With an ever-growing number of agencies and freelancers offering design services, it has become increasingly difficult to decide who you want to hire for your design work. It’s great to have lots of options, but at times, a plethora of choices can be overwhelming.

A logo design may seem like a small thing, but for genuine businesses it becomes a significant part of the brand identity. A well-designed logo is crucial to any business and even a slight ‘mistake’ made by the designer can make a huge difference. Just think of all the examples of some of the latest companies that ‘messed up’ after a major logo revamp that wasn’t well received by the crowd. Check out the rebranding attempts of London Olympics and Gap and what we can learn from the posts by B.I. and Time.

If you’re a small business or a start-up, you should be even more careful before making this costly mistake! Here’s how you know you are choosing the right logo design service for your business.

Logo design refresh for a small business

It fits your budget

When budget becomes a main source of concern, there is just no questioning it. The budget should be determined even before you start the search. A logo design may cost anywhere between £100 to £2,000 depending on the client’s requirements and brand. Bear in mind though that this is usually a one-time expense (especially in the case of SMEs) and it’s usually best not to comprise quality for cost.

Consider your options

The next step is to find several potential logo design firms with the help of several resources. You could start your search by asking other business professionals or entrepreneurs you know with fabulous logo designs for referrals or recommendations. You may look into Yellow Pages to find listed design agencies near your location. Other than that, of course there are a lot of options you can explore over the web including top firms, like Logo Ping in UK that provides a wide range of design services (logo, banner, brochure, stationery and web design service, etc) at affordable rates.

Review the portfolio

Once you have selected few organisations, the next step is to look into their portfolio to get an idea of their skills and creativity. A design portfolio that exhibits creativity and high level skills is one that has a diverse number of logo designs provided to different organisations.

Other than that, you want to look into the uniqueness and cleanliness of the logo. Be warned though, not every logo design that is ‘creative’ or ‘unique’ is timeless. On the subject of ‘time’, the designer should also be well-aware of current trends in logo design. For instance, these days every other organisation wants a logo that is ‘simple’ and ‘minimal’ to ensure transferability among various platforms and devices.

If the logo design service is reluctant to show you a vast portfolio with a large range of examples of their work, you might want to skip the option and move on to the next.

Be ready to ask questions

A personal face-to-face conversation would be ideal, but with improved technology and the growth of online logo design industry, it could be an unattainable option.

If you’re hiring a logo design firm that is across the globe, a call, interview, or a questionnaire should suffice. However, the more the verbal and visual cues in the communication process, the better. You must have several questions in mind before you approach a representative of the firm. Make sure you note down every question that pops up in your mind. Some general questions you may ask:

• Name some firms you may have worked with.
• Will the designer be an in-house employee or outsourced?
• How many revisions do you allow before you start charging extra?
• How will communication progress throughout the project?
• How often do you seek input during the design phases?
• Where can I view testimonials from your previous clients?

Also, note the way the company representative is responding to your information requests, emails, or calls. Despite time zone differences and incoming work, they should be quick in answering your questions and responding to you in a timely manner. Customer service should be excellent from the start of the project to the end, and ‘responsiveness’ is usually a great determinant of this attribute.

Be ready to answer questions

It is also extremely important for the design firm to ask you questions in return concerning your needs and requirements for the logo design. A professional logo design service provider will make sure not to leave out any detail while asking you questions. They will do this either on call or through an online questionnaire. This is another way you can assess whether or not you should consider the firm in question. The representative of the firm should ask you about your company, brand or services, where the logo will be used, and how to contact you should they have any more questions.

Discuss deadlines and expectations:

Since the deadlines and expectations are where majority of client/agency disputes lies, you want to make sure you go over this before the initiation of the project. If your work is ‘urgent’ make sure you inform the organisation of this beforehand. Apart from deadline expectations, make sure you go over service details, number of revisions, ‘additional support’ provided by the organisation before you sign a contract.

See also: Small business logos we really love