by Mark Wright

Plug "logo design" into your favorite search engine and see what happens. Google and Yahoo each punch up millions of choices. Millions!

There's good news and bad news in those numbers. Most of us like lots of choices. Having plenty of options usually means we're likely to find what we want, and at a reasonable price.

The bad news: We slip into information overload after the second or third page of search engine results.

How can you simplify the process of finding a logo you can love? Try these steps.

1. KNOW THYSELF

Think about what you want in a logo. In fact, why do you want one at all? Get clear about how it fits with your marketing plans, how you will use it, and what you want it to convey. Write down all your thoughts, your questions, your answers.

If doing this exercise solo gives you trouble, enlist an impartial colleague who can ask you such questions. Use a tape recorder to capture everything said during this process. If possible, have a different colleague interview you a week or two later...on tape, of course. Then compare the tapes to see how your thinking might have evolved.

2. LIMITED BUDGET?

Once you know whether a logo should really be in your future, get a grip on how much you can realistically spend for one. Will you need a designer to generate different concepts from scratch? Or, do you have a clear vision the designer can render and refine?

Whatever you need will cost money, so your checkbook will play a starring role in the logo design process. Measure the true depth of your pocketbook in advance so you can avoid expensive surprises.

3. GET THE VERY BEST HELP YOU CAN AFFORD

While that sounds like common sense, plenty of people make the mistake of scrimping in very unwise ways. One organization I know was looking for a professional designer when a member offered to have someone on her staff design the logo for free.

Big mistake. This turned out to be the Edsel of logos. Now they're stuck with it for political reasons. ("FREE" is a dangerous word in logo-land...notwithstanding my one exception to that rule below.)

If your logo development process involves multiple layers of approval in your organization, bring in a professional who can work with you from a beginning consultation to the final print proofs. Someone like Gail Peck of Peck Studios can serve as a skilled and seasoned guide through what can be hazardous territory. (I've worked with her on a number of projects.)

If you can call the design shots yourself...likely in smaller organizations, home-based businesses and one-person shops...you might opt for a service like www.logoworks.com.

One other option...but it only works for bona fide 501(c)(3) non-profits: Check with the graphic design association in your area to identify a firm that will assign a pro bono designer to create your logo. (This is my one exception to the rule about a "free" logo noted above.)

BOTTOM LINE

Do your logo homework. Know how you want to use your logo and what you want it to accomplish for you. Then modify your online "logo designer" search to include the name of your nearest big city and the phrase "client needs." That provides a more manageable list of choices...and a more targeted pool of relevant design sources.

Mark Wright is a freelance writer based in Rockville, Maryland. Find details about his services at www.markwright.com. Copyright © 2003-2005 by Mark Wright Communications LLC. All rights reserved.

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