According to Yahoo, over 540,000 businesses launch every month. That said, it’s important more than ever that businesses stand out to making a lasting impression. In doing so, businesses should invest in a logo that would put them on the map and make them recognizable. 

To save costs, businesses would opt for a freelance logo design. However, organizations should also realize the value of hiring a professional to design their logos. This way, they can maximize their expense and get a wider reach and recognition from its target audience.

In this article, I discuss the differences between freelance and professional logo design. Plus, know what to expect when hiring a freelancer and seasoned graphic designer for your logos.

 

Freelance and Professional Logo Design

How can you differentiate a freelance logo design from a professional one?

A freelance logo design sticks to the basics of the brand. It’s a design without purpose. Perhaps, the color scheme doesn’t match the brand. Or maybe the typography isn’t fit as to how the company wants to be perceived. Sometimes even freelancers may follow trends and may not also consider how the logo can become unique to the brand.

On the other hand, a professional logo design focuses on the essence and identity of the brand. Professional logo designers would conduct thorough research on the market. They don’t follow trends as well since they think outside the box. This way, the logo doesn’t just stand out. It can help attract customers toward the company or brand without losing its messaging. Plus, they’re able to create a harmony of all the elements needed to create a solid brand visually.

Here are some examples of how you can gauge a professional logo design from a freelance logo.

The French design agency LMG was responsible for making the logo-refresh for Cochon Dingue (Crazy Pig). It’s a French restaurant chain that has been around for more than 30 years. For it to stay relevant, they redesigned their logo by incorporating the French flag. Plus, they still included the pig since it is its identifier. It brings out a more fun and modern brand.

Here’s a logo for a health company created by a freelancer. There are three different colors in the logo and the two curved lines look unnecessary. Plus, the fonts look different too. It doesn’t really tell much about the company itself as well, and it’s confusing overall.

In contrast, here’s a professional-looking logo from Stephanie Brückler. She designed the logo of Ansea, a brand for women in the surfing industry. What’s great about the logo is it’s not just a simple wordmark. As you can see, the vowels, a and e, contain a wave. It’s to align with their identity of being a surfing company.

Here’s an example of how freelance logo design can become better with a professional logo design. 

According to Arek Dvornechuck, his client, Sukoon Travel Group, asked him for a better logo design after getting a not-so-good one from 99designs. As you can see from 99designs, it doesn’t have harmony. In fact, it’s noisy. As compared to Dvornechuck’s design, he simplified the logo, by illustrating the Statue of Liberty since the company is New York-based. Plus, it looks more professional and clean.

Check out this logo created by a freelancer for a company. It seems the freelancer used two different fonts for the wordmark, even adding an unnecessary outline for Sky. Plus, the color of the sun looks green rather than yellow, perhaps in an attempt to make the sky pop out. It doesn’t look professional and has no story to tell too.

This last example comes from New Chapter created by Paul Belford Ltd. As you can see on the logo, at first glance, it looks like an arrow. But when you tilt your head, there’s an illustration of an open book. It’s a professional logo design because it captures the identity and messaging of the startup, New Chapter. It’s straightforward, yet leaves an impact.

Now that you’ve gotten an idea of how professional designs look against a freelance logo design, learn about the pros and cons of hiring freelancers.

 

Pros and Cons of Hiring Freelancers

Freelancers charge less than design agencies or other graphic design services. That’s why many big companies go to Upwork or Fiverr to find a freelancer to create their logo. Some freelancers would charge hourly, some per project. Even so, adding it all up, just for one logo, their services are affordable.

However, you should avoid a freelancer that charges only a few bucks for a logo. Remember, the running rate for a logo is around $150 to $2,500. You might save money on it, but it will blow up in your face and a hole in your bank. You’ll have to start over and find a new logo designer to create it.

One of the pros of hiring freelancers for a logo design is that when you just need a logo, after that project. That’s it. It’s done. There’s no long-term commitment with a freelancer, which could bode well for both parties.

The thing about this is, it’ll cost you time to find another freelancer for another project. Sure, you’d want to hire a specialized freelancer for your logo, but what you want is more than that. 

Remember, you need to have consistent branding in every part of your business. One freelancer may not capture another freelancer’s work. That’s why you’ll need a professional graphic designer to step in. That way, they can align branding assets. This will help you look more professional towards your users or consumers.

Freelancers are flexible and available, at least most of the time. Some would work during your active hours, while some can work during the off-peak hours. Either way, they’ll work on your logo whenever you see fit. But also whenever they see fit. 

The thing about flexibility and availability is, you can’t guarantee that you’re their only client. Some freelancers might have different clients at one time. Thus, enabling them to focus on what they need to prioritize. Plus, in case the freelancer isn’t able to work your logo on a particular day or time, no one would be there to replace them. Also, your logo might take time with a freelancer, especially if they’re handling different clients at once.

Some also report the trustworthiness of freelancers — or the lack thereof. It’s because they don’t show off any portfolio or have anything that makes them credible. That would set off alarm bells for some small business owners looking for a logo designer. So, even if they would cost much more, some opt for a professional graphic designer to get every bang for their buck.

 

Pros and Cons of Hiring Professionals

You can rest easy if you’ve hired a professional graphic designer for your logo. If you’ve decided to use a graphic design agency, you’ll have a team of graphic designers ready to tackle any challenge. This means the team is briefed regarding the specifics of your logo design. So, in case one of the designers isn’t available to work on it, they can take over.

Plus, if you have a professional graphic designer, you can have a long-term working relationship. This reduces the time and cost of hiring a freelance graphic designer for any other design you might request.

If you’re hiring a professional graphic designer, you can expect the same for their work. They’ve mastered graphic design elements such as:

• Color
• Visual hierarchy
• Typography
• Scale
• Balance

Since a professional graphic designer has racked up years of experience and expertise, you can expect them to charge more than a freelancer would. They know how to manage or handle a client and their expectations. Plus, they’ve learned from feedback, they have the eye to make a great logo design.

However, with their tenure, they’ll charge higher than any freelancer. This would become a hurdle, especially if you have a budget in mind for a logo. That’s why some businesses would opt for a freelance logo design instead of a professional since it will all boil down to cost.

Where can you find professional graphic designers?

• Job search sites
• Design agencies
• Subscription-based services

It could be advantageous for a business to hire a graphic designer full-time. Aside from the pros listed above, it’ll be easier to communicate with your graphic designer on what you want as a design.

However, the main downside to hiring a full-time graphic designer is you might have difficulty keeping the graphic designer onboard. When you don’t have anything to design, the graphic designer might stay idle. So, what’s the point of having the graphic designer on board?

Your other alternative is finding a design agency. Design agencies, whether big or boutique, are prepared to tackle any challenges with a team. You can be sure they’ll provide a professional logo design or any other visual for your business.

Even if design agencies produce high-quality designs, they can be quite expensive for a small business. Also, if the price is attractive for a freelance logo design, it’s best if you still find a professional that will provide you with a logo and other necessary visual assets.

That’s why there’s a second alternative: a subscription-based graphic design service.

Enter Design Doctor.

Design Doctor can meet all your design needs in a month or up until your subscription ends. The subscription design model works best for businesses with a high demand of visual assets to publish online or print. These assets include social media graphics, flyers, blog images, packaging design, and so much more. 

The best thing about this is it’s a subscription-based model that starts at $349/mo. So, you can request any design anytime during your subscription. Plus, you get unlimited revisions too. It means that you can give your feedback for any design that needs more improvement until you’re satisfied with that work.

Plus, with Design Doctor, you won’t have to search for freelancers or hire a professional one to join your team. The top 2% of designers in the world are part of the team in Design Doctor. So, rest assured, you’ll receive high-quality, compelling designs for your business.