Since logos are designed to be seen by lots of people, the habit of using stock images can be pretty limiting. Therefore, as a professional designer, you should avoid using them in your design as much as possible. Here is why-:

Stock images are other people’s visions

Uniqueness is one aspect in logo design that is greatly admired. Everyone desires to have a logo that is unique to them and will never be found in any other place. Stock photos will always be another person’s idea or inspiration and using them in your logo will deny you the chance to be creative. It will also deny our clients the chance to have a unique logo. Besides, you may never manage to capture or stimulate the right emotions when you rely on another person’s image in your logo design.

There is no originality in using stock photo

The other danger of using stock images in logo design is the fact they lack in originality. Stock Photos offer free resources accessible to millions of people in the world. It is important to realize that millions of designers rely on such photos and download a lot of them on a daily basis. If you decide to use one in your logo design, you risk downloading a photo that has been downloaded and used for several times.

By this virtue alone, your logo design will lack originality, and you should not be surprised if you came across similar logo just like yours on the internet. You will lose the “wow” element of the logo. Those who see it may fail to see any inspiration in the design process. If you are a designer who loves originality, you will not want to use the stock photos.

Stock Photos are costly in the long run

Stock photos may be appealing if you need a quick fix for the design because you can get them quite cheaply and easily. However, you should not forget that cheap is always expensive in the long run. There are some direct costs involved in using stock photos in your logo other than the licensing fees, which in some cases may be very high, depending on the quality of the photo.

Again, it will take you a lot of time to scour through hundreds or even thousands of photos before you find the final one to use in your logo design. Besides, there are no guarantees that the stock photo will meet all your design purposes. Hence, using stock photos might just be a costly waste of time and resource compared to coming up with a design from scratch or using custom photos for the logo design.

Perfect logo or good enough logo

Before you decide on the image to use in your logo, you need to consider the goals and the vision of the logo. This should essentially come from the goals and objectives of the design as well as the kind of emotions you need to be evoked on those who will be seeing the image. Finding a stock photo that will meet such a specific is not easy.

In most of the times, you will use imagery close to what you wanted but not actually what will manage to meet all your design requirements. Essentially, stock photos will be “just good enough” but won’t let you have the perfect logo that will drive the brand of your business.

Stock photos are generic and boring in logo design

The other reason stock photos should never be used in logo design is because they are generic and very boring. It is very difficult to establish an immediate connection with the logo using a stock photo compared to a logo designed with a custom image.

By simply looking at logo with a stock photo, the audience will easily decipher that the image is not real or does not belong to the company hence you lose a chance to create an authentic connection with the audience. It implies that you have failed in creating credibility and trust with the potential audience, and this might cost the business regarding branding.

There are certain occasions when you might bump into very good quality stock images but as a professional designer, you should rely on your skills, expertise and intuition to use original images that will bring out the unique components of the logo.

Learn if it is possible to create a logo that transcends time here. 

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During your career as a designer, there will be certain times when clients will show less appreciation for the work you have done to them. In some instances, some clients will reject your work and even ask that you give them refunds. As a professional designer, these are normal occurrences, having in mind that design is a very subjective matter, where two people will always see the same thing differently.

What matters is your ability to win over the dejected client, and make them see and understand your vision so that they can approve your designs. This should not be a very difficult task if you have been in the industry for a while, but for the very new in design, here is what you should do when a client is not convinced with your design:

Confidence is important

In the face of rejection by a client, you must keep you head high with the full confidence knowing you are the professional and you’ve got things under control. Any sign of lack of confidence will only cement your client’s fears about your incompetence, and it will be very difficult to win them over again.

In all your explanation to the client, maintain your sharpness, speak with a strong but gentle voice, and make the client believe that you indeed know what you are talking about and that they are in safe hands when dealing with you. If you can prove to the client that you are confident, they will have faith in you and be convinced that you have what it takes to do the job.

Explain your thought process

A client is likely to disagree with your piece of work if they don’t understand how you did what you did. To overcome this, all you need to do is to explain to them your thought process in simple terms. You don’t have to go deep into the technicalities of the design to achieve this. The best approach is to refer to the project brief, and then tell the client what you did according to their initial requirements.

When you do this, you will be throwing the ball back to their court by showing them that you did exactly what they asked you to do. For instance, if they are worried about your choice of fonts and colors, refer them back to their target audience then justify your use of the various fonts and colors in the design.

Give them examples to back your arguments

The other way of convincing a client and making them believe in your design is to show them some of your past works that were applauded by other clients. If it is a design concept you can’t agree on, look for other great designs that used the same concept to show them that you are really on the right track, and there is no cause for alarm.

This will make you appear more legitimate and as someone who understands what he is doing. If they can have past references in this manner, it will be easy for them to trust you and accept your designs.

Give assurance and guarantees

Client rejections are likely to ensue whenever your skills and expertise is in doubt by the client. To overturn this, all you have to do is to prove that you are indeed a professional with the capability of producing a good design. You do this by giving them assurance that you will use all your skills, experience and expertise to do whatever it takes to deliver a great product. Also, open up to them and tell them that you will offer revisions until they are fully satisfied with the design. When they are assured of the services they will be getting from you, their chances of rejecting your design will be very low.

Offer them options – theirs and yours

In instances when you encounter very rigid clients who want you to implement their designs to the tee even if you know very well that it won’t be the correct thing to do, simply give in but offer them two options. Design what they want using their skewed concept then design your own, taking into account all the professional consideration they refused to take in, then show them both designs. In this case, they will feel in control and at the same you shall have shown them your vision, and it will be easier for them to adopt you design once they see their flaws.

Learn how to pick your battles wisely

You should remember that you will not always win such battles with clients. Know that you are being paid to do what the client wants. Offer your professional opinions diligently and respectfully and try as much as possible to please the client. But also know when to take a step back and let the clients have their way.

Keep our top tips for satisfying tough clients in mind to guide you further! 

The post What to Do When a Client Is Not Happy With Your Design appeared first on LogoMaven | Easy Logo Design Software & Logo Maker.

The decision by a company to redesign their logo is usually a serious one that requires a lot of consideration. The established brands considering rebranding run the risk of alienating some of their loyal customers while the less established ones may be moving too fast to rebrand before they have a chance to evaluate the effects of their current logo. But such an uncertainty on the possible outcomes of a redesign should never discourage a company from doing a logo makeover. Most of the big companies usually hire marketing professionals to oversee the entire redesign process. Whereas some have managed to get impressive results with the new redesigns, some redesigns became disasters thus a regrettable branding move by the businesses. Below are the top ten worst logo redesigns conducted by various companies in the recent years-:

Bacardi

Bacardi is a world’s famous rum brand. The company decided to redesign its logo to feature a design that was used way back in the 1930s as a way of dramatizing the Cuban history. The result of this logo redesign was a disaster since it ended up showing a roughly polished bat and the font used to in the company name were also less rosy than the previous ones.

Black Decker

Black Decker is a popular appliance and tool manufacturer. It’s attempts to rebrand itself, including redesigning their logo’s went south by all standards. The new design is just plain and boring, and many people have voiced their concerns with regards to this, but seemingly, Black Decker is adamant to do something about it.

YMCA England

YMCA England is a charitable organization and whereas we are trying to focus on the failed logo redesign attempts by businesses and other corporate organizations, the terrible failure of the redesign by YMCA England is screaming too much to be ignored. The organization tried to modernize its logo only to end with an ugly logo that was far much worse than the initial one. The current logo looks more of an AC/DC logo, entirely unsuitable for an organization of its caliber.

The Hershey Company

Logos in the present times no longer have photo-realistic images of one of their products. The Hershey Company had such a type of a logo hence it was necessary to redesign to reflect the current trends in the design as well in the marketing world. In the process of modifying the logo, they decided to do away with the last S, which was present in the first logo and this ruined everything. It appeared flat and displayed apparent lack of maturity in the new logo redesign.

Cole Haan

Cole Haan is a men’s footwear brand, but it is currently making steady inroads into the fashion industry by introducing a variety of clothes, shoes, and accessories for both men and women. In its rebranding process, it redesigned its original logo that was a simple logotype of Cole Haan with a piece of a needle and thread in between. The current logo redesign is just a simple logotype of “Cole Haan” with the year of the establishment on a blue backdrop. Many people think that they have relaxed their artsy charm in the new logo, and they are trying to ape the likes of Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren.

Olive Garden

Following a terrible marketing spell that led to the Italian restaurant raking in huge losses, they decided on a major redesign aimed at attracting a younger and enthusiastic crowd. However, their logo redesign ended up being flat with the faux-handwriting font appearing to be unappealing to the intended target audience. The rebranding did not help them tap the new client base they were hoping to get.

Brut

Brut is a men’s grooming line, and it attempted a logo redesign to have something appealing to the younger men. The result ended up being a very simplistic design that might not even appeal to the adolescent boys.

Nationwide

Nationwide is an insurance agency, and it decided to redesign its logo to something similar to what they used to have before 1998 but with a few modern updates. Initially, the logo used to feature a blue frame, but the new one became one of the worst logo redesigns and has a blue eagle that the company claims to be easily recognizable to many people. The new design, however, looks like a terrible college logo lacking coherence with a renowned insurance company like Nationwide.

Monster Worldwide

With over 200 million registered users, Monster Worldwide thought that it was a great time to rebrand. The resulting one of the worst logo redesigns was in the form of a new flag with 3D effects. This is something completely different from what they had in the past, and it ended up being entirely off the mark. Many users felt lost, as it was as if they were dealing with a totally new company.

Airbnb

Airbnb, one of the worst logo redesigns is another great display of lack of maturity and creativity in the design world – according to the sentiments of some professional graphics designers. The new logo is visibly awkward, with similarities to some body parts that a majority of people don’t appreciate as part of a marketing tool for any company. However, the company seems to be in love with their logo, and they don’t mind the dirty jokes people are making about it. I guess if you don’t like it then you will just get used to it.

Check out these iconic logos to gain inspiration from brands that have stood the test of time. 

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. AppMaven LLC or LogoMaven is not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned on this post. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

The post Top 10 Worst Logo Redesigns appeared first on LogoMaven | Easy Logo Design Software & Logo Maker.

It is always the expectation of the client that the graphic designer will be detail oriented. Designers are usually expected to wear more than one hat at the same time. This frequently leads to simple mistakes that can end up ruining the overall aesthetic appeal of the final piece. If you are a budding designer, below are some of the common graphic design mistakes that even some pros find themselves making. Watch out for them to reduce your chances of becoming a victim:

Failing to understand the project brief

At the onset of every design project, the designer will be presented with a project brief by the client. This brief contains all the client requirements, and it should be used by the designer to envision the kind of work that a client wants. Many designers, however, are never patient to go through the brief and ensure that they understand every detail. If you are unable to get a clear mental picture of what the client wants, then you will not be in a position to meet their demands. As a solution, therefore, take the time to go through the brief in detail, make notes, brainstorm ideas and try to keep in touch with the client in case you need to seek for clarification or approval on modification.

Always working within the box

As a designer, you have the liberty to explore as much as you want so long as you keep the quality stellar and within the requirements of the clients. Many designers, however, are afraid of breaking out of the box. They are timid of using their intuition to try and come up with unique designs. This not only curtails your development as a graphic designer but also make you create flat, generic and boring designs. The solution to stop working in the box is to get creative and allow yourself the freedom to explore various design concepts for varied results. The client is paying for your creativity because they want unique designs. Hence, you should not let yourself get trapped in the box.

Overloading fonts on the same design

It is imperative that every work features clearly formatted designs to avoid cramming and distorting the intended image of conception. This is also the only way to create consistency and avoid many layers of fonts on the same piece. As a general rule, it is advisable to stick to two different fonts and vary the font weight if you need to create highlights on the same piece of work. The overloading of fonts is surprisingly one of the common graphic design mistakes that even professionals who have been in the industry for decades still make. Watch out for it lest you become a victim.

Failure to spell check for errors

As a graphic designer, there is nothing that replaces the need to be as detailed as possible, especially when working on a project dealing with printed work. Failure to spell check for errors is some of the notorious and very costly graphic design mistakes that befall many people. Can you imagine the consequences of printing the wrong phone number on a company’s billboard or on a nationwide print ad? These are the kinds of graphic design mistakes that can attract potential lawsuits if you are a freelance designer. To avoid such, all you have to do is to develop a detail oriented attitude and always double check before you submit the final design.

Overusing Stock Images

Stock images are immensely useful for designers who cannot hire professional photographers. But while you use stock images, be warned that there are quite a number of them that are very frequent in the design circuit. Since they have been used by other designers on many projects, using them will make your design be overly familiar. Simply reduce the temptation to use stock imagery as the focus of your design if you don’t want to have common designs. Just remember that if you think that the image is great, then other several designers might be holding the same opinion, hence, might have used the same photo on their work. As a designer, the last thing you need is to use something that might make people question your originality and proficiency in design.

Not showing your clients work in progress

Effective communication with clients is one of the most cited graphic design mistakes. It is especially prevalent with the new designers who have not gained adequate experience and confidence to show their work. It is crucial for every designer to follow up with the client and keep them updated on the progress of their assignments. The client will thus have a chance to critic the work and suggest corrections in good time before you go deep into the design. In addition to this, proper communication with the client is the difference between them coming back to you with more projects or going out to look for other designers.

Even though you may not be proficient in design yet, don’t allow yourself to be entangled with these graphic design mistakes. Always be conscious of them and try as much as possible to avoid making them.

Learn more about choosing the right typography for your graphic design projects, here!

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