30 January 2009

We have recently completed a new logo for a research project being conducted by a London University. Dr Perkin came to LogoPro at the beginning of January looking for a logo design for EAT, with a strap line - Enquiring About Tolerance.

The logo is for a large scale clinical trial on children’s allergies.  The trial will recruit 3000 babies who will be tested until 3 years of age for any sign of a food allergy.  Half the children will be breastfed exclusively for 6 months, the other half will be breast fed and introduced to some allergenic foods from 3 months old.

Dr Perkin wanted a logo that included a picture of a baby, or a mother holding a baby. He requested 3 designs with baby faces and 3 designs using other concepts and for the logo to be one colour only.

Our logo designer worked on designs with Dr Perkin and his team, and after a few rounds of revisions, they were very happy with the final result.

8 January 2009

Recession, credit crunch, deflation - all words at the top of most people consciousness. The news is full of alarming statistics about redundancies, 27,000 people now out of work because of the closing of Woolworths 815 stores. Other well known businesses re going under daily, here is a list of just a few who have gone under in 2008/9: Viyella, Wedgwood, Wickes Furniture, Whittard of Chelsea, MFI, Adams Children’s wear, Amtrak Express Parcels, Morgan clothing brand, too many airlines and banks to mention and of course Northern Rock, little did we know this was just the tip of the ice-burg!

So a difficult times ahead, but not necessarily a bad time. During the 1970’s England suffered a terrible economic downturn. The 3 day week was introduced to save electricity, a need brought about by the coal miner’s strike, causing a downturn for business generally. It was during this time that Microsoft and Apple started trading.

For those who are or expecting to be unemployed now is the time to be creative because not many companies will be looking for new recruits at the moment. Look at what you have to offer, resurrect that business idea you have been nursing all these years, instead of fretting about your circumstances start working on a plan, a business plan.

There are many good reasons why starting a new business in a recession could be a good time especially for internet and i.t. based companies. Starting a business in difficult times brings out qualities like creativity, problem-solving, perseverance and energy, all things which are good for a new business, and will set you up for success in the long term. Of course the success of any venture will depend on you.

You will need to take a good hard look at your business idea, do your homework, research who, where and how your competition work.

Is there a demand for what you are offering, now in a time of recession when everyone is holding back and in the future when we come out the other side and things are looking rosier?

Do you have enough resources to get your idea off the ground without looking for loans from the bank? Starting a business in a recession is great because will probably spend as little as possible, the cheaper your company is to operate the less likely it is to fail.

There are other good reasons for starting a new business:

Being your own boss is one of them, being able to make decisions and do things your way is one of the best reasons.

You will be working in an area you are particularly interested in, you could be turning your passion into your career.

The work is likely to be very varied. You will find yourself on a steep learning curve getting to grips with the details of running a business, with many different hats to wear; director, accountant, graphic designer (that’s where we come in), receptionist, sales rep, cleaner, maintenance, tea lady to name but a few.

It can be very profitable, although the beginning can be difficult if work hard and you get it right the profit is yours not someone else’s.

If you are running your new business from home, or a shed in the garden, just think of all the money you will save on commuting.

Of course one of the most important aspects of starting your new business is choosing a new name, making the right decision on this is one of the keys to success, it represents you in everything you do. Once you have chosen your name, make sure it is not being used by anyone else. The next step will be to commission a logo design and the best place for that is LogoPro, over the last 7 years we have made it our business to specialise in logo design and our logo designers are the best in the business. The advantage of coming to LogoPro is the quality of work we provide at a fraction of the cost of conventional design agencies and other online logo design companies. We achieve this by cutting out unnecessary meeting and phone calls to concentrate on the important part of the job, the design work.

There are many examples of our work on our website, and testimonials from happy clients both on the home page and the testimonials page. If you are starting up your new business and are unsure about any aspect our service, do contact us via our website or the blog, or telephone our freephone number 0800 170 1060, we would be pleased to advise you.

11 December 2008

Favourite client BSMimpact asked us to redesign and build their web site.  They came to LogoPro in September 2008, for a new custom logo design that reflected their services.  They opted for our Business Advantage package which also includes stationery design. 

Not only did the new site have to look professional, as with any design, it has to capture its audience, make them want to look further and not lose them on the first click.  Our graphic designer worked with them to create a site that could incorporate many features. They required a CMS - Content Management System - so they could make changes to the site themselves easily.  They also have a search facility, an employee portal and news feeds.

27 November 2008

Being one of the very first graphic design companies to offer custom logo design online, way back in 2001, our aim was to offer our expertise at affordable prices to all businesses, particularly those who would not consider approaching a conventional design agency.  After careful thought we set the price of our first package, Business Class Logo at £160.00 plus VAT = £188.00.  The price for this service has remained the same for the last 7 years - until now -  reflecting the new rate of VAT, the cost of professional logo design in now only £184.00. 

We know from client feedback that some clients were suspicious of our low price, expecting logo designs that look as if they have been plucked straight from a clip art library with a bit of text applied.  Not until they embarked on the journey with us did they realise just how committed our logo designers are to creating genuinely bespoke designs for our clients.

We have considered making our prices higher, but for now we think it is worth keeping our prices as they are because each new client has the potential to become one of the many clients that come back to us again and again for all their graphic requirements.

20 November

Igloo directors, took the bold step of stepping in to the Dragon’s Den. Not only did they come out all in one piece, they were smiling - happy to have secured a good deal with 2 of the dragons.  Four years on Igloo are going from strength to strength, with a huge fleet of vehicles ranging from tiny Smart cars to huge 18 ton lorries.

LogoPro haved worked for Igloo since 2004, providing them with their bold logo design, stationery design and other printed material. We are really pleased that they are doing so well and love seeing a LogoPro logo design emblazoned on all their vehicles.  We wish them continued success.

Igloo will be featured on Dragon’s Den on the 23rd November, with an update on how the company is doing. At least two of our logo designers will be glued to the telly on Saturday to see the show!

18 November 2008

When we design a web site, one of the things we love doing is designing a ‘favicon’ - you will find a favourites icon to the left of a web address in your browser.  It sometimes get forgotten which is a shame because no one should under estimate the power of this little adornment.

The favicon is the epitome of a logo, a logo being a mark, brand or trademark used in the earliest of civilizations to state ownership.

They are becoming more common, if you look at your book marked pages, most of them will have a page with a turned down corner to the left of the name.  The ones that will stand out are the few that have a specially designed favicon in place.  Our own favourites icon is ideal, it says LOGO, is white on a blue background - strong, simple, to the point. Who could miss LogoPro when they book mark all the possible online logo design companies they are considering?

A well designed favicon can work on a subliminal level.

Having a favicon in place shows an attention to detail.

A strong favicon get’s you noticed in the bookmark column.

A favourites icon is just one more way of using your branding to keep your business in the public eye.

If you have an existing logo design and would like our logo designers to design your favourites icon, contact us at LogoPro, where we will adapt your logo design so it works well for your and give you the file and instructions on how to include it on your web site.

17 November 2008

In August BSMimpact chose to work with our online logo design company. They are an established consultancy, with the likes of Compaq/HP, IBM, Centrica, British Airways, Vodafone and TuringSMI on their client list.  As their brief stated ‘We adopt a methodical and completely business-focused approach to designing and implementing practical, pragmatic and innovative solutions’. We knew we had to rise to the challenge and provide them with a logo that reflected such a dynamic company. BSMimpact have been a delight to work for, providing our logo designer with thoughtful responses and suggestions, helping to create a logo design they could feel proud of.

14th October 2008

You have decided your business needs a new logo design, one of the first steps in establishing a new business, an important step if you are an established business.

When deciding to buy a new logo, make a check list of what are you buying a new logo design for?

Planning ahead will mean you will assess the logo design concepts offered with a more critical eye, ask yourself or your logo designer - will this ratio work on my web site, will this font have enough impact on my vehicles…  Before your begin the process, find the logos that inspire you, look at your competitors - working out what you don’t want is also important.

Thinks to consider:

logo design for a web site
Your new logo design will probably be the starting point for the design of your new web site. Generally you will need a logo design that is landscape in proportion, having said that our own logo is portrait! Don’t be bound by colours, feel free to have your logo in different colour ways for different uses.

Stationery including business cards
You will using your new logo design everyday, so it is important to feel comfortable with it.  When you send out your letters or emails, when you invoice your clients, when you hand out your businss card, you want to feel proud of your branding.  To be proud of the look and the quality of your stationery - so often we see people handing out a business card to a potential client, along with an apology for the card because it’s out of date or because they cost £9.00 for 250 card - a bargain! Think what that says about that business.

Brochures, flyers, data sheets
You may decide to print only one colour, so it is important to have a version of your logo design that works in say, black and white, or shades of black and white.

Advertising in news papers and magazines

Carrier bags or other types of packaging
Bold simple designs work well on carrier bags. Make good use of this type of promotion, make sure your carriers can be read and understood out on the street.

Uniforms, clothing, any number of personalised promotional products
Whether your logo design is being embroidered or screen printed, again keep it simple. Graduated colours don’t really work on embroidery, small lettering will be lost. Be bold, aim for a good contrast in colours.

Cars, vans, maybe even trains and planes
Another great opportunity to get your message out there.  Who can forget those baked beans on toast emblazoned all over the London buses, not a logo but what an impact.

Shop facias
So many ways a logo design can be applied to shop facias!  Don’t leave it to sign writers, they are not designers.

Bill boards

Think ahead, be open minded, perhaps you need a various layouts using the same concept, for instance a logo design that is long and thin (landscape) good for shop facias, a squarer layout for use on boxes or carrier bags (portrait). Perhaps you need to be able to use just the text or just the image, if there is one in your logo.  Ultimately you need a complete set, all carefully thought about for their particular application.

If you think you will need your logo for any or all of the above, do talk to one of our logo designers.  Once we understand your requirements we will be able to quote for adapting your new branding to your new business.

LogoPro are experts in all areas of graphic design and often work with clients on their complete identity, usually beginning with our online logo design packages.

10th October 2008

Coming to LogoPro for a second time, this client wanted a new logo design for an online shop. This was the brief:

‘Our company will be selling consumer goods including clothing, hi-fi, computers and more via our online shop www.pricekind.co.uk

LOGO/IMPORTANT INFO: We will only stock products for which we can guarantee that our prices will be the lowest in the UK. Our stock is updated daily and available only on first come first served basis. We offer a full range of payment, delivery and collection services.’

Our logo designers alway read the brief our clients send us with great care, looking at every tiny bit of information because it might be the spark that helps create a great logo design.

Pricekind.co.uk dismissed the concept that, as it turned out, was their ideal logo. We find that clients need time to digest the concepts offered to them, before choosing a design to develop further.  We were very happy with the final logo design, which is bright, eye catching and humorous.

1st October 2008

We are very pleased to report that a high proportion of our work comes from clients returning to LogoPro.  They come for a variety of reasons, not just for excellent logo design, that is fast, professional and incredibly good value.  One such client is TankVet, who came to us some years ago, opting for our logo design and stationery design package. We also printed their stationery, which they were very happy with.

In September 2008, they came back to us for a logo for a different company but still in the same business.  Our studio manager decided to put a different logo designer on this project, aiming to give our client the freshest concepts possible.   Our client was bowled over ‘I really like the logos, they are fantastic’ - the sort of response we love!

They chose a logo design from the first six concepts offered, and although they looked at variations they went back to the 1st logo design as their final choice.