When starting out in financial services, insurance or accounting, one of the all important first decisions to make is your logo design and overall branding strategy. The financial services industry is so competitive these days that having a strong brand is essential to help you stand out in a very crowded market place.
As you develop your business plan, try to understand more about your customers and think about how you want them to perceive your company.
Traditionally, companies in finance, banking, insurance and accounting have featured themes in their logos that relate to strength, reliability and stability. Images of pillars, a lion, bricks or a mountain can convey these themes.
Companies in these fields also have traditionally tried to highlight their professionalism and attention to detail. Images of pencils, scales or charts can go along way towards letting customers know exactly what your company does and how you go about doing it.
However some of these themes and imagery in logo design in these industries can look a little clichéd, old fashioned and boring. The key is to try and be original by conveying the same message that financial companies always have but convey it in a modern, interesting way.
When people are going to putting a lot of trust into a financial institution it is generally better to have a serious, conservative looking logo design.
You should avoid currency symbols as they can appear crude or amateurish on a logo for the finance, insurance or accounting industries.
Give plenty of thought to color as a lot of meaning and emotion can be conveyed through its careful use. Financial and insurance institutions have typically gone with black representing seriousness, red for strength, white for truth, and darker shades of blue for security, professionalism and faithfulness. Some modern companies are shaking up tradition though and are starting to go with a whole variety of colors so you by no means have to limit yourself here.
Financial institutions should use a bold face font to express strength and stability and have typically gone with readable, conservative, formal fonts. Most companies in the financial services follow convention and place the font below the logo image.
Having a great logo design for financial, insurance or accounting company is easy these days with so many ways to a get a logo online or offline. Get your business off to a great start and invest in a great logo design that can carry your business forward to success!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Ordering a Custom Logo Online – Briefing your Logo Designer
To get the logo that is best for your company you have to be able to communicate clearly with your logo designer to get your ideas across to him or her.
When you order a custom logo online you will always be given a briefing form to complete. It is worth taking the time to go through this form carefully. If you don’t include precise information about your company and what you want then the designer has nothing to go on and will come up with concepts that are not appropriate
While good designers may do some research on their own it is important that you pass on as much information as possible to them to assist them in the design process.
The following article outlines the things that you should consider when completing the briefing form before you email your order to your chosen online logo designer.
Nature of your Company and Brand
As a customer ordering a logo you should try to fully convey the nature and character of your business to the logo design company. What is your brand (or the brand you want to develop) all about?
One way to convey to the designer what your company is about is to offer some words that describe your business. Give the logo designer a list of words such as ‘reliable’, ‘modern’, ‘great customer service’ etc to help them fully understand you.
You should let you designers have a detailed profile of your business and let them know about the industry you are in and your position within it.
Your Customers
You should also let the designer have a clear idea of who your customers are, their values and the image that you want to project to them. If you are marketing to a specific demographic let your designer know so that he/she can design something to target that particular group.
Why do you need a Logo?
Let your designer know how you intend to use the logo? Of course you can request a logo for all purposes but if you only need a logo for a website or a select few other reasons then that will help your logo designer immensely.
Design Preferences
Do you have any preferences for images, shape, style, color or font? Is there anything that you really don’t want?
While you will want to give your designers as much creative freedom as possible it is important to put some constraints on them if you really have something specific in mind. Should the shape be long, stretching across the page, should it be more of a ‘top left hand corner’ square shape or can it be a circular shape?
Examples
Offering the designer links to the logos of other companies can be helpful although you really want to differentiate your company from your competitors as much as possible. You may even consider providing examples of logos that you don’t like so that your logo designer has an idea of what you don’t want.
Unique Value Proposition
Give your logo designer a clear idea of how you distinguish your company from the competition. First you should identify your companies unique ‘value proposition’ which basically means how you differentiate yourself from other companies in your industry. Your unique value proposition may be price, faster service, more variety of products or many other aspects that make your company unique.
Once your designer has sent you the initial concepts you will have to choose one to move forward with for revisions and improvement. Now is the time to ask friends, family and co-workers what they think of the logo design concepts, which design they prefer and what changes need to be made.
By talking to people in your target market you will get the best idea of what kind of logo will work well in your industry. Relying too much on just your own opinion is often a mistake.
If you brief your designer clearly he or she should be able to create a logo design that can serve as the perfect visual representation of your brand for many years.
When you order a custom logo online you will always be given a briefing form to complete. It is worth taking the time to go through this form carefully. If you don’t include precise information about your company and what you want then the designer has nothing to go on and will come up with concepts that are not appropriate
While good designers may do some research on their own it is important that you pass on as much information as possible to them to assist them in the design process.
The following article outlines the things that you should consider when completing the briefing form before you email your order to your chosen online logo designer.
Nature of your Company and Brand
As a customer ordering a logo you should try to fully convey the nature and character of your business to the logo design company. What is your brand (or the brand you want to develop) all about?
One way to convey to the designer what your company is about is to offer some words that describe your business. Give the logo designer a list of words such as ‘reliable’, ‘modern’, ‘great customer service’ etc to help them fully understand you.
You should let you designers have a detailed profile of your business and let them know about the industry you are in and your position within it.
Your Customers
You should also let the designer have a clear idea of who your customers are, their values and the image that you want to project to them. If you are marketing to a specific demographic let your designer know so that he/she can design something to target that particular group.
Why do you need a Logo?
Let your designer know how you intend to use the logo? Of course you can request a logo for all purposes but if you only need a logo for a website or a select few other reasons then that will help your logo designer immensely.
Design Preferences
Do you have any preferences for images, shape, style, color or font? Is there anything that you really don’t want?
While you will want to give your designers as much creative freedom as possible it is important to put some constraints on them if you really have something specific in mind. Should the shape be long, stretching across the page, should it be more of a ‘top left hand corner’ square shape or can it be a circular shape?
Examples
Offering the designer links to the logos of other companies can be helpful although you really want to differentiate your company from your competitors as much as possible. You may even consider providing examples of logos that you don’t like so that your logo designer has an idea of what you don’t want.
Unique Value Proposition
Give your logo designer a clear idea of how you distinguish your company from the competition. First you should identify your companies unique ‘value proposition’ which basically means how you differentiate yourself from other companies in your industry. Your unique value proposition may be price, faster service, more variety of products or many other aspects that make your company unique.
Once your designer has sent you the initial concepts you will have to choose one to move forward with for revisions and improvement. Now is the time to ask friends, family and co-workers what they think of the logo design concepts, which design they prefer and what changes need to be made.
By talking to people in your target market you will get the best idea of what kind of logo will work well in your industry. Relying too much on just your own opinion is often a mistake.
If you brief your designer clearly he or she should be able to create a logo design that can serve as the perfect visual representation of your brand for many years.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Logo Design For a Beauty Salon, Hair Stylist Or Spa Business
When starting out or re-branding a beauty salon, hair salon or spa business, a great logo design is of the utmost importance. This article looks at what logos in these industries are usually like and gives you some ideas about how to go about getting a logo for your health and beauty related business.
The beauty and spa business is all about personal grooming as well as image and effective logos in this industry reflect that by being neat, classy, elegant and exclusive at the same time.
As modern trends in the salon and spa business are towards natural products based on natural plant, fruit and vegetable extracts, colors for logos tend to be natural and not too bright and flashy. Feminine colors are popular, earthy colors such as light browns work well and light blues are common too.
Fonts tend to be classic with characters flowing together in a style that is beautiful, soft and delicate.
A typical image used in beauty and hair logos includes an outline of a female body or face, either abstract or with minor detailing. Other popular imagery includes, hair, hands and eyes.
Most online logo designers have an extensive portfolio of logo designs on their website. Some even have a specific section of health and beauty logos that they have done and this can be a great way to see what you could expect if you go with one of their packages.
A logo will form the base of your salon or spa branding strategy and will be one of the key factors in determining how customers perceive the quality of your services. Like in the fashion industry, beauty salons and spas can command a premium for their services by appealing to an exclusive clientele who want to be part of 'the club'.
A great logo will give your salon or beauty business a unique image that will take you forward to profitability and success.
The beauty and spa business is all about personal grooming as well as image and effective logos in this industry reflect that by being neat, classy, elegant and exclusive at the same time.
As modern trends in the salon and spa business are towards natural products based on natural plant, fruit and vegetable extracts, colors for logos tend to be natural and not too bright and flashy. Feminine colors are popular, earthy colors such as light browns work well and light blues are common too.
Fonts tend to be classic with characters flowing together in a style that is beautiful, soft and delicate.
A typical image used in beauty and hair logos includes an outline of a female body or face, either abstract or with minor detailing. Other popular imagery includes, hair, hands and eyes.
Most online logo designers have an extensive portfolio of logo designs on their website. Some even have a specific section of health and beauty logos that they have done and this can be a great way to see what you could expect if you go with one of their packages.
A logo will form the base of your salon or spa branding strategy and will be one of the key factors in determining how customers perceive the quality of your services. Like in the fashion industry, beauty salons and spas can command a premium for their services by appealing to an exclusive clientele who want to be part of 'the club'.
A great logo will give your salon or beauty business a unique image that will take you forward to profitability and success.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Shopping for Logos - How to Compare Custom Logo Design Firms
With the number of companies offering logo design services on the Internet increasing on a daily basis it is challenging for online shoppers to determine which company to go with. Above all the other options we suggest going for a custom-made logo design as this is a good method of getting something especially made for your business for a reasonable amount of money.
In this report we outline several of the factors that one should take into consideration prior to picking a firm for the critical assignment of putting together your company's logo, the face of your brand.
Cost is one selection consideration that shoppers usually rank as being important. Low price doesn't always mean poor quality or service but in general you get what you pay for. Look for value instead of just choosing the cheapest alternative.
You could find that you are facing legal troubles before too long if you purchase a design that infringes on another company's trademark. Going with a US based logo firm is generally the safer approach as they can usually ensure that you have exclusive rights to the images used in your logo.
Start out by looking at the portfolios of a number of companies offering custom logo services. Many place their earlier design work into industry categories so you can see the projects that they have done in the past for businesses similar to yours.
As soon as you find a selection of firms that seem promising you can begin to compare packages and see what they include for the price. Consider the following points.
1) Will more than one designer be involved with your project? The more expensive packages usually offer preliminary designs from at least two designers to offer a few different angles on what you are looking for.
2) How many preliminary concepts will be offered to you for you to choose from? And will they all be markedly different design variations or will some of them be similar or only offer color variations.
3) How many times are you able to request alterations? Custom logo businesses usually offer a number of preliminary designs and the purchaser then has to select their favorite with the chance to have revisions carried out.
4) Find out how long it takes to complete the design process and when you can expect to have the designs emailed to you, especially if you are rushing to get them.
5) The money back policies set out by every logo company will be different. They often seem to offer a generous policy on their website but escape from their obligations in the fine print. Be sure to read the fine print relating to money back and satisfaction guarantees.
Make sure that you are clear when you communicate your logo specifications to the provider. Be meticulous when filling out the briefing form so that they can fully understand what your business is about and have an exact comprehension of what you require.
Investigate the market and proceed carefully and you will find that you can get a professional looking custom business logo without breaking the bank.
In this report we outline several of the factors that one should take into consideration prior to picking a firm for the critical assignment of putting together your company's logo, the face of your brand.
Cost is one selection consideration that shoppers usually rank as being important. Low price doesn't always mean poor quality or service but in general you get what you pay for. Look for value instead of just choosing the cheapest alternative.
You could find that you are facing legal troubles before too long if you purchase a design that infringes on another company's trademark. Going with a US based logo firm is generally the safer approach as they can usually ensure that you have exclusive rights to the images used in your logo.
Start out by looking at the portfolios of a number of companies offering custom logo services. Many place their earlier design work into industry categories so you can see the projects that they have done in the past for businesses similar to yours.
As soon as you find a selection of firms that seem promising you can begin to compare packages and see what they include for the price. Consider the following points.
1) Will more than one designer be involved with your project? The more expensive packages usually offer preliminary designs from at least two designers to offer a few different angles on what you are looking for.
2) How many preliminary concepts will be offered to you for you to choose from? And will they all be markedly different design variations or will some of them be similar or only offer color variations.
3) How many times are you able to request alterations? Custom logo businesses usually offer a number of preliminary designs and the purchaser then has to select their favorite with the chance to have revisions carried out.
4) Find out how long it takes to complete the design process and when you can expect to have the designs emailed to you, especially if you are rushing to get them.
5) The money back policies set out by every logo company will be different. They often seem to offer a generous policy on their website but escape from their obligations in the fine print. Be sure to read the fine print relating to money back and satisfaction guarantees.
Make sure that you are clear when you communicate your logo specifications to the provider. Be meticulous when filling out the briefing form so that they can fully understand what your business is about and have an exact comprehension of what you require.
Investigate the market and proceed carefully and you will find that you can get a professional looking custom business logo without breaking the bank.
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