Sorry, but this really isn’t something you should be proud of. Being thrifty is great, but as they say, You get what you pay for and a logo is one of those things that you want done correctly. For the most part, a logo isn’t a super difficult thing to design in theory. You just take the name, develop some associated imagery into an icon and Bob’s your Uncle, you have a logo.

Or do you?

You see, the problem with this is that once you have a logo you are, to a degree, stuck with it, or you risk losing your equity. Your equity is actually the most valuable part of your logo and your brand. So when you change your logo, you lose all the associated “feelings”, recognition, and trust that have been associated with what you do. So in order to be content with your logo and not change it, you need to make sure it’s good in the first place.

What does your agency do to ensure your logo is good and can stand the test of time?

1. They ask the right questions. This may seem obvious, but what are the right questions and are they getting to the core of what makes you, “you”? Are they delving into your story? Are they learning about your targets, and what applies to their verticals? Are they aware of sub-brands and the corporate structure? Are they aware of competitive brands? There are so many more questions, but this is a sampling.
2. They research colour theory, and its relationship to your product.
3. They make it simple. The greatest icons in the world are simple enough that they can be drawn in the sand with your finger. Simple is VERY difficult.
4. They come up with a creative concept that ties into your story (hard to do with simple) and work through the revision process. The best agencies will not only do this creative concept but create a logo that has hidden meanings or cool ways of looking at it. Very budget dependent.
5. They ensure it aligns with all stakeholders and manage the communications chain. They also ensure your team understands that your logo will “appear” different or not as powerful upon the moment of creation. This is because it houses no equity upon creation. Take a look at my earlier article about this.
6. They build it correctly. Many logos are not, and don’t print properly.
7. They ensure that it works within all formats. Vertical, horizontal, on black, on white, small, large, etc. Easier said than done.
8. They create a brand guidelines document with rules to ensure you maintain equity growth and recognition.
9. They provide you with all formats for all occasions. Vector, JPG, PNG, etc. for each format variation.
10. And lastly, they educate you on what secondary (associated) brand elements are and help you work through this process so you actually end up with a real brand and not just a logo.

So, when you say that you’ve spent $500 on your logo, I call BS. You probably have a placeholder until someone qualified helps you replace it.