These days businesses of all sizes need to do everything possible to stand out from the crowd. The internet and social media have only increased the size of the competitive landscape in nearly every industry and aesthetics and design are arguably more important than ever before when it comes to marketing and setting your business apart from the competition.
Not every company has the resources to engage a marketing or design agency to request a bespoke logo – in fact, very few companies just starting out have access to these resources. This is where logo makers step in and help the “little guys” out.
Logo makers are one of the easiest, fastest and cheapest ways for a company to get a logo design, so it is hardly surprising that they are becoming an increasingly popular way for companies to settle on a logo. That being said, not all logo makers are made equally and there are certain steps you can take to maximise your experience with a logo maker.
Keep reading to learn more about logo makers and how to make the most of them, and for a breakdown of the best logo makers currently available.
The significance of a professional logo
A logo is an incredibly important aspect of a company’s marketing. When done correctly, a logo can convey something of a company’s style, tone, offering and story. For evidence of this, one only need compare the logos of Rifle Paper Co. and Black Rifle Coffee Company.
An aesthetically appealing, memorable and well-made logo is now more important than ever before thanks to the rise of social media for business. A company’s logo will be splashed all over its social media pages, digital marketing and website and if the logo is well made, then the company is more likely to make the most of its presence on the web.
When a company is looking to launch itself and deciding on how to obtain a professional logo, there are really only four options available to them. These are: working with a design agency, working with a design freelancer on a one-on-one basis, running a logo design competition or using a digital logo maker.
As you can probably surmise, working with an agency or freelancer tend to be significantly more expensive options than running a contest. However, digital logo makers are certainly the most cost effective, fast and efficient ways to obtain a logo. All companies and brand launches are different and for some, time is truly of the essence. Time is money after all, and for them, the ease and speed of the digital logo maker is certainly important.
What is a logo maker
Logo makers are digital tools to help individuals or companies build their own logos using Artificial Intelligence (AI), templates, icons and tools. Logo makers are also referred to as logo generators or logo creators, but they are all essentially the same tools.
Some logo makers rely on AI and templates more heavily than other makers, which instead just give the user a blank template and a series of tools, icons and colours to use. The preference for each type is dependent on the specific style and needs of the individual themselves. For those of us who are aesthetically less advanced, the AI is certainly helpful!
The Tailor Brands logo maker is one of the easiest and most cost-effective logo makers currently available. To use Tailor Brands, you need to enter your company’s name, select the industry in which your company operates, and add a description of what your company does in a textbox.
From there, Tailor Brands will help you to choose your design preferences by displaying a series of different shapes and images. After that point, you can choose one of a number of different logos which Tailor Brands’ AI has generated and then move on to further customisation.
There is quite a bit of customisation available compared with other logo makers. When you select a particular colour, the logo builder will explain how certain colours will impact or sway the overall aesthetic of a brand – this is particularly helpful for business owners who are new to design and colour theory.
The cost of Tailor Brands also places it at the top of the list. The costs run from $3.99 a month for JPG and PNG files to $9.99 a month for EPS vector files. When compared with the fees a professional design agency charges, these price points are highly accessible.
Placeit is another interesting logo maker which has made a name for itself in the industry. Placeit is owned by Envato which, for the uninitiated, is one of the largest platforms online geared towards supporting creative professionals, assets and tools. This is relevant because Placeit is a part of the Envato creative ecosystem of companies and the costs of using Placeit are reduced for users who already have a subscription for other Envato products.
To use Placeit, all you need to do is enter your business’ name and the industry in which it operates. After doing so, you will be presented with sample design mock ups. Then, you can either choose one of these designs or opt to select your own colours and icons. Many of the designs are incredibly sleek and sophisticated and are quite eye-catching.
That being said, some users have criticised Placeit for its general approach to themes and aesthetics, which is less tailored to a specific industry than other logo makers. The costs are also not insignificant. Users can either pay $39.99 for a single logo, or pay $14.95 a month (or $99.95 for a year) for a subscription to access all the other design assets available along with a 50% discount on all logo fees and costs.
The Squarespace logo maker is one of the most popular logo generators currently available and it is not difficult to see why. It is easy to use and ideal for beginners who are not sure where to start. It is especially convenient for those who are already using Squarespace to build their website.
This is the easiest to use of all the logo makers as it is essentially an icon library that users can browse through to find the logo they like and then customise the icon using graphics and colours. Using an icon library will be overly simplistic for some users who want more freedom or creativity when it comes to designing a logo.
For others however, an icon library is perfect for finding the right logo quickly – and Squarespace has an extensive icon library. There are over 2m different icons available in the library, all of which can be customised to better fit your vision for your company.
Another added benefit of the Squarespace logo maker is the price. In the past, Squarespace charged for its logo design features, but now the logo maker is totally free to use.
Finding the right logo for your business
When deciding on a logo, it is important to keep in mind a few key aspects. Before starting to make a logo, it is worth doing some reflection and brainstorming and really considering what you want your company’s name to be and determining your vision for your company and its values and story.
Relevance is key when selecting a logo and if you do not have the basics about your company nailed down, such as the name, purpose, vision and story, then it is likely that your logo either will not fit with your company or your company will quickly outgrow it.
Once you have nailed down these key aspects, you should also look for logos which are versatile and can have a number of different applications. For example, if you choose an overly detailed logo, it might look great on a t-shirt but not fare quite as well as the icon to your Twitter page.
Finally, you should take into consideration aspects such as simplicity and aesthetic appeal. Not everyone has a knack for design and if you do not, then simply ask a few friends for help. You essentially want a logo which accurately communicates your company’s offerings, and which is simple, memorable and tied to your brand. It is worth running your logo options by a few trusted friends before deciding.
After reading through this article, you may still be unsure of whether or not to use a logo maker for your business, but you hopefully have a better idea of what your options are. One of the best things about logo makers is that you can give them a try before committing and deciding to opt for one design over another.
This gives you much more freedom and creative possibility than other logo and design options. When you get ready to give a logo maker a try, remember the above tips, take a deep breath and plunge right in!