good wednesday!  you might be able to tell from today’s theme that the forecast is a bit gloomy and rainy today. rather than feeling blue though, i’m feeling nice and cozy here in my home.  sometimes it’s nice to have a gloomy day, isn’t it?

p.s. today’s post is helpful for any business, so stay tuned!

whales at the coast

someone had a question during the survey about logo design, so i thought i would touch base on it today.  getting a logo is often the first exciting step in embarking on a new venture, and though it’s a fun process, it can also be a little daunting at times too!  first things first, you need to start thinking about what it is that you want.  it’s a good idea to create some style files or keep links on your computer of the things you love as you come across them.  getting some basic ideas of the look and feel you’re going for will really help your designer align with your vision.

blue sea urchin

where do you start?  other than the occasional magazine clipping, i’ll share with you two of my favorite places to browse for inspiration.  first is the lovely blog, print and pattern. here you’ll find a celebration of all things surface design.  you’ll be sure to find some patterns and logos that you love!

second is one of my recent discoveries, a blog called the dieline. it’s a blog dedicated to all things packaging, and you should know, it can be addicting!  it logs only the best and latest in the package design industry and with that, comes lots and lots of logos.  a great place to start thinking about what catches your eye.

in dreams

now that you have your thoughts together on what you’re looking for, it’s time to start thinking about a designer.  there are tons of options, of which we’ll discuss two of today.  first is to visit the place that’s all close to our hearts: etsy! a simple search for logo design will give you pages and pages of designers to choose from.  you can find anything from a simple logo, to an entire branding package.  most are very affordable and many even offer unlimited revisions.  what to look for:

- a strong portfolio with designs that appeal to you

- a reasonable timeline stated upfront

- a copy of the original images and copyrights to them

- great feedback from other sellers

umbrellas in the rain

another option that i recently discovered is a website called 99 designs. have you heard of it?  on their site, you set up a “design contest”, where thousands of designers compete to create the best possible design to meet your needs. all you need is a clear idea of what you want designed and how much you’re prepared to pay for it.  after you list your design portfolio, artists post designs they think fit your portfolio.  you then have the opportunity to rate each design and leave comments, making your end result all the better.  best of all, there’s 100% money back guarantee- what can you loose?

summer, sewn print

somewhat related to logos but more importantly to branding and getting your name out there are your business cards. do you remember us talking about moo cards?  well, just in case you missed this special in etsy’s newsletter yesterday, moo is offering free business cards! an opportunity each of you should take advantage of!

sale- april showers

i would love to hear your thoughts on logo design.  where did you get yours?  what works best?  do you have any resources to share?  i’ll meet you in the comments section. :)

wrap up: {branding} {contest} {design} {etsy shop help} {logo}