This goes against the ethics of design, and it is your responsibility to guide the confused design customer so that you let them understand what you intend to do and ensure that it is according to their expectations.

Presented here is a simple guide you can use to give effective guidance to a confused design client when they approach you for your services-:

What is the nature of their business?

No matter the kind of graphics design project you have in mind, your work will always be targeted towards a particular audience and this is determined by the nature of goods and services that the client is offering to their customers. The first process towards guiding a confused design client is to ask them about the nature of their business.

Explain to them that this will enable you understand the design approach to take so that you can give relevant designs suited for their kind of business. Besides, it is your duty to customize the design and come up with unique ideas that will let you set apart your confused design client’s business.

Who are the competitors?

However confused a design client might appear, they will always know who they are up against in their respective industry. While guiding them through the design process, ask them who their competitors are and if there are any particular designs the competitors have that they find intriguing.

This is so that as the designer, you will gain deeper insights into what the competitions is doing, learn the deficiencies present among the competitor so that you can exploit them to come up with superior designs that will elevate your client’s brand above the rest.

What is the preferred image of the business?

Certain confused design clients will have no idea whatsoever on the image they want for their business. Though it happens rarely, it is your obligation as the designer to help the client understand the image that their business is likely to project and advise them that you will be using the same image during the design.

You can begin by asking them what they want the customers to think about their business, the kinds of feelings they want evoked when the customers see the designs, the basis upon which they want to grow their brand, how they want the business to look like the future, etc. For such questions, the confused design client will have a mental picture of the kinds of designs that suits the business and you will also find it easy as a designer to bring out the image formed by the confused design client in the final designs.

Who are the customers?

The other important thing when guiding a confused design client is to help them paint a picture of their customers. They need to have a thorough understanding of the specific group of people they will be promoting the business to. Fundamental questions to help the confused design client in knowing their target customers include who the ideal customers are, where they are likely to be found, the demographics with regards to age likes, etc.

These questions will help the confused design client to get into the minds of their customers to know how they perceive the business. For you as a designer, such information will help you a lot when coming up with the right design that will be suitable the target audience of your confused client.

Where does the client intend to use the design?

It is also important to help the client understand the specific places where the design will be applied to. Perhaps the confused design client wants a design for various branding purposes or they want a logo for which will appear in their official communication channels and help in branding the business. You need to explain to the confused design client why this is necessary so that you both be on the same page on what particular design is required. Whether it is a brochure, a business magazine a logo, a letterhead or a poster, it should be clear to both of you.

Symbols and inspirations

Finally, most logos consist of symbols and the business name. When guiding a confused design client, you need to lead them to reveal for you the symbols that they feel are most associated with their kind of business. As a designer, you don’t want to be generic with the symbols since this is not the best way to be creative and provide a killer design for your confused design client. Discuss with them the importance of using various symbols in the design and the potential meanings that the symbols might have on the final graphics.

Use these top tips for dealing with difficult clients!

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In only a few years, Google has managed to achieve a lot in branding, something that would normally take other companies decades of work with millions of dollars worth of resources. Their colorful logo is now a staple of the online experience that’s enjoyed by millions across the globe. But behind the beautiful logo that’s now the trademark and benchmark for online search experience, there is a rich history. It has undergone lots of transformations though the concept has never moved away from the typeface logo we see today. Here is a brief explanation detailing how Google came to have their current logo.

The story begins in 1996 at Stanford University where one of the co-founders, Larry Page was fledgling a research project code-names “Back Rub”. The project was later renamed Google, following a misspelled version of the word Googol. The idea was to demonstrate that Google had far much processing powers than any other search engine during that time.

The first Google Logo was designed by Sergey Brin, a co-founder in 1998 using the Gimp Software. This marked the beginning of the several iterations that were to follow under the supervision of Ruth Kendar, a professional designer hired by Google to oversee the development of a logo that would connect with their audiences and also match their marketing needs.

By 1999, Google’s success was already dwarfing the competition, and the Google logo was becoming more and more popular. It was at this point that the company brought in Ruth Kendar, a professional designer to continue with evolving the brand. Back then, Kendar had no idea how big the company would be, but she was happy to take up on the task and continue with the evolution of the brand.

Kendar’s first attempt at redesigning the Google logo was done with the Adobe Garamond as the typeface. Kendar’s idea with this first attempt was not to meddle up with the text since it would have interfered with the eligibility of the logo. She simply added her whimsy using two-dimensional O’s and primary colors. She then used a small pattern to join the Os together as a symbol of infinite connection. This design was liked by Brin and Page.

The second attempt by Kendar on the Google Logo saw her focus her attention mainly on the Os in the middle of Google. She introduced a further hint on the infinite pattern as well as a target to symbolize the search engine’s accuracy in helping people find what they are looking for on the internet. Her reason for doing was that the founders wanted to pass a message to the competing search engines that Google was a reliable search provider, and most importantly, it had an algorithmic complexity but an easy to use application.

The next redesign of the Google logo saw a modification of the layout and the typeface. The designer decided to use overlapping circles and ITC Leawood and joined them with a cross hair to show that the business was intertwined and had a global presence. But Kendar thought that her new design was more like an Olympics logo and not that of a leading search engine. This made her thinking on how to change the logo to remain within the context of the business.

In the later version, Kendar came across Catull, the typeface that is now synonymous to the Google logo. This typeface gave the logo more corporate looks while at the same time appearing to be slightly playful in the sizing of the letters. Though this was a step towards the right the direction, the overall design appeared to be busy, and it was difficult to mark out the final meaning from the Google logo.

With the feedback from the previous design, which featured a magnifying glass and a crosshair Kendar simplified the redesign, eliminating the crosshair but keeping the magnifying glass and adding on it a smile – to reflect on the great user experience of the now world’s largest search engine.

Slowly, Kendar realized that she was on her way back to her very initial iteration, and once again reverted to the Leawood font. She introduced a touch of dimension as well as some shading to the top of the Google logo. The reason for this was to make the Google logo appear to be floating on top of the white layout. At this point, Kendar was advised to try more simplified approaches that will make the Google logo simpler while retaining its corporate look.

Finally, Kendar got the design right after playing around with the colors and never deviating from the typeface. She ended up using primary colors, but rather than having the colors go in order, she used a secondary color on L, to illustrate the idea that Google doesn’t have to follow the rules at all times. That is the current logo you see each time you use the giant search engine.

The Google logo has stood the test of time and is now an iconic mark that has helped the company realize the immense success they have had in the past few years.
Learn how to design a basic logo here!

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While it can be difficult to say whether or not a logo will be iconic, classic or successful there are certainly some brand elements that carry over through popular logo designs. If you are getting a logo designed or you are a professional graphic designer you need to keep these essential design elements in mind. Here are some universal elements that should be included in every logo design.

A symbol of culture:

Most quality iconic logos have some type of symbol or pictorial reference that states the intentions of the company and helps to build the brand. Symbols are usually something extremely simple and they showcase some of the traits that you want associated with your corporate culture. Picking out a simplistic symbol design to go into your logo makeup is important. When we look at some of the most iconic logos like apple or Nike, there’s no need for text an iconic symbol can actually be the full face of your logo.

Color swatch:

All iconic logos need to have clearly defined colors. Remember that any color spectrum can have a distinct psychological effect when it comes to your clients. Picking the right colors on the right elements for every part of your logo as well as making sure that they fit into a specific color swatch can create a uniform nature for your logo and ensure that your logo will create a specific feeling when people see it. Never forget the use of color in the logo design and why color is so important to producing the best iconic logos.

Slogan/name:

Many iconic logo designs also include logos as well as potential slogans across the design. These slogans or your company name will need to be displayed prominently and using an easy-to-read text format. Don’t be afraid to try several different types of text and many different messages in your logo design. Create something with staying power and something that is instantly catchy. Remember that along slogan often won’t be read by the audience so don’t be afraid to do a little bit of testing to see what type of text you might be able to read in just a quick glance. If you have a long company name you could also consider using an acronym or shortening the name specifically for your logo design.

Font types:

Font types and type settings are also extremely important to creating a good logo design. Experiment with a few different type settings and work at finding a set of fonts that work to accomplish your goals as a company. Certain fonts will create a specific feel for your products and this is important to consider. Using the wrong fonts may not reflect your corporate culture well and may spread of very poor message about your company.

Simple shapes:

Many designers today consider designed to be more of an element of assembly rather than a finicky process of creating art. Adding simple shapes and symbols to a design can help to provide emphasis on certain design elements as well as draw the eye across the logo design. Including a triangle, square or circle in specific areas can draw the eye around the logo design and potentially even place emphasis on a particular slogan or design element. By laying out a few simple shapes off to the side of a logo design in in design, a designer can mix and match these essential elements to draw the eye in various directions. Simple shapes are commonly used in conjunction with patterns and the main symbol of business culture for a logo design.

Clarity:

Any logo design needs to have a well thought-out premise and a clear message. This is perhaps one of the most essential elements of logo design. Without a proper clear message it’s possible that the message of the logo can get very confusing and that the message may not resonate well with the target audience. Have an honest and clear intention for your logo and a message that you want to convey. Declare what the company is about and what you are trying to portray with your branding and advertisement. With a clear picture of what you want to accomplish, often a logo can come out much more planned and improved.

Unique creativity:

Showing someone a logo design that they have never seen previously or a unique design element that has never been done before can create a huge impact when it comes to actually reaching an audience.  Creating something iconic means putting some of yourself into it. Remember to carefully balance all of the other design elements but includes some unique inspiration to really separate the logo design that you are making from other logo designs in the marketplace. While all of the previous design elements are important to creating a successful design, creativity creates longevity.

Learn if it is a good idea to crowdsource a logo design here. 

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Now that the dust on the terrible Uber logo redesign is slowly settling, and the commentary is also dying, it would be prudent to look back and see what lessons can be learned from the failed rebranding effort. The question that begs then is what went wrong? To begin with, even before exploring the choice of fonts, color, and the design, there is just too much that can be pointed out about the overall rebranding strategy adopted by the company.

Operationally, it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park to implement the rebrand worldwide simultaneously. Anyone with slight knowledge of international business or an idea about creating and building brands, they will agree that it is a nightmare to get various subgroups and branches to use just a new logo or a standardized version with one color palette. The strategy adopted by Uber, therefore, was not going to be feasible if they didn’t have the ability to consistently and accurately have the design implemented in the more than 60 countries where their services are available.

The second conspicuous problem with the rebranding strategy adopted by Uber is that they decided to throw away their visual equity, yet this is something that most brands would kill for to establish. By doing away with the old brand, the company severed the link between the old company name and one of its most recognizable visual assets in the world. The new Uber logo just sparked controversy.

Initially, they had a sleek gray writing against a black background, and this suggested luxury and modernity, which Uber became known for. But in the present times where mobile apps are ubiquitous, having a close identification such as the Uber’s U is considered to be immensely valuable. Why would a company cede such a valuable visual asset in the name of creating a new identity?

But the conspicuous absence of a lack of story behind Uber’s rebranding is perhaps their greatest undoing in their latest attempt to change their brand identity. Design elements have always been vital components for any rebrand, but they will amount to nothing if there is no story behind them.

For instance, Google’s Alphabet rebrand had a succinct, logical and satisfying explanation and that was that the company no longer does search anymore. They offer a wide variety of services. But such a narrative was not present the Uber logo redesign. The company is in a state of transition as they want to be seen as more than just a cab hailing service, but this was reflected nowhere on the rebranding strategy neither did they give any explanation relating to it.

Suppose a new purpose, vision or story were communicated clearly on the rebrand, all the complaints arising from specific elements would have all toned down to preferences. These leave the question begging: Does Uber have an idea where it is headed as a company or the kind of company it wishes to be?

It is, therefore, a fact that Uber made glaring mistakes in their failed branding strategy. The rebranding was not only premature but lacked the necessary planning and coordination needed to conduct a successful rebranding in multiple countries. But these kinds of challenges are a common occurrence for companies that are still in the transition state. Here are a few other vital lessons companies can borrow from the failed rebranding by Uber-:

Admit your mistakes and chart the way forward

Mistakes will always occur since no brand is perfect. If you find yourself in a similar situation like Uber, do the honorable thing of admitting your mistakes. Be ready to accept what you think went wrong, address any issues by customers and investors and immediately embark on a plan to move forward.

Consult outside sources

The failed Uber logo was done in-house. This is now what is referred to in the corporate world as “Steve Jobs Syndrome”. It is when startup founders believe that they should make all the decisions and never outsource anything from outside. However, there was only one Steve Jobs, and you have to seek expert advice if you want to move your business forward in a professional manner.

Don’t make a complete 180 turn, but go with strategic changes

Rather than trying to erase your mistakes and pretend that nothing bad happened, look for feasible ways you can use to move forward. This might imply that you exercise a lot of caution with the present mistake, make careful corrections and simply be ready to take up the challenge to continue working on your brand and make it stronger.

Engage the employees when rebranding

Most Uber employees and drivers were never aware of the rebranding or change to the Uber logo. They knew nothing about it and were equally surprised like the customers. Uber thus missed an opportunity to engage their employees and customers which would have become very good brand ambassadors if they were part of the process right from the start.

Check out these design Industry events you won’t want to miss!

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Logo design is a skill and profession just like any other career out there. Every designer aspires to use their skills to grow as professionals and also as a source of income. The choice to give away logo for free or offer free logo design services is thus a prerogative of the service provider, in which case, it should never happen. The following are some of the reasons to discourage all graphic designers from giving away logos for free-:

It takes work to design a logo

Even though there are plenty of free logo design tools that can be used to create good looking logos within minutes, it takes more than tools for the creation of stellar logos. A considerable amount of time is expended in planning on how to create a versatile logo that will attract the attention of the target audience. And since time is money, giving away logo for free is just like giving away money or throwing your valuable time to the drains. You should therefore never think about free logo design.

You went to school to become a professional graphic designer

It is true that there are self-taught graphic designers, but this is just an exception and not the rule. Most of the professional designers attended some training or schooling to learn how to design professional logos. Such training definitely cost some money, commitment, and time. Hence, there is no logical reason to undergo all that only to come and give free logo designs. You shall have wasted your time and undermined the sacrifices you made to become a graphics designer.

The equipment and software used don’t come for free

The tools of the trade in logo design are not available for free. You need a computer and various software to make professional logos. You will have to spend money to acquire all these. Even if you rely on free tools from the Internet, you will still need resources to access the internet connection, and these will cost you money. Why, therefore, should you think about free logo design services?

Designing a professional logo is not a child’s play

The process of designing a professional logo takes time and a great deal of creative imagination. You need to think about the colors, fonts, target audience, images, etc. then bring them together to form a design. It is a skill that is continuously improved, and not everyone can comprehend and learn how to make professional logos. Footballers, athletes, doctors, Engineers are all paid for their skills, why should a graphic designer give away a logo for free?

You need to be paid for your experience

Perhaps you can give away a logo for free when you are still an amateur trying to attract clients and get their feet wet with graphics design. But for the seasoned professional, you have spent thousands of hours practicing and mastering your craft until now you can be called a professionals. It not that you started to design logos yesterday so that you give free logo designs. If every professional is paid for their experience, why is a graphics designer specializing in logos not compensated commensurately?

Success in your business will build on the logo

The logo is one of the most powerful marketing arsenals any business can have. Every success you get will be due to effective branding and marketing, of which the logo will play an instrumental role. Due to this, does it make any sense to offer logo design when it has the potential to take the business or the organization to greater heights of success?

Your logo will be there for many years

As the business grows, so does the brand, hence the logo. It implies that your logo will not be in use for just a short period, unless you are thinking of rebranding too soon. It will be there for as long as the business is in operation, continuing to sell your brand to all that sees it. Due to this, offering logo design services will be unfair since it will be beneficial to the business for many more years to come, yet you give it away from nothing.

However, there are certain cases when a designer might be tempted to offer free logo design services. For instance, when you are new in the market, and you are trying to build your portfolio, you can use free logo design as a low hanging fruit to win first customers and build your portfolio. Additionally, you can give free logo design services as an incentive to clients who purchase other graphic design services from you. Also, you can give away a logo for free is you decide to give back to the society by designing a professional logo to help a charity in furthering their course. However, you should never give away a logo for free.

Use this previous article to learn more about protecting the work you produce!

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