What’s The Difference: Cheap Logo Design vs Expensive Logo Design?

Ever wonder why you should pay a tidy sum for a business logo when you can have someone design one for a paltry amount? To top that, you can now also find agencies that offer logos at throwaway prices on the internet these days.
It is, therefore, a reasonable and valid question as to why you should spend more on the design when you can get something “similar” at a cheaper price. But “similar” isn’t so similar. There is a whole world of difference between cheap designs and expensive ones. Whichever option you go for will have a massive impact on your public profile and sales, too.

The following are a few of the differences between cheap and expensive logo design:

1. Cheap Logo Designs are Not Well Thought-Out
   As much as going for the cheaper option looks enticing, you should know that you are only getting the logo. Everything else is left to chance. Take the idea of how you are going to use it in different situations, for instance. Will it fit into your business cards, flyers, or banners? You also cannot forget about social media advertising.

   There often is very little to no idea about these crucial concepts when investing in cheap designs. It’s essentially a standalone one-off product, not the service. There is no doubt that you’ll find a place for the logo, but you may not be able to use it anywhere else.

2. The Design Process
   Why invest in an elaborate design process when you need a logo? Well, there is a massive difference in how both are designed, especially between the cheap ones and the more expensive professional options. When you invest in brand identity for your business, you’re getting the whole visual identity system. Professional design provides you with all the answers to the type of colors to use where and why and how it should look on different marketing platforms.

   Cheap designs are, however, meant for brands with little to no vision. You must invest in the design process for your logo if you want it to help your business grow and be something more.

3. Understanding Your Business and Needs
   Cheap logo designers hardly ever take the time to learn about your business or its requirements. There is generally never a need to do anything else, really, especially when you hire a designer through a website.

   A professional designer will always work with you to try and understand your business more. This is essentially the first step to building the best logo that works for your business. Where possible, organize a kickoff meeting with your new designer. Don’t leave any stone unturned and let your designer know the ins and outs of the business.

4. The Obvious Solution
   In as much as cheap designs often look passable, they are usually the most apparent solution to opt for. Take a cheap pet shop design, for example. It will likely have a paw or bone or something like that as its main icon. Typically, that’s something that could have been made by a high schooler.

   Instead, you want a logo built by a professional with years of experience in that field. You want someone who has perfected the design process and who has learned from his/her many mistakes and learned not to repeat them. That kind of experience does not come cheap.

5. It’s Not Just a Logo
   As already mentioned earlier, cheap logos are only always just logos, nothing more. There is never any sense of unity or sense of brand in the cheaper design options. There is hardly ever any idea of the color of typography used or an understanding of how the brand needs to be represented.

   A professional designer or agency, however, helps you to create the best visual identity system that you can apply to your brand and in other forms of marketing, no matter the medium. A professional agency helps you to amplify and grow your business’ brand in the best way.

6. Difference in Quality
   There is a vast difference between a cheap logo design and one done by a professional agency. The results say enough on their own. A good design must be:
   • Simple
   • Versatile
   • Memorable
   • Timeless
   • Appropriate

   Cheap design isn’t always good design, especially if you want things to be right.

7. The Professional Debate
   There is also a whole debate surrounding the professionalism of logo designs. In most instances, you find that cheap logos are designed by “bedroom designers.” These designers hardly ever use the right software for the job. Most designs always come as a raster file instead of a vector. Just having a JPEG format isn’t enough, especially if you need your logo in multiple file formats.

   Then there are the offshore designers you could also hire. Most are usually based thousands of miles away. As a result, there is never any real connection or relationship there. This is where the language and design brief become a point of contention.

   Creating a good logo demands that you have a well-written design brief that is precise and lets your designer know what you want to be done. It is, however, not a bad idea to source for professional designers. Only make sure to work with trusted and professional agencies to get the best work done.

8. No Real Qualifications or Experience
   Well, if you have the talent and skills to back up your design prowess, university degrees and qualifications never really matter. Experience, however, does. Designing a couple of logos on competition websites doesn’t really qualify you as an experienced designer. You must also have a portfolio of your work, and proof that clients are happy with and are actually using your work.

   How your designer interacts with you and follows through on any requirements you have for the design is also an essential recipe. As you can see, the designing process is only one part of the process. Experience builds over time as designers learn from their past mistakes and capitalize on their successes. All this comes handy when developing a logo, especially for a brand that will be around for a while. Everybody started learning somewhere, and the same goes for designers. That’s what makes the experience an invaluable asset to professional designers for your business.

Bottom Line

From the above context, it’s easy to note the difference between a cheap design and a reputable professional design. Look at the quality of service offered and the design process. Cheap designs have a place. They are for businesses with little to no brand vision that have the “that will do” type attitude. It’s also important to conceptualize the idea behind the logo, including where it will fit and what it will look like.

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, then look for much more than just a logo design. You’ll be investing in your brand by working with a design agency that helps you realize your vision. Contact us at Simplemachine for more information on branding and logo design!