmented reality improves in quality designers will have more and more ways of expressing their ideas. These advances in technology will increase designers use of computer-aided design moving them away from traditional methods into the virtual world.