Let us admit the fact-no one loves criticisms, especially the harsh ones. However, the truth is that criticism helps us to grow. Honest feedback about your work will help you to understand the flaws and consequently, correct them.

If you are associated with the logo design industry, this will help you to enhance quality of your work. We offer you few tips that will help you to accept criticisms gracefully.

1. Ignore that Ego

Most people find it difficult to accept that they have committed a mistake. Unfortunately, no one can be right in every situation. If you possess an open mind and admit mistakes, it will be easier for you to accept criticisms gracefully. 

2. Judge an Idea from Various Angles

Avoid blindly assuming that all ideas of yours will be correct. To gain a better understanding, judge the ideas from different angles. This technique will also sharpen your analytical skills. 

3. Listen Carefully

To accept criticisms carefully, you have to listen to the viewpoints of other persons. This will also help you, while dealing with clients. Unless you clearly hear and understand preferences of clients, you will not be able to develop a successful project. In case you do not understand a certain point, always request for a clarification. 

4. Understand that People are Different

Every human being has a unique personality and viewpoints. Accepting the fact that opinions of others may vary from yours will help you to handle criticisms in a positive manner. For best results, judge situations from point of view of others.

5. Be Open towards Discussions

Accepting criticism does not mean that you cannot present your ideas. The best way to deal with criticism is to participate in an interactive session. Listen to the point of view of your colleagues and present your ideas. All these tricks will help you to learn new things and offer you an enriching experience.

6. Try New Skills

The process of learning new skills involves committing mistakes and correcting them. This in turn, will help you to develop an open mind and thus, accept criticisms.

7. Deal with your Fears

If you are afraid of anything, deal with it. Fearing something constantly will not allow you to develop an open mind. This in turn, will interfere with your ability to handle criticisms positively. 

8. Do not be obsessed with Perfection

We all search for a ‘perfect’ job or life. Unfortunately, the moment your life becomes perfect, you stop learning. For this reason, experimenting with new things and pushing yourself out of the comfort zone are critical.

9. Ask Questions

To gain an open-minded attitude, do not shy away from asking questions. Developing a curious attitude will keep you mentally fit.

10. Pay More Importance to Positive Criticisms

Positive criticisms will help you to grow. Negative ones, however, can destroy your confidence. For this reason, filter out the negative criticisms and focus only on the positive ones.

11. Handle Arguments

Handling arguments in a calm way will encourage you to accept criticisms. This will also help you in other areas of life, such as negotiating a raise at work or handling a difficult person.

12. Try to know the Truth

We are not saying that you have to accept criticisms blindly. Evaluate the feedback honestly. In any situation, try to know and accept the truth.

13. Learn to Deal with Uncertainty

Despite the quest for truth, you may not be able to find out answers of certain questions. Learn to accept uncertainty gracefully. This will help you to develop an open mind.

Opt for these points to deal with criticisms.
 

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.

Invention of modern technologies has convinced some designers that sketching and drawing are no longer necessary. However, this is a wrong concept. Sketching offers various advantages, which can be beneficial for any designer. In this article, we will discuss why you should start sharpening your drawing skills.

1. Helps you to create innovative ideas

The major advantage of drawing is that it helps you to come up with innovative ideas. After receiving a project, most of us juggle with various ideas. Later, we narrow down these ideas to select the perfect option. Sketching simplifies this process.

Let us assume that you are creating corporate logo designs for a mobile phone company. This means that your logo should revolve around mobile phone. However, for attracting attention of consumers, you will have to present this logo in a unique way. Now, this is where the importance of sketching lies.

With sketching, you can create various ideas, modify them, and finally, choose the best one. In brief, with the help of sketching, you can utilize your creativity fully.

2. Requires simple tools

To sketch, you need a pen and paper. Compared to laptops, carrying pen and paper is easier. Moreover, you may not be allowed to carry laptops everywhere. However, no such restrictions regarding pen and paper exist. You can carry them at museums, amusement parks, riverside, rural areas-in short, anywhere and start sketching.

3. Utilizes your artistic potential

Even in this technologically advanced age, some designers would agree that holding a pencil is different from holding a mouse. Drawing with the help of pencil is a natural process. When you use a pencil, your drawing becomes more natural and fluid.

Using a mouse, on the other hand, is artificial and somewhat forced.

4. Helps you to develop a crucial skill

One cannot deny the fact that pencil sketches form the basis of any design. If you want to succeed as a graphic designer, you should be aware of the basics. For this reason, sharpening your drawing skills is critical.

Moreover, as a designer, you should possess various skill-sets, which include pencil drawing as well. Powerful drawing skills will enable you to produce ideas quickly on paper. This in turn, can impress your boss or client.

5. Encourages you to understand various aspects of design

As stated earlier, pencil drawings form the basis of any design. If you create pencil sketches during the initial stages, you will gain a deeper understanding of the overall logo design. Familiarity with the base will help you to understand various other elements that create the design. This in turn, will allow you to justify your designs, before the clients.

We discussed various advantages of drawing. Hope you enjoyed reading it!
 

Many companies, especially new ones, prefer to split their corporate identity project between two firms. More specifically, they choose one firm for designing their website and another for creating print marketing materials. Unfortunately, this strategy may not yield an impressive result.

Since two different design firms work on a single project (though in different areas), chances are high that inconsistency between these two aspects will exist. This in turn, can confuse your target customers. Still, in certain situations, this may appear as the exclusive option.

Today, in this article, we will highlight situations, where you can think about dividing your corporate identity design project. Furthermore, we will offer tips that will help you to maintain consistency between works of two different firms.

Reasons for splitting a project:

1. Lack of time- This is the primary reason why many companies opt for services of two different companies. Let us assume that you need to launch a product within a specified time. Unfortunately, you fail to find a firm that can complete the project within the deadline. In such a situation, dividing the project between two firms will be a great idea. Both of them will receive limited workload and manage to complete the project within the specified time.

2. Lack of options- You find a firm that offers excellent web design services. Unfortunately, you do not find their print design samples interesting. The logical way to handle this situation is to find a firm that offers good print design services. If you find such a company, you may split the project.

3. Lack of money- You come across a company that excels in web and print design services. Unfortunately, their price is high. In such a situation, you may consider handing them over a particular aspect of their project, such as web design. For print design services, you can contact another company who offers affordable rates. This way, you can stick to your budget and yet, complete the project.

Tips that will help you to handle the post-split situation:

1. Be honest

If you have decided to split the project between two firms, explain the reasons to both of them. Honesty is important, because it may convince these two firms to communicate with each other and create a consistent brand identity. However, remember that two firms may not always be ready to interact with each other.

2. Assign separate deadlines

The main disadvantage of splitting a project is inconsistency in brand image of a company. You can minimize this disadvantage by assigning web design services to a company first. Once they are done with web designing, you can get in touch with another company for logo design services. This will ensure that the printing materials are consistent with your website designs.
Dividing a project can mess up brand identity of your company. However, if you do not have any option, you may consider it. In such a situation, opt for these tips to reduce the disadvantages.
 

Creating a unique logo design is not an easy process. You need to opt for several brainstorming sessions and develop original ideas. Additionally, you should ensure that the logo represents values of the company correctly. In the midst of all these activities, it is easy to commit mistakes that can hamper quality of the design.

In this article, we will discuss why you should avoid these mistakes. Furthermore, we will highlight the alternative strategies.

1. Using legal phrases in business logo design

Many people are desperate to convince people that their companies are genuine. For this reason, they ask logo designers to incorporate legal phrases, such as LLP, Inc., or LLC in designs. However, this is not a right strategy.

Consider business logo designs of famous companies, such as IBM, KFC, and Shell. Did they include legal phrases in their logos? No. Still, they have managed to convince people about their authenticity. Likewise, you can also encourage people to trust your company, without putting phrases in logo designs.

As mentioned above, people are not used to seeing legal phrases in logo designs. Therefore, if you incorporate them, chances are high that it will confuse them. Rather, incorporate these legal phrases in legal documents.

2. Incorporating contact information in logo

Placing contact information in logo messes up the design. The aesthetic appeal of the logo is lost and it appears like a forced advertisement. Another disadvantage of this strategy is that your contact information may change occasionally. In such a situation, you will have to redesign your logo.

For these reasons, avoid putting contact information in the logo design.

3. Relying heavily on colors

A creative logo design should be simple and soothing to the eyes. For this reason, sticking to one or two colors can be a great idea. Consider logos of famous companies, such as Coca Cola, Shell, and Starbucks. They have used one or two colors in their logos - red, yellow and red, and green respectively.

If you use excessive colors in logo designs, it may confuse the viewers. Furthermore, it may interfere with the recall value of designs. People usually associate a company with a particular color. If you use excessive colors, they will fail to pick out a particular color that could have helped them to relate with the company.

We highlighted few logo design mistakes. Avoid them and consider the alternative strategies.

Most people will agree that when it comes to developing logo designs, creativity is the most critical skill. An intriguing and original logo design is bound to attract attention of people and increase awareness about the company it represents.

The latest trend in the logo designing industry is to incorporate eye-catching fonts and symbols in logos. Apart from these, many designers now use images of fruits and vegetables in logos to create an interesting effect. Colorful fruits and vegetables symbolize health, happiness and have a positive effect on the minds of people. Many designers are utilizing this psychology cleverly to lend a unique appeal to their logos.

Read on to know more about creating fruit and vegetable logos:

• Pay attention to simplicity

Some designers mistakenly believe that complicated designs will leave a lasting impression on people. However, this is a wrong concept. Complicated logos include more elements and this in turn, interferes with their recall value.

A simple logo, on the other hand, has a clean appeal and allows people to remember it easily. Therefore, if you want to create a logo that people will recall even after many years, go for simple ones.

• Color is crucial

When it comes to fruit and vegetable logos, color is a critical factor. If you are highlighting a particular fruit or vegetable, retaining its original color would be a great idea. This means that if your logo includes a cherry, do not change its color to yellow for the sake of creativity. Retaining original color of the fruit or vegetable will help people to identify it more quickly.

Additionally, if you are using two or more colors in the logo, ensure that they complement each other. Make sure that the logo has a refreshing and soothing effect on the eyes.

• Consider your target audience

Before you create fruit and vegetable logos, consider your target audience. If you own a serious corporate website, for example, a fruit or vegetable logo will not be appropriate. On the other hand, if you specialize in online delivery of fruits, vegetables, groceries, and organic foods, this type of logo is suitable. Additionally, graphic design companies and even restaurants can opt for this type of custom logo design.

• Make it memorable

Try to create logos that are stylish and memorable. For example, you can twist a certain aspect of the fruit or vegetable to create a smiley. Furthermore, ensure that the logo contains a timeless appeal, so that people will remember it even after 10 years.

Fruits and vegetables represent health and happiness. Incorporating them in logo designs, therefore, can evoke a positive reaction from your target audience. However, these logos may not be suitable for every target audience. Therefore, evaluate preferences of your target customers, before creating fruit/vegetable logo designs.

Did you know that a business logo design consists of three aspects and each part has a specific purpose? These aspects can include icon, color scheme, and font. All these three aspects work together to convey message of your company to the targeted audience.

Isn’t attracting attention of people the only purpose of a business logo design?

This concept is partially true. One of the purposes of the logo design, of course, is to attract attention of the target audience. However, it has other purposes as well.

The main purpose of your logo’s icon is to convey your brand story to the clients, via the symbols. It can be added here that using symbols to tell a story or deliver a message is known as symbology. Implementing this strategy is a good idea because it will help you to connect with your target customers.

To gain better understanding of the concept, you can consider logo of the popular ice cream store, Baskin Robins. You may think that their logo highlights initials of the company, i.e. BR. However, if you look closely, you will find that the number 31 is highlighted in the logo. The company has used the number 31 in their logo to spread the message that it sells 31 varieties of ice creams, a different one for every single day of the month.

Types of symbols

Symbols are usually of two types - representational and abstract.

• Representational symbols usually highlight animal, person, or an object. Logo design of the famous Jaguar car company smartly utilizes a representational symbol (a jaguar) in its logo.

• Abstract symbols, on the other hand, highlight basic shapes that can include circles, squares, and even swooshes. Logo of the Nike company utilizes abstract symbols.

Which symbol should I Choose?

Picking out the right symbol can be quite tricky. You need to consider your brand story, target audience, and the message that you want to deliver. It is difficult to state the type of symbol you should choose, without observing your logo.

However, we can advise you to study meanings of various symbols. It will help you to choose the one that complements the story of your company. Gather as much information as you can about logo designs. Alternatively, you can hire a logo designer for developing an interesting design.

Other purposes of a logo design

Apart from telling a story, a logo needs to fulfill other functions. It should be-

1. Memorable- It should leave a lasting impression on minds of the audience.
2. Unique- It should possess a unique appeal.
3. Timeless- It should not rely on current trends. Rather, people should be able to relate with the logo, even ten years down the line.
4. Scalable- The logo should be scalable. This means that it should look good, in any size.

If your logo possesses these qualities, chances are high that it will be able to win hearts of the audience. Consider these tips to create an intriguing logo design.

As designers, we create logos for various projects. While clients approve some designs, others wait to be picked. These rejected designs, in turn, can lead a designer to various types of dilemmas and problems.

Let us assume that you developed a corporate logo design, one that highlights your skills. Unfortunately, the client, for whom you created the design, rejected it. After few months, you find a client who offers a brief description of his requirement. Immediately, you realize that the previously rejected logo would meet requirement of this new client.

This situation lands you in a dilemma. You are aware of the fact that if you tell the truth to your client, chances are high that he will pay you a negligible amount. The client may argue that you did not research about his industry and target audience, and therefore, he will not pay you your usual fees.

On the other hand, you think that you have invested sufficient efforts (for a previous project) and deserve to receive the normal rates. You realize the fact that honesty may help you to earn appreciation from the client. However, it will not help you pay your bills. The problem lies in the fact that you want to be honest and acquire your usual fees at the same time.

Therefore, what should you do? We offer few tips that will help you to deal with the situation. You can choose any one of these or even combine few strategies:

• Logo design is a constantly evolving industry. Therefore, the design that you created few months ago, may not be suitable currently. To prevent suspicion of the client, evaluate the old design and make necessary changes

• It is true that you have not invested any effort for this particular project. Charging a client full amount, without researching about his/her industry and audience is ethically incorrect. Therefore, even if you think that the logo is perfect, you should evaluate it and make modifications, if required. This will allow you to stay true to yourself.

• If you want to be honest to the client, tell him that you already possess a design that fulfills his requirement. As mentioned earlier, the disadvantage of this option is that you may receive a negligible amount, despite investing efforts earlier. To protect your interest and retain your values, request the client for a security fee beforehand. This means that even if the client pays you a reduced amount, you will still manage to pay your bills.

We highlighted few strategies that will help you to deal with the situation. Opt for the one that helps you to maintain your values and protects your interest at the same time.

People starting a new logo design business often prefer spending limited amounts of money for marketing their products. The reason is that they have limited cash flow and customers initially. They think that once they acquire more customers, they will opt for professional services for marketing their products.

Unfortunately, they are unaware of the fact that not taking help of professional services for creating a logo or marketing their products can complicate the goal of drawing more clients. Additionally, it may create an unprofessional image of one’s business. If you want to know how amateur marketing can harm your business, read on.

1. Your business will appear unprofessional

Professional marketing can create a polished image of your logo design company. Amateur marketing, on the other hand, can make customers feel that you are not serious about your company. This in turn, will convince them that you do not care about the quality of your work or services.

2. It will create an unstable image of your company

Unprofessional marketing can never earn trust of clients. Rather, it will convince them that your business will fail within few months. It is obvious that no one prefers to associate himself/herself with a company that is likely to fail soon.

3. You will not appear a genuine company

Companies willing to establish themselves as reliable companies always opt for professional marketing services for enhancing their image. For this reason, if you use amateur services or avoid using a logo, you will fail to create a positive impression on minds of the people. Furthermore, they may suspect that you are a fraudulent company.

4. You will appear uncoordinated

Uncoordinated marketing products can create a confused image of your company. More specifically, if your website and business card have different looks, it may confuse your target customers. Sometimes, they may not even realize that all these products represent the same company.

Surveys reveal that nearly 50% of new companies experience failure within 2-3 years. They further state that ineffective marketing is one common factor that contributes to the failure of most new companies. To avoid such a situation, it is important to opt for professional services that will distinguish your company from that of your competitors and provide you with an extra edge.

Take the help of professionals to create awareness about your company, highlight your products and you will receive a loyal fan following within a short time!

Some logo designers believe that only creative skills are required to gain a strong foothold in this industry. This concept, unfortunately, is only partially true. Of course, when it comes to developing unique logo designs, creativity plays a crucial role. However, to sell your designs and create a strong identity as a designer, you need to implement additional techniques.

We provide you with few tips that will help you to impress any client, enhance your income, and most importantly, acquire more logo design projects.

1. Identify your potential clients

Figuring out for whom you would like to work, is critical. It helps you to identify people whose requirements and values match with that of yours. This in turn, would save your time, money, and energy.

Let us assume that you want to start a logo designing project as quickly as possible (for reasons such as money, impending holiday, or whatever). If your client says that he/she can approve after the project, only after his/her higher authorities agree to it, it can be a difficult situation for you. You are already running out of time and in this situation, you have to wait for an indefinite period.

In this case, if you had identified your potential client beforehand (a single person or a small group of people), it would not have resulted in such a complicated situation.

2. Ask the client to provide you with detailed information

Before agreeing to the project, ask the client for detailed information. You can ask questions, such as ‘What logos you like the most?’, ‘What message you want the new logo to convey?’, ‘Who is your target audience?’ Asking these questions will help you to modify the design, according to the client’s preferences.

3. Research about the client’s company

This step is important because it would help you to set your price correctly. If you ask for a mere $500, for example, from a company that is worth $30-50 million, you will not gain anything financially. Moreover, it will lower your value in the industry.

For this reason, before you quote a price, research about the client’s background. If he/she is unaware of how the logo should be used, arrange an educational session for the person. This will help you to enhance your worth, in eyes of the client and get your quoted price.

4. Opt for full color

Presenting logo designs in full colors will help you to earn appreciation of the client. Even if the client does not offer any color specifications, always present colored logo designs.

5. Highlight a great logo by comparing it with a horrible one

Many designers use the trick of presenting few great logos, along with a horrible one. This horrible logo forces clients to observe positive features of a good logo and reaffirms the belief that they are on the right path.

Of course, sometimes, clients nearly cause a heart attack by picking out the horrible logo. In such a situation, excuse yourself for few minutes and think about the possible options.

Opt for these tips to earn what you deserve and maintain a warm relationship with your clients.