“You can’t go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending.” – C.S. Lewis

5 questions to ask youself when considering hiring a Professional Graphic Designer.

When you start a company or a new position at a company, the list of marketing things you have to do can be long and overwhelming. New companies can be paralyzed by the branding needs you want to launch your company. Other times, companies who have been doing things the same way for a long time and don’t realize it’s time to refresh the marketing pieces until you come along!

So now for the good news…. Hiring a professional designer does no have to be hard, stressful or expensive. And building a new brand or refreshing an existing brand can be fun and exciting. Most of us are not running the amazon’s and Microsoft’s of the world, so creating a brand like this is likely not going to be the stressful task, but you still want to end up with something that works well, looks great and stands the test of time, ideally up to 10 years.

Here are 5 simple questions to ask yourself if you are contemplating graphic design help for branding or marketing projects:

1. Do you have an existing logo or brand?

So many companies have a name but no visual identity to go with the name. People remember and recognize things for different reasons, and if you don’t have a logo that visually represents you company, you could be losing out on valuable business.

2. Am I proud of my logo and brand?

When you pass out a business card or send someone to your website do you feel proud of it? Or do you feel ashamed that it’s not very cool, pretty or looks perhaps a bit outdated. If you have to make excused for your brand, time to get help and get that pride back in your company.

3. Does your logo represent who you are?

Not all logos tell you want the business it. But there should be a story there. If you’ve ever wondered about Nike and swoosh, read the book “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight and you will appreciate one of the most recognized brands on the face of the planet. Not all logos need an icon, not all logos need type. There are no “rules” but whatever brand you establish it should be consistent and there should be a story.

4. Do you get stuck thinking of ideas, but don’t know how to move forward?

This is key for most of my clients. They want a logo or branding developed. They have ideas. They see what others are doing. They scribble down drawings, and go down the google rabbit hole and then get stuck. There is chaos in brand development, so if you feel the wheels spinning, time to work with a designer who can sort through the “muck”.

5. Is it in my wheel-house?

Not everyone can make a logo. It does take a certain amount of technical expertise and knowledge and the right software to make the correct type of files needed to do proper branding work. Ideally you want to end up with a one color and full color logo that works in different ratios and sizes, and that is saved in all the various file formats: .ai, .eps, .jpg, .png, .tif and others. If any of this is over your head, call a designer to help and spend time on the things you are good at.

Just for fun, here are some very recognizable brands with spoof tag lines.