Sounds familiar?

This is not only one of the most common “pickles” logo designers find themselves in, it is also one of the most frustrating.
Although I admit these clients aren’t quite like “The Clients from Hell” (see George Ryan’s post), it still can be quite frustrating trying to please a client who has no clue how they want their logo designed.

Although clients like these will always roam the earth, don’t give up, there is a solution to the problem:  Imagination.

The definition of imagination is ability to visualize: the ability to form images and ideas in the mind, especially of things never seen or experienced directly.
And that’s just what we need when we find ourselves in those sticky situations.
It’s our imagination that makes us good logo designers, not how “smart” we are.
Don’t be afraid to try really weird designs that you come up with; these strange concepts can sometimes be the best.
Also, look for ways you can make your logo unique, eye catching; a dull, uninteresting logo is very unlikely to excite a client.

It’s amazing how much time you can waste just sitting there at the computer biting your fingernails,  trying to figure out a good design scenario.
Do something else for a change; rake the leaves,  something to clear you brain.
You wouldn’t believe how many times I just couldn’t come up with an good concept and when I just got up off the computer and started doing something else, the ideas came flooding in.
So much so, that I had to stop what I was doing to get back on and see how they worked.
Try it, and if nothing else, at least you got something done.
Also, when thinking up concepts, remember that your logo should be designed in such a way that it is unique and memorable while it also reminds one of whatever service or product your clients business or organization provides.
For example:
Let’s pretend you were designing a logo for JS Bait & Tackle.
Ask yourself a few questions: What kind of things are related to fishing? Worms, hooks, fishing poles, ect…  How can you cleanly incorporate these ideas into your design?
Use your imagination when trying to piece things together like that.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to say that imagination is everything in logo design, only that every graphic designer needs it.

Speaking of imagination, try to imagine where all the logo designers across the world would be if it wasn’t for powerful graphic design programs like Adobe Illustrator?
I can tell you, we’d be out of business; as a matter a fact we wouldn’t have been in business in the first place.
But you must remember that even if you know Illustrator like a pro, are you really smarter then someone who doesn’t?
That is a question that deserves careful consideration, however I think we can come to a reasonable conclusion:
Even with the best imagination, Graphic designers could go nowhere without design software.
But on the other hand, the best software is useless without a brain to use it!
It is sort of like a vehicle: What is more important, the gas or the vehicle?
No vehicle could run without fuel; but what good does the fuel do without a car to put it in!

Do you get my point?

I didn’t think so.

Let’s just put it this way, every designer needs good design software,  but more importantly needs a good imagination.
And I suppose the only question remaining is how smart we really are.

If I could just say, “You only need to charge this for this,” I would. Unfortunately it’s not that easy. I do however, have some nice little pointers for you to follow that will make the whole process much easier.

Now some people like to charge an hourly rate which is fine, but to me it’s not very effective business wise. It can overcomplicate things with the client later in the project, especially if you end up adding extra hours. I believe clients like to have a nice solid up front price from beginning to end with little to no changes. So if you like the hourly rate, but are still having trouble, try Freelance Switch’s hourly rate calculator for some guidance.

The Pricing Elements

For starters, you need to know what project you have. So after the brief is all filled out, you’ll need to assess how much work you will have. What is your time and effort worth to you for this project? If a client came to you for work, they obviously have some faith in your abilities, so don’t sell yourself short.

You’ll also want to figure out how much your experience is worth. If you just started, you don’t have much experience, so your cost will be lower in this area compared to someone with a few decades under their belt. If you are in high demand, you’ll really want to add a little more money. Let people know your worth.

The size of the business that came to you also matters. If they are a giant company like a fortune 500, then you will naturally charge a lot more than a small business.

The time it will take to finish a project is a big deal too. If you have a lot of time that’s good, but if the client wants something in a few days, you will probably want to charge more. This is because you will have to but off other projects just to focus on the one. You will also be putting all your efforts into the one so you can get everything done on time.

The Technicals

After you are done figuring out a cost, present it to the client. Don’t get negotiated down. If this is what you believe you’re time and efforts are worth, you shouldn’t feel like you need to change the cost.

No matter what, you should always accept some sort of down payment before you start a project. This is to make sure that the client is serious about the work, and that if something happens, your time was not wasted. Some designers take 50% of the total cost, but it’s really up to you. I divide my total cost into plans sort of like a lay-a-way.

One of the things I like to do is divide up the payments with the parts of the work I do. For example, I need the first payment to start the work, I need the second payment after approval of the sketches so I can start on revisions, and I will need the final payment to send final work and files. Whatever you work out is up to you, just make sure you get that first payment before you start anything.

It’s also a good idea to convert the cost if you client is in another country. That way if the value of money fluctuates from one place to another, the agreed upon price is solid.

Conclusion

In the end, the price still remains up to you, but at least now you have a little more insight. One thing you want to keep in mind is that you don’t want to under or over charge. If you under charge, the client may think your work is cheap and not worth it. On the other hand, if you over charge, a client may say something bad about your work versus costs. It’s really up to you though. With time and practice, you will find a solution that works for you, and that’s all that really matters.

If you were given 1 second or 1 minute to make an impact on someone, how many people would take the latter? I’m going to say a vast majority of you would take 1 minute. Why not? One minute can mean an eternity in comparison to 1 second. Heck, 1 minute may as well be an hour. 1 day. 1 month. Well, you get the picture.

Well, the fact of the matter is, in today’s society, you don’t have a full minute anymore. People barely have time to be stuck in a drive thru before being stuck in traffic on our way to work. Or, stretching ourselves between soccer, piano, karate, yoga and all the other activities that we seem to be caught up in, in a single day no less.

So, what do we, as designers, need to do for our clients? Here’s your chance, I’ll give you a second to think about it.

Your second is up. Now, what’s your answer? Guess you weren’t given long enough. Here’s the simple solution, be memorable.

Society has developed intolerance for attention. So, have a look around you. Whether you’re on your couch, at your desk or in your vehicle, there are designs and logos all around you. But, what you don’t really think about is what you’re looking for, or at for that matter. You are so used to seeing everything on an everyday basis; you don’t need to think about it. You can glance at something and just know what it is or who makes it. That’s being memorable. You’re in your car driving down the road and start to get hungry. You see the “Golden Arches”. Instantly, you know that there will be food there, so you pull in. You go shopping for new running shoes and go straight for the “swoosh” or “3-stripes” because you know there will be quality there. We don’t even think about these things but we do it because we know these iconic logos. That’s brand recognition.

Your client wants that. Who wouldn’t? To have a product or service that people just “know”. Logos, business cards, billboards, email, shirts, whatever you have your design on, or what the client wants the design on, has one second to capture the individual receiving it before it’s retained or forgotten. There’s a famous billboard company uses this frame of thinking every time they go to promote their own business. You may have seen it. “Gotcha!” or “Made You Look.” Well, they did just that and I remembered it. Now, if anyone, me included, needs to advertise on a billboard, guess who we would be going to.

Designing logos, website graphics, business cards, et al., take a moment to pause. Think, ‘if I drove past this, would I actually remember it’.

When you only have that second to gain the interest of someone, why would we create something so busy that it defeats the purpose of what it is set out to do in the first place, which is being memorable.

More and more, businesses are losing the type font of their business names and going to a just a logo, a recognizable image of who they are. Businesses that have never even had a logo are starting to have them pop up, (i.e.: WalMart and the introduction of the 6 yellow “spokes”).  The automotive industry is a shining example of this. In North America, if you see a “blue oval”, “bowtie” or a “ram’s head”, you know exactly who they are and what they do. Even by the mere shape, you know what you’re looking at. The clothing industry is the same way. You see an intertwined LV or a small green crocodile, you just know. They don’t need to plaster their image or name everywhere because you already know it. And, usually, they are the simplest of things.

So, the next time you’re working with a client, help them become the next iconic image and not just another blend-in-the-background company that you just randomly choose out of the YellowPages. Help them become the different company that they want to become by coming to you as a designer.

1.    Start a new file in CorelDraw. The size of the page doesn’t matter, as we are going to create a vector artwork we can always change the size later without degrading the quality of the artwork. I am taking here default (Letter) size. Your screen will be like figure 1.

Figure 1

2.    Click on the oval tool on the toolbar on the right side of your screen or you can also press ‘F7’ key of your key board (figure 2).

Figure 2

3.    Move your mouse pointer to the center of the page, and then press the primary mouse button. Keeping the mouse button pressed drag your mouse to make an oval shape, like in the figure 3.

Figure 3

4.    Now click the pick tool on the toolbar (figure 4).

Figure 4

5.    Again click on oval shape that you just made. All the handles around the object will now change to double sided arrows (figure 5). You will also see a pivot point in the center of the object.

Figure 5

6.    Press the control key (Ctrl) of your keyboard. Now click on the pivot point of the object and drag it towards the bottom of the object (keep the control button pressed all the while) to a position at the bottom end of the oval. See figure 6 closely. Keeping the control (Ctrl) key pressed ensures that the movement of the pivot will be constrained to some particular points and this makes it easy for us to move the pivot to the point just at the bottom end of the oval.

Figure 6

7.    Now make a copy of the oval (press Ctrl+C then Ctrl+V). You can also use the edit menu to do this function.
8.    In the angle of rotation box located in the property bar enter 15 and press enter (figure 7).

Figure 7

9.    Press Ctrl+V again to paste another copy of the oval. Now go to the angle of rotation box again, enter 30 and press enter. Your screen should look like figure 8.

Figure 8

10.    Repeat this step twenty one times more, increasing the value in the angle of rotation box by 15 . The values should be 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120, 135, 150, 165, 180, 195, 210, 225, 240, 255, 270, 285, 300, 315, 330, 345. Your artwork should look like figure 9.

Figure 9

11.    Now click on the pick tool and press Crtl+A (select all in the edit menu) and press Ctrl+G (group). You should have your artwork looking like in figure 10.

Fig 10

12.    Using the pick tool (refer to figure 4) now click on the red color in the color palate on the right side of your screen ( see figure 11). Remember not to click anywhere else on the screen or your artwork will get deselected. If your artwork gets deselected just click on it again with your pick tool.

Fig 11

13.    Now go to the color palate and right click on the no outline button (the first one, having no color). This will clear the outline from your artwork. See figure 12.

Fig 12

14.    Keeping your artwork selected go to the transparency tool. If you cannot find the transparency tool, go to the blend tool and press your mouse button for a while, a list will come showing the transparency tool. After the tool is visible, click on it. See figure 13.

Fig 13

15.    Now go to the transparency dropdown list and click on radial. See figure 14. Your artwork should look like figure 15.

Fig 14

Fig 15

16.    Click the pick tool (refer to figure 4 ). Now press Ctrl+C then Ctrl+V. This pastes a copy of your artwork right on top of the first one.

17.    Press the shift key of your keyboard and drag (with your mouse) anyone of the corner handles of your artwork to the inside and release the mouse button (remember first release the mouse button then the shift key). Now you should have some thing looking like figure 16.

Fig 16

18.    Press Ctrl+V again to paste another copy of your artwork. Repeat step 17, but take your mouse little closer towards the centre of your artwork. You should have something like figure 17. Doesn’t it look like a flower?

Fig 17

19.    Well we can improve that. So, select the last object that we have pasted and go to the color palette. Click on the red color and keep your mouse button pressed for a while. You will see a palette come up, click on the color that is a little lighter than the red color. See figure 18.

Figure 18

So, at last we have our flower. You can now experiment and make your own flowers. Change the color; change the transparency setting, even changing the shape of the oval at start can give exiting results. Figure 19 shows some of the variants.
Now you won’t have to buy flowers from the market, you can make your own and gift them to your near and dear ones.

Figure 19

It’s safe to call yourself a pro now. That’s right! You are now entering the ranks of a professional freelance designer.  Don’t get too excited, there is still refining to be done. Take a look at the top ten HUGE mistakes that professional freelance designers make and how you can avoid them.

1.  Cocky

Don’t mistake arrogance for confidence. Your clients certainly won’t. Sure, the tables have turned and you can now pick and choose your clients. The work is piling up. However, some designers take it too far. I have run into quite a few fellow designers that not only bad mouth their clients’ lack of knowledge but they act like they are doing their clients a favor by drawing up their designs. Appreciate your clients and they will return the favor.

2. Slacking

You made it, so can you slack off now? No. More than ever, it is vital to keep things moving fluidly. We all know what happens when we slack, the work piles up and we miss deadlines. Any professional designer can tell you that slacking is one of the easiest ways to sabotage yourself. How many excuses can your clients digest before the ugly truth comes out that they didn’t meet their new product launch date because you caught some re-runs of Jerry Springer?

3.    Maximum Overload

I know that one reason you became a freelancer was to try and make some good coin but also remember that you did it for the freedom. Taking on too much work will only stress you out and, like slacking, you will start to miss and push back deadlines. Creativity does not blend well with stress and frustration. Your design quality will suffer.

4.  Where is my designer?!

I am not talking about smearing your contact information all over the place. That’s something you should have done already. I am talking about hiding out on your clients, not answering their emails or phone calls promptly. Switching your MSN or Skype to busy when they come around or staring blankly at their messages for days.  I know it can be scary telling them that you lost their files or that you can’t meet their deadlines, but you got to do it. What about those crazy spamming clients? You can refund them or grit your teeth and get through the job then raise the rates. But DO NOT leave them in the dark. Believe me, things will only get worse and so will your headache.

5.     Referral Policy

Many established designers can tell you that the majority of their work comes from referrals. Newly established designers may feel that it is unprofessional because it seems a little bit like begging. Maybe they are so high on cloud number 9 that they forget to ask for referrals. This is a crucial step to building up continual work. We don’t want to be looking for our next contract when one finishes, now do we? We can’t use freelancer.com forever and we don’t really want to. If you forget about referrals, you can forget about good paying projects.

6.  Lacking Multiple Income Streams

Freelance designing (especially web design) opens up a huge avenue of income streams. You could suggest that your client uses Host Gator or you could send them over with an affiliate link to rake in some dough. You could even setup your own reseller account or server and offer the service yourself. Why not pocket some of those monthly payments? There is an affiliate program for just about anything. They need prints, hook them up and grab some change!  Do not overlook the many methods to diversify your income.

7.    Missing Opportunities

In the world of design, everyone is a potential client and I do mean everyone. Every existing design potentially turns into a redesign project.  Occasionally, when you see a website with an awful layout or an awful logo, drop them a quick line and offer to update their design for them. Go ahead; make them a deal they cannot refuse. Even if they don’t accept it at least you are on their radar.  I have also used my designs in exchange for advertising, services and even products. Not only do I save cash, but I earned myself a potential long-term client.  Try to pay with your skills before using your cash. Be proactive and think about how you can use those highly sought after skills outside the box.

8.     You’re Being Watched

As previously mentioned, everyone you converse with is a potential client. So think twice before you decide to bash that other designer who stole your designs openly on the forums. What you say may be true, but a client may see it as a lack of professionalism and give you a miss. You would be surprised how many designers rush into head-on debates with someone because they think everyone will side and sympathize with them. Try to handle these matters privately or with an anonymous alias. We are professionals now and we should act like it if we want new clients.

9.    Get Help

This issue ties in with a few previous issues. When the work is pouring in and you are biting off more than you can chew, then it’s time to expand. I know, I know. Taking the plunge into full-time freelancing was a big move and you’re not sure you are ready yet. Now I am going to tell you to expand?! I am going to take a wild guess here. One of the big reasons you became a freelancer is your entrepreneurial spirit, right? Big business is growth and expansion. Outsource the work or hire employees and turn it into a company. Supply and demand baby. You can’t do it all alone. Why try?

10.     Where’s the Party?

This is one of those tips you probably won’t find many places yet it’s so simple and so very important. When you got that big first contract, did you celebrate? I don’t mean doing a little dance, I mean doing something really memorable. Well, why not? You made it happen and most likely made it happen virtually solo. Freelancers are among the most passionate and self motivated people in the world. It’s so very important to reward yourself and keep your motivation high. You did it, you are a success! So go out and celebrate!

I know how hard naming can be. It took me 5 whole days after my son was born to name him, and I didn’t even give him any of the names I spent months writing down and thinking of. Naming is important to all of us. We want that perfect name right off the bat. Unfortunately it’s not that easy. For a proper name these days, it takes more than luck to get the perfect one. Let’s examine one of my favorite brands.

There are companies out there that have catchy names, but few of us ponder why it is what it is. Take for instance Nike. Everyone knows who they are, and we can recognize their logo easy, but what about the name? Did you know that in 1968 Nike was actually incorporated as Blue Ribbon Sports? It was only in 1978 that they became Nike. Think about that name “Blue Ribbon Sports.” It’s like saying that everyone who wears their product are blue ribbon winners. It’s very straight forward, and you don’t need to think too much about it, but the name isn’t very catchy.

Now let’s look at the name Nike. Nike is a short 2 syllable word so it’s really easy to remember. Do you know the meaning behind the word? There’s no better place to look for athletics than Greece, where the Olympics was born. It’s a mystery how the Olympics all began, but legend has it that it was all started by Heracles and Zeus. We all know that the Olympics is a battle of strength, courage, wits, and determination, and who better to aid in your battles than Nike, the goddess of strength, speed and victory.

It all starts with Pallas, who was a titan associated with war, and Styx who was the goddess of the underworld river styx who personified the spirit of hatred. Now you put war and hatred together and they have 4 children, Zelus (Rivalry), Nike (Victory), Cratos (Strength) and Bia (Force). Nike was the goddess of strength, speed and victory. She awarded gods and goddesses around the battlefield with glory and fame. So wearing a Nike product is like being awarded with just that. Knowing this background story makes me want to buy Nike products even more, and I’m sure they want people to know the meaning of it.

Going back to the original name “Blue Ribbon Sports,” Nike never diverted from the original goal of their name. Everyone is a winner with Nike. Wearing the product itself makes you a winner. So if you ever wondered “what’s in a name,” there you have it. This is one of my favorite brand names for this exact reason. It means something. It’s not just a random name chosen out of a hat. They could have picked from several Greek gods or goddesses also. They went with Nike because she was what best represented their product.

Believe it or not, this is how Nike got their name. It was a way more complicated process than what I explained here though. It’s easy to figure out once you know the answer. Sort of like how you know a clever, cool logo design when you see it, but coming up with that design is a tough process.

So naming is pretty tough and it takes a bit of work, but hey, that’s one big part of branding. If you find a method that works for you, stick with it. Don’t be afraid to try something new, and go for the gold.

Here are some helpful tidbits on naming

http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/startupbasics/namingyourbusiness/article21774.html
Identity Works: http://identityworks.com/tools/naming.htm