When you are providing logo design solutions as a professional to corporate clients, it's natural that you would want to market yourself. To market yourself well in the design field, there's no comparison to a portfolio. You should not only include a variety of work examples of yours but also follow some steps so that you don't leave negative impression to any potential client.

• Refrain from using tag lines. Keep in mind that you are a designer, not a writer. You do not need to write tag lines to impress your clients. Your portfolio should speak for your design creativity.
   
• Just because a design is 'edgy', doesn't mean it should be included into your portfolio. The aesthetic appeal of modern designs may appeal to you, but care to include some sober logos. See to it that, in the rush to attract modern preferences, your portfolio does not overlook the preferences of older clients who prefer more traditional designs.
   
• Logos that do not say anything will not appeal to anyone. Try to grasp the message behind a logo. Do not forget that in today's business world, branding is what a company wants its logo to do. So, when it comes to corporate identity design, your logo should communicate a message. This will show that you can listen to and picture your clients' vision through your design.
   
• Monochromatic/ subdued color combinations can do more harm than good to your portfolio. Demonstrate your creativity through your design, not your love for subdued colors. Do a little bit of research and mix and match different colors. Let your potential clients guess what you are about to offer next.
   
• Do not change the samples in your portfolio. Ever. As you grow as a designer, your portfolio should grow too. Let your portfolio reflect your talent in various phases. Always add fresh samples.

Ask a logo designer colleague/friend of yours to review your portfolio. They can give you a good idea about how it is going to be. Ask them about the areas that need improvement. Also, offer to review their portfolios as well. This would help you create your image as a true professional, which would be very helpful if you want to start a logo design company someday.

Do not be disheartened if you get negative reviews. Every designer goes through positive and negative phases in their career. Every designer wants to shine in their field. Follow these tips and tell us about your experience!

All the best in creating your portfolio!

In the logo design industry, the competition to acquire good clients is intense. This in turn makes designers wonder about the qualities they should possess to attract clients. Today, we will discuss few criteria that clients consider to select a designer. Read on.

Experience

Clients prefer designers who are well-experienced and possess relevant expertise. Therefore, you may have to show the client proofs of your creations. If you are associated with a logo design company, you may have to send them your experience certificates. To stay on the safe side, arranging these documents beforehand can be a great idea.

Design Portfolio

A well-made design portfolio highlights expertise of the designer and convinces clients about his/her seriousness. To enhance your reputation as a designer, create an interesting portfolio. Include the most appreciated logo design solutions in the portfolio.

Consider the fact that portfolio acts your representative-it highlights your creativity and strong points.

Professional Approach

Clients also give importance to professional communication. They evaluate communication skills of a designer by judging his/her emails and online conversations.

For best results, check emails carefully, before sending them. Maintain a professional approach. Additionally, while talking on the phone, opt a clear and direct tone. Be polite.

Pricing

Pricing is another crucial criterion for the client. This is especially important if the client wants to stick to a certain budget. In case you quote a price that is high for the client, he may avoid contacting you again.

In such a situation, you can negotiate with the client. Alternatively, stick to your price. However, do not forget to ensure that your quoted price justifies your experience and expertise.

Contract and Project Deadline

Most clients prefer designers who agree to sign a contract. This is because a contract protects interests of both parties, in case something goes wrong. Signing a contract can also increase your professional reputation. The reason is that such a strategy convinces clients that you are willing to undertake responsibility as a designer.

Project deadline is another crucial criterion. The client may ask you number of days/hours you may require to complete a project. He may want to acquire the logo designs earlier. In such a situation, you can either adjust and take up the project or reject it. Even if you take up the project, ensure that you do not compromise with quality in any situation.

Testimonials

Some logo designers fail to recognize the importance of a good testimonial. However, for clients, testimonial is important. A good testimonial convinces them about your expertise and encourages them to trust you.

For this reason, once you complete the project, always request the client or company for a testimonial. This will allow you to acquire important projects in the future.

As a logo design company, it's very important to shine in your field. You should definitely provide the most customized and comprehensive logo design solutions but you must also pay attention to the fact that providing these solutions are not the sole key to success. Back your business up with the support of the right font, the right layout, the colors and in short, the right logo design on all your marketing materials, including the type of paper.

These visual elements need to have flexibility, especially if yours is a small business. Having a uniformity in your logo design is essential. But using these visual elements will add flexibility to your brand. Many reasons can propel this change such as – distinguishing your products/services from each other and some special needs that might occur unexpectedly and call for your attention.

The primary reasons why it is advisable that you modify your visual elements from time to time are as follows:

• This helps you better use the media that you use. When you create printed marketing materials, use not more than 1-2 colors as that would reduce the production costs. But when you are designing your website, it's better to adjust the use of fonts so that the on-screen legibility and compatibility is doubled. For instance, if you are going to place an ad in a newspaper, you should use a simpler image than what you would use in a brochure because newspapers come in poor quality paper where using high-quality images will yield no results.

• A big logo design company may move at a fast pace, but small companies have to spend considerable time on their marketing materials. This is where interesting visual elements come useful. They relieve you of boredom and allow you to look at something fresh. In fact, this boredom is one of the primary reasons why small business owners go for a logo revamping. But this is not actually necessary. It can waste a lot of money, effort and time of yours to revamp your logo design completely. Consider the fact that you are probably getting bored because you are looking at your logo all the time, or too frequently.

If you are really bored of the way your logo looks, don't go for a revamp. Instead, include some new fonts, colors etc. to your existing marketing materials. They will look different, your design consistency will be maintained and yet you will not be bored anymore.

• Change in visual elements allows your audience to differentiate one of your product lines from another and one of your marketing materials from another. If all your marketing materials look the same, they will fail to be noticed by your target audience. But by creating each of these materials in a visually different way with different types of logo design solutions, you will be able to grab the attention of your potential clients and customers to look a plethora of offerings and as they say, 'the more the better'.

Bringing flexibility in your promotional materials adds an element of freshness in your marketing campaign and helps your company stand apart from the rest.

Logo design is an ever-changing industry. Introduction of new technologies and trends prompt various companies to modify their logo designs. Logo of the famous courier company FedEx can serve here as an interesting example.

An Intriguing Example

Richard Runyan designed the original logo of the company in the year 1973. It included the words ‘Federal Express’ in a diagonal manner and was placed against a blue and white background.

In the following years, FedEx expanded its services, forcing the owners to opt for a new design. Consultants advised the owners to shorten brand name of the company. Accordingly, Lindon Leader created a new design, which included the words ‘Fed’ and ‘Ex’. This logo earned appreciation of the designers and target audience as well.

This example highlights the fact to keep up with the latest trends; designers should update the logos accordingly. In the 21st century, the trend is to opt for 3D designs. To know more, read on.

Reasons behind Popularity of 3D Corporate Logo Designs

For the past few years, the 3D industry has been growing rapidly. 3D corporate logo designs have become popular, because they add a realistic touch to brand image of the company. Furthermore, 3D logo designs have a unique appeal and are visually appealing.

Companies who currently possess 2D logo designs need not worry. With the help of professional logo design solutions, they can now convert a conventional 2D logo to a 3D logo.

Picking out a Perfect Business Logo Design

We stated earlier that 3D logo designs are enjoying great popularity currently. However, this does not mean that you should create a design blindly. Paying attention to certain factors, before developing any design is critical. We highlight some of these factors.

• Opt for simple designs. A 3D logo is already creative by itself. Therefore, there is no need to confuse viewers more by adding bright or artistic designs. Keep the designs simple and neat.

• Vector logos, for example, are simple and effective. Rather than including elaborate visuals, they pay emphasis to simple effects and crisp lines. These in turn, help the audience to remember the brand.

• Creating a design that appeals to the aesthetics of the audience is critical. However, do not allow your creative urge to interfere with purposes of the design. Ensure that the design always highlights the main purpose of the company and conveys the right message.

• Avoid designing a logo that solely revolves around latest trends. Considering classic styles, while developing a logo, will retain its timelessness.

In this article, we revealed the reasons behind popularity of 3D designs. Additionally, we offered few tips that will help designers to create perfect logos. We hope that you liked reading the post. Your valuable suggestions and comments are most welcome.