6 Rebrands of 2019 that got the Design Community Talking
I know, I know it’s 2020 but I’ve been looking back on logo redesigns of last year, and I really wanted to write an article about them. We had some big ones (and will have more redesigns in 2020 no doubt) including Firefox, Staples and Zara to name a few. I thought I’d write a quick article to discuss some of the best from 2019. Leave a comment below and mention your favourite (or not so favourite, that’s OK too!) of last year.
1. Mozilla Firefox
A simplification was undertaken at Mozilla for their Firefox logo. It’s certainly got more modern traits of a logo, with elegant lines and some striking new colours within the symbol itself. A major change in their logotype is also a key feature of their revised logo. It has to be said, the iconic fox seems to be made way for more of a ‘swoosh’ shape. All in all, I think this is a positive rebrand and a much more sophisticated look over.
2. Zara
This Spanish apparel giant had quite a lot of people talking with their brand new wordmark. Four letters, and an already very stylish logo – what could go wrong? Well, designers around the world hated the new kerning of letters for the revised logo, mainly because of just how much the letters overlapped each other. It’s still, to this day, has a lot of people generally hating the new Zara logo and has been very controversial. Is it readable? Perhaps – just. The elegance and class of the old logo makes this re-design, or brand evolution, a negative one.
3. Staples
Another massive retailer, this time Staples, went a big rebrand after it changed it 25 year old logo for a much more literal design. Now, the literal sense of the staple stands beside the world… Staples, funnily enough. The CMO Mashall Warkentin stated that the symbol “is symbol of the commitment we are making to our customers.” And, many viewers, both designers and consumers were divided about the look of the new logo.
4. Slack
The rebrand of Slack uses a simpler colour palette and is generally trying to be more refined and scalable. But, is it? Has it actually gone backwards in its evolution? Many would question the new Slack logo, where the old logo does, in fact, carry more modern web-based traits than the new logo. The colours used in the revised logo look like a bit of a mish-mash of tones and hues.
5. Android
A lot of the cues behind the revised Android logo look to be based around the Google rebrand to make it more accessible. The famous Android robot character remains, but in a much more vibrant (and visibile) green colour. But my favourite part of the new logo is the typography used in the logotype. It’s so much better than the retro looking Android type of logos gone by. And, all in all, the logo does align much closer with the Google Brand.
6. Volkswagen
A new, sleeker look for automotive company Volkswagen could be considered damage control after the company has had so much trouble with emissions scandals. However, it probably also directs itself more towards the way of an electric, more streamlined future. Automotive companies are moving towards lower emissions, cleaner more purposeful lines and Volkwagen is just another one of those companies.
Logo Design Cost & Process
The cost of a logo design varies from country to country, designer to designer and client expectation to, well, client expectation. It can be a hotly debated topic, where people often question why a logo will cost so much. Well, I’m here to try and explain the cost of a logo and give an explanation as to why I charge what I do for a logo.
The logo design process
The first thing to discuss is the process itself. It’s a multi-step process that can involve such things as research, brainstorming, sketching, comparisons, concepts and revisions. And, with so many variables, that’s part of the reason why a logo ranges in price. From the outset, I’ll say that I don’t have set prices for logo designs, but I do have ranges that I can estimate what the cost will be based on past experience.
A logo can be used in so many different places. And, before you jump on Fiverr and find the cheapest, ill-considerate designer you can find, think about the cost of running a business and how much a logo actually means to the business. Do you ever look at company logos when you visit a website? In a shopping centre? On products? Do you make snap decisions on whether or not you’ll buy that product based on their logo? You might actually be surprised how many people, yourself included, make decisions on what jam to buy, or what gym to join or what clothes to wear based on their logo design alone.
So, a logo can live in many different places; online, digitally, printed on business cards or shop walls, marketing material and so on. And all those variations can result is multiple logos being needed to be created. Logo file formats are usually in raster or vector.
Raster vs Vector Logos – What's the difference?
Raster files are measured in DPI (dots per inch) and have a file extension such as .jpg, .gif or .png. These files are based on pixels, which are set dimensions. So, increasing or decreasing the size may result in pixilation or distortion. That is because the computer is working out where to fill in the pixels.
Vector files can be scaled to any size you can imagine without losing quality, which is great for printing (think billboards) all the way down to social media posts and email signatures. They can also be opened, edited, and saved in different applications, and have a file extension of .ai, .eps, .svg or .pdf. But don’t be fooled, some people place raster files inside vector files – these will not act the same way.
Colour variations of Logos
It should also be noted that logos need to be visible as much as possible. Their usage can vary too, so it’s important to have the logo designed in different colour combinations to make this possible. You’ll generally need light, dark, full colour and monochrome variations of the logo. I like to supply black and white logos for the times when a job might also be set in black and white.
We’ve also got colour options such as RGB (for digital logos), CMYK (for printed logos) and Pantone logos for spot colour jobs.
Costs / Packages of logos
Agencies can charge quite a lot for a logo design. The reason is because of their large overheads and staff that they have to pay, which is fair enough. I generally don’t charge close to what an agency charges which can be between $5,000 - $10,000. For a business, this can be a substantial outlay especially if you’re a start-up.
I tend to charge less, because whilst I have the experience of an Art Director, I still call myself a Senior Freelance Graphic Designer, because I feel like that’s a more suitable title for me. In fact, I’ve had clients who have come from having a logo developed by an agency, not been happy with their job and come to me to get a higher quality logo at a cheaper price.
My process and costs
I generally ask for a 50% up-front deposit to commence the logo design process. This allows me to have confidence in the client, and the client has confidence that project is underway. I’ll always ask the client information about their business. I’m invested in problem solving the situation to create, what I believe, is the best solution for the client.
So, what is the best solution? Well, you may have read in my other articles that targeting a specific socio-economic group and target demographic is the most important thing. This is because you want the logo and brand to appeal to a specific person – the person you want to sell to. This could be a wealthy 65 year old male from Brighton in Melbourne who loves expensive cars. Or, it could be a uni student just scraping through with rent each week and just wants the cheapest gym in town. Either way, your company has a market it wants to hit, and a logo can be massive in targeting the correct crowd.
So, analysing your business with key information is critical. Are you big, are you small, have you been around for 30 years, are you close to the beach, who’s your competition, your market, where are you selling, and so on. So many answers do I want to pack into your logo to design it the correct way. It’s a very psychological and meaningful process that deserves consideration.
Logo concepts and revisions
I generally create three logo concepts first up. I think it’s important to suss out which direction the company can go in, and which of the critical information that I spoke about above, needs to speak the loudest (in the logo). I ask for feedback from the client, to see if my analysis is correct. Majority of the time it isn’t too far off the pace, and a good brief from the client usually makes this the case.
Some designers give a set amount of revisions like 2 or 3, and price their logo based on that. I don’t agree with that process, because if a logo fits after the first revision, then that’s a resolution. If it takes 4 or 5 passes, then perhaps the brief, or my interpretation of the brief, isn’t correct. That doesn’t mean it’s job over, so it’s no stress, it just means that further clarification may be needed.
All of these variables I talk about are reasons why I don’t have a set-in-stone cost. However generally a logo for a small business will cost between $1,500 - $3,000 which is substantially less than an agency. And, I like to think that I put more care into a logo than an agency would too (but I’m bias)! For mid-sized companies, or companies with more exposure, this cost can be more. Somewhere between $2,500 - $4,000.
So, if you’re thinking about getting a logo design created, hopefully this article has helped. I’d be more than happy to discuss your business and requirements with you and give you a more accurate figure. I’ve done a lot of logos now, backed with 10 years of experience, that I have a good idea as to how much your logo could cost.
All the best on your logo making journey!
New Logo and Website - A Graphical Insight
New Logo and Website - A Graphical Insight
With my brand new website and logo now live, I thought it would be nice to show them both off in a graphical visual representation. This series of images allows you to see a snapshot of my personal logo design process, history of my logotype, concepts and ideas and web development.
I believe my new CK logo is an evolution of my previous logo, which is what I set out to be the case right from the beginning. The change was one, I felt, I had to make. I want to take my business in a slightly different direction and have a somewhat fresh start. The new logo is far more brandable, a bit less style specific and appeals to a wider target audience than the existing one did. As much as I liked my existing logo, I didn’t feel like I could achieve this. Furthermore, it was important for the design of the logo to be relatable and relevant to my existing design style.
Visually, I wanted it to be accurate. I considered a lot of things such as angles, line weight, visual balance and complexity. Whilst I executed a wide range of different styles, I was the most happy with this particular concept as it felt like it was me.
I’m really happy with the way its turned out and I’m super excited to start using it and adapting it to different things.
You’re welcome to ask any questions you might have about the logo design process or branding in the comments section below!
Logo Design - Typical Creation Process
Logo design always throws up all sorts of discussion. Why do some designers charge so much / little for a logo? Why does it take so long to design a logo? What are the benefits of having a logo? And so on.. Well, in this artcile, I'm going to discuss a little bit about the design process when creating a logo. We'll be discussing all sort of things from concepts to final production. Many variables come into play in the process, so I'm going to keep it as general as possible in order to try and communicate the process as best as I can. Here goes!
The Logo Design Brief
The brief is extremely important for a logo design. Mainly because what I'm about to create is the face of your company and it's important for me to know as much relevant information about the client's company as I can. So, not only is timeframe, a factor when designing a logo (or anything for that matter), but details regarding your business are just as important.
Here's a list of some areas of critical information which is extremely important in regards to logo creation:
- Business size – sole trader, micro, small, medium, large.
- Business age
- Tagret demographic – almost the most important piece of information. Who are you trying to appeal to?
- Product / service cost – who do you cater for, socio-economic wise?
- Competitors
- Budget
Initial brainstorming / sketches of the logo design
I always begin a logo design with paper, pencil and my A3 sketch book.
Generally, I'll begin with a mindmap, of sorts, or key words about the company, style of the logotype, symbol, colours I may potentially use, the mood of the logo and so on. I believe in writing down as many words to describe what I'm trying to achieve as possible, but I want the words to be accurate to the company, it's beliefs and the target audience.
For my sketches, I very rarely use an eraser, because at this point, the sketches are quite quick and purely encompass an overall style for the logo. The amount of pages I go through for a project really depends on the complexity of the brief. Sometimes it's just a page of sketches, other times 3 - 4 pages. Again, I'm happy to sketch out whatever I feel is relevant to the brief. Whether or not it's going to end up being the final final doesn't worry me at this point in time. Often I'll sketch things which I know won't even be considered, but sometimes they're the link between two very different concepts.
Execution of my sketches isn't hugely important. Some effects and techniques I'll know I can execute better on a computer when I get to that stage.
Designing a logo in Illustrator
Once I've completed my sketches, I'll jump into Illustrator and start playing with a few concepts. I sometimes bounce between my computer and sketch book, just to jot down or sketch out a new idea first. For some sketches which I've done quickly by hand, I know how they'll look digitally, but look very different in my sketchbook.
I always design my logos in Adobe Illustrator, regardless of time, who the client is and what they're going to use it for. It is the best application for creating a logo due to the tools available and the accuracy in which it can be produced. Also, as a vector file (which Illustrator handles), I know I'll be able to make the logo as big or as small as I (or the client) want to in the future. I'll begin experimenting with typography, lettering, shapes and scalability of the logo constantly. Scalability is often overlooked by designers and clients alike, as a logo might look fantastic in a large size, but when resized to a smaller size it's unreadble. Having a secondary window open at a smaller scale can also be beneficial.
It's difficult to cover all types of logos in one article, but in general it's important to use as few points as possible in the logo and make it as clean as possible. There shouldn't be any waste.
Recreating a logo design in vector format
Often I'll get approached by companies asking whether or not I can recreate their logo in vector format – typically created in Adobe Illustrator (such a common program used to create vectors), for print production. This could be for stationery such as letterheads and business cards to bigger prints such as posters and even billboards. The fact of the matter is that a company needs to have generally have an EPS (Encapsulated Post Script) file in order to print their logo at different sizes.
Why the original logo wasn't created in a vector format to begin with is difficult for me to know. It may be the inexperience of the designer in creating a logo. Or, the client may not know what file format they required at the time. The most common problem is that their logo was initially designed in raster format within Photoshop (or similar) and is now in a JPG or GIF file format which is definitely not recommended.
Logo conversion from JPG / GIF to Vector (AI / EPS)
The difficulty in conversion from JPG / GIF to AI / EPS typically depends on the complexity of the logo design. The more intricate the logo, typically the more difficult the logo re-creation process. Another major factor is the quality of the scan or JPG of the logo itself. If it's unclear or low-resolution details may be lost in the conversion process. Typography can also be a challenge to trace if the original typeface isn't known or available.
You can see how pixellated a .jpg logo can be when resized. A vector logo, on the other hand, has no quality loss.
Converting a logo from photo to Vector (AI / EPS)
Another request I receive is to recreate a logo or illustration from a photograph or a scanned image.
In the example above, I've taken a photograph (left) of the logo design which needed to be printed on several more leather seats. Using Adobe Illustrator, I recreated this intricate logo (right) so the client could use the print as often as required. With the new logo now in a vector format, no quality loss will be made no matter what size the client decides to print the logo design in the future.
Why have a Vector Logo Design?
It's extremely important that a logo be created in vector format, using a program such as Illustrator (AI and EPS file formats). The logo, when created in Illustrator, then has the ability to be infinitely scaled from as small to as large as you desire.
If your company needs a new logo or if you need a logo recreated for vector, please contact me to discuss your project.