Lara Johnson Director of Marketing at Impact Logos explains “Over the past few years we have seen a steady but consistent increase in logo offers under $100 with promises of a horde of designers, unlimited designs and in some cases even free business cards. This increased competition has diluted our market share considerably.”

After an internal review Impact Logos concluded that the only way forward was to pivot in order to survive. “We did extensive customer surveys and were frankly shocked to find that over 70% of our online customer base had an ideal budget of just $100 for business logo design. Further testing and qualitative surveys have convinced us that our ideal price points are between $199 to $250.” explains Lara Johnson.”

Impact Logos has taken the opportunity to review their complete online presence, including user interface, conversion funnels and bounce rates.

“We are currently in our final stages of testing price models and soon to be releasing our new website. Our focus remains on recruiting superior designers and creating inspirational logo design. We just have to get used to lower margins and try and make it up in volume.”

Impact Logos is a leading online logo design company. You can find them at http://www.impactlogos.com.au

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This all started some time ago in a effort to try and understand how online businesses tick and why some online businesses do great while many others fail. More recently I read a great book that is now a best seller called the Lean Startup by Eric Reis.  This book is about how startups with so many inherent unknowns can navigate the highly probable possibility of failure. The book embraces small incremental steps to dip your toes in before mortgaging the house. So fail fast and many times to find the right path.Truly a great book in my opinion for an business owner that is experimenting on any innovative idea or product.

Anyway I was thinking about how you decide where to start with a new products or service say for an existing business like impact logos and found many in silicon valley recommending starting by surveying your customers whoever they were.  Some further reseacrh lead me to Kissinsights.com a highly engaging and simple survey tool that is worth its weight in gold.

There are 3 standout features I love about this survey tool.

1. Its got  a nice clean modern deisgn

2. It pops from the bottom and has around 10% engagement for me ie  very high

3.  Free templates so easy to use

A great piece of software is easy to use and this is no different. Right off the bat when you enter the dashboard there are many template surveys and its highly recommended you start with one of those.

??The types of questions I asked my customers were as follows:

What is your maximum budget (this was a shock

Are you a startup, small business, big business, designer. (to see if what I thought my audience was correct)

How can we improve our service?

So you have a vast amount of options on the backend like when a customer see the survey pop up, mutiple choice questions or open ended, and many other options.

I highly recommend you start finding out more about your online customers.

For more information visit: http://www.kissinsights.com/

Written By Manny

Director, Impact Logos

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The new iphone and android app allows users to drive a simulator game of the fusion car on their tablet or phone. In order to access up to 23 racing tracks.

The clever part is Ford fans will need to ‘unlock’ the app by taking a photo of the ford logo on their car or on the computer, thus promoting the brand and logo and also adding exclusivity around the brand.

Ford it seems has gone all out to try and win some ground from the increasing popularity and success of the Camry Hybrid.

The app was produced by a cutting edge team of gaming developers and has since been applied to over 10 cars.

The App aims to draw a large audience of fans using facebook and twitter sharing inbuilt into the apps to virally attract more users, ford fans and potential customers.

All in all a nice campaign by Ford who has more often than not been trumped by the forward thinking Toyota Company.

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This early the logo design industry is now showing logo design trends for 2012.

Having a good logo entails a lot of effort and involvement from key people which include the marketing, graphics and design team. While the creativity of the logo designer greatly matters, it does not ensure the success of the logo. The logo should always reflect the concept and values of the brand at the same time appeal to the target group. And while it is a given rule that logos should be timeless, logo designers can still benefit from the latest trends in logo design where they can get new ideas and inspiration.

What is hot or in demand two years ago in logo design may no longer be attractive today. The blue color which proved to be effective in software logos may not have the same appeal in the coming year. Thus, it is important for logo designers to stay up-to-date on the latest trends in logo design. Remember that a successful logo design could definitely translate to more product sales and could improve the standing of a brand in the industry where it belongs.
In 2011, some of the logo designs that hogged the spotlight are futuristic 3D designs, isometric shapes and line art. Because 2011 witnessed more powerful gadgets from Apple, Inc., the equally powerful logo proved to be an inspiration to some businesses enticing them to use fruit design in their logos.
Some companies have also embraced the ecological trend and have gone environment-friendly so they used the color green in their logos or added some plant designs.

Let’s take a look at the logo design trends for 2012.

1. Go Green or Plant design

The plant or flora design will continue to make waves in 2012 just like in the past years. Companies who use plant inspired logo design project an environment-friendly image. Such logos have images depicting nature like leaves, flowers, soil and even animals which could also represent growth and expansion. One good example is Blue Oak Construction. http://blueoakprojects.com

2. Badge and button design

Badges are synonymous with quality service or authority. Most popular badges are those used in the military. They also indicate the status and identification of a person. Badge combined with button designs are now also being used in advertising, promotions and brand awareness. The badge and button design greatly appeals to consumers because while it may appear as regal, it still seems real and touchable to them. Lamborghini’s logo remains one of the famous logos with a badge design. Blogger’s logo, on the other hand, is a good example of a button like logo. http://www.blogger.com

3. Speech Balloons

Speech or thought balloons are no longer confined in comic books, comic strips and cartoons where they are used to show the dialogue or thoughts of a given character. Speech balloon and thought balloon may look differently because while the former means words that are spoken aloud, the latter refers to just thoughts.

New companies in particular are hooked to creating logos using this design. This logo design is not just simple and timeless. This design looks hip and appealing especially to the younger generation. Notice that most companies or businesses online use this logo design. Among these are Google Talk, Technorati, imeem, and Bubble Share. Another good example of a logo bearing this design is Job Thread logo. http://www.jobthread.com

4. Quadrilateral

A quadrilateral is defined as a polygon with four sides and four corners. Sometimes the term used is quadrangle. In logo design, quadrangle is neither a square nor a rectangle but a fun shape. It’s a design that elicits attention. The Groupon logo (http://www.groupon.com) is one perfect example.

5. Type font

This could be the simplest but this does not mean it is not difficult to design. Logo designers face various challenges on how to create type font logos that are remarkable. This logo design best promotes the company name or the brand name. Best examples are Google and Facebook. There are numerous advantages when using this design. For one, logo design can be reproduced in other colors or in black and white. This design is also easy to recognize. For traditional reproduction, very little technical knowledge is needed for this.

There will always be new trends for logo designs. Logo designers can draw inspiration from these designs. But at the end of the day, it is still the designer’s imagination, talent and creativity that could give life to a logo design and make it memorable and successful.

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Employees of a logo design company, however, may not have full enjoyment of this right. Traditionally, this scenario works because the company owns whatever work they produce as stated in their contracts. Non-traditional employment, on one hand, has a more complicated system. The matter of copyright ownership differs when the company hires a freelance designer or outsources the job offshore.

A freelance designer owns his or her logo design or any other work as long as the client failed to explicitly state in their agreement that any work produced for the specific project is owned by the client. On the other hand, an outsourced employee who works at an offshore office does not own any of the works produced during his or her employment.

In the case of typefaces, copyright is owned by their creators. Therefore, any graphic designer who wants to use a copyrighted font would have to ask permission from that person. On one hand, typefaces strongly associated with a business or an artistic work, such as film or animation, are not necessarily copyrighted by the business owners or their producers. On the safe side, designers should avoid using them in logo design.

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These three colors are chosen based on how well they match each other. Choosing these matching colors requires a tool called the color wheel, which arranges primary, secondary and tertiary colors in a circle. Each secondary color is between two primary colors that produce it. For example, blue and yellow flank the color green, which is produced when the two colors were mixed. Tertiary colors are produced when a secondary color is mixed with a primary color. For example, one of the primary colors, blue, is mixed with green to produce the tertiary hue called blue green, which produces different shades, such as teal and turquoise.

With a color wheel in hand, you can use five types of relationships when combining colors for logo design. These color relationships include complements, split-complements, triads, tetrads, and analogous colors. Based on these relationships, graphic designers create visually appealing color schemes that strike a balance between strong and weak colors in the wheel.

Complementary colors consist of a primary color matched with the color opposite it in the color wheel. This opposite color usually is the result of mixing two other primary colors. For example, the complement of red is green, which is an equal combination of blue and yellow. If a secondary color, such as violet, is used, then its complement is orange, which is a mix of yellow and red. These colors are perfect opposites in the color wheel.

Split-complements consist of two tertiary colors and a primary color. For example, the combination of blue-green, yellow-green and red is a split-complement. Again, their position in the color wheel puts red in direct opposition to green; however, in this formula the color red matches with two tertiary colors that contain green, which mixes with either blue or yellow on each side.

A third formula uses triads of colors. This is the easiest because designers can use all primary colors or all secondary colors in a logo design. These schemes usually exist in logos for children’s products or in logos of organizations for children. Other color schemes used for children’s logos include split-complements.

The other two formulas used for logo design has three or more colors, which might look incongruous at first glance, but actually match when skillfully applied in logo design. The tetrad uses four colors that are at opposite sides in the wheel. For example, one tetrad color scheme consists of blue-violet, yellow orange, red and green. Essentially, there are two pairs of complements in that formula.

Analogous colors, on one hand, consist of parallel hues, such as red-orange, red and red-violet. All colors have the same base color, which is a primary color. Other schemes would use blue as base color; thus, another analogous color scheme consists of blue-green, blue and blue-violet. However, other analogous color schemes use more than three colors placed side by side in the wheel.

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The job of selecting the right person to create a logo design that best represents your company image or your brand identity seems a breeze. Most popular designers or design companies have advertisements in trade magazines and have online sites that display their portfolio of projects done under different clients. They would be easy to locate and initiate contact for a business meeting. However, the rates these professionals charge may not be practical for some small or medium businesses that have limited budgets. This calls for a search of graphic artists and designers from alternative sources of recruitment.

When looking for the right graphic artist for your logo design, think of how young professionals start in their ladder of success. Most of them begin with joining design contests, not only to win cash prizes, but also to make a name. Sponsors of these contests usually come from the same industry, either as agencies or as clients who frequently outsource design projects. You may take advantage of this opportunity by either sponsoring or by organizing a contest for your ow corporate logo.

A logo design contest is just one way of crowdsourcing, which harnesses the creativity and skills of several people to come up with the best output. Another way is to call for bids for the logo design project. Choose up to five proposals from freelance designers that quote low prices, promise fast turnaround, and propose the best design concept. From these five design concepts, select the kind of design that best fits what you envision your logo should represent.

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A high price usually elicits a strong response when you have already seen the samples of work the prospective designer has done and they did not pass the standards you have set for logo design. However, for those with a complete portfolio, raising their quote may mean they are so good that they believe they deserve a higher pay for their skills and creativity.

Once you have received a quote from a would-be designer, ask him or her for a portfolio of his or her work. Without a portfolio, a designer lacks proof of the valuable experience required in designing. A reference to a previous job is an alternative way of knowing the designers quality of work. Immediately verify the veracity of the referenced work and inquire into the time it took to finish the job.

In contrast, a designer who gives a low quote for the job may not be the best choice. For one, the low price could be a sign of desperation on the designer’s part to find a job. This may not mean anything to other clients, but if you want to dig deeper, then you should question the ability of the designer to submit the logo design on time. If the designer submits on time, then look at the quality of work submitted. Look for possibility that the designer has no artistic skills at all or that the previous projects failed because of personal issues with clients.

It is alright to acquire the services of freelance designers or to find other sources of talent, such as crowdsourcing sites or design contests, wherein the cost of your logo design is fixed and the quality of work is enhanced because of competition. In these avenues, the need for a portfolio or a background check is gone, but the reduced timeframe accommodates rapid development with your project. As soon as you acquired the logo design, submit a trademark application to the concerned agency and have it approved as soon as possible to claim your right over its use.

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In simple terms, a logo design symbolizes the brand. Like a tattoo, it serves to represent an idea, story or identity, which other people can relate to when they see it. Moreover, similar to tattoos, logos are printed on anything used or sold by the company that owns the brand. Some logos are ugly, while others obviously took skills to create. However, all logos depict a distinct concept that separates the brand’s personality from other products or companies with the same features.

Although some say logo design does not matter as long as it exists, most experienced marketers know that the quality of the logo’s appearance should match the brand personality. If the logo looks vague or confusing, then it might put off potential customers from following the brand. Other products with the same attributes exist in the market; finding the brand that fits a lifestyle or appeals to a group of people is easy. Thus, the clearer the meaning of the logo design, the more attractive it becomes to the right people who believe in what your brand claims to be.

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First, logos should be simple. The icons and the text should appear the way it should appear. A logo does not have to tell a story or even look photographic. Lines, curves, circles, and squares are commonly used instead of sketches, paintings and other images that pose difficulty in replication.

Second, logos should be distinct. If the logo design is simple, then the appearance of the icons and words should be distinct and clear to anyone who sees the logo. Viewers must not be confused with complex meanings or underlying suggestions that the symbols and the words insinuate. Worst-case scenario would be an embarrassing sexual innuendo inferred from your logo design.

Third, logos should be timeless. Timelessness is the capability of the logo to appeal to people from different backgrounds and living in different times. This does not mean never changing a logo’s appearance. Logos change as the company’s brand changes, such as an evolution of a company from manufacturing computers to making all kinds of devices, including a ubiquitous smart phone brand.

A blog post at Instant Shift, titled “20 Corporate Brand Logo Evolution“, shows the powerful effect these three principles of logo design on some of the world’s biggest brands. The first logos of Apple, Nokia, Pepsi and Canon show elaborate designs with illegible text and indistinguishable icons. The changes towards simplicity and sleek design made the logos more memorable.

The last two rules in logo design facilitate replication and application of logos in this modern world. One rule directs graphic artists to use gender-specific and age-appropriate design elements to match the brand with its target audience. Another rule instructs the designers to use vector art to accommodate the conversion of logos into different image formats as well as their various uses. For example, companies print their brand logos in different sizes on product labels, packaging, stickers, streamers, posters, tags, shopping bags and other materials related to brand marketing.

Apparently, vector art is the most flexible when it comes to resizing. Along with flat color schemes, the logo turns into a versatile mark applicable to different image format without any effects on hue, line patterns and image quality. With the widespread use of digital technology, the use of JPEG as image format is highly recommended for use in both the virtual and real worlds. As an example of what vector art looks like when paired with flat colors, look to the image at right. A rainbow zebra made from flowing lines is easy to replicate and print on any surface. The image is also easy to edit, share and store in different formats.

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