Logo design can be expensive. In fact, most corporations spend thousands upon thousands on creating brands.

And even though cheap and free solutions run rampant online, obtaining one of these can result in a cookie cutter logo–it won’t stand out above the crowd because it’s not uniquely designed for your business, ministry, or artistry.

Typically, design agencies charge at least $75 per hour. Some freelancers charge less than that, but still, the money adds up.

How can you dramatically lessen the cost of logo design?

Here are some ideas to help you:

1) Do as much research as possible up front.

Ask yourself important questions, like “What am I trying to communicate with this logo?” and “Who is my target market?” If you already have a logo, analyze why it’s not working for you.

2) Provide a rough sketch to the designer.

Designers think visually. If you give them an idea what you are looking for by sketching it out, they will be able to satisfy your vision of your logo more quickly. This will save you money!

Communicate up front all your expectations to the designer. The more they know, the more effective your logo will be, and the more money you will save!

Now that you’ve given him all the information and your vision up front, any written estimate will be accurate and you will have no surprises when the bill comes due.

3) Don’t try to change the job specifications in the middle of the project.

Decide up front what you are wanting. This is why initial analysis and thorough research is so important.

If you decide from the beginning that you want blue angels to represent your logo, but then change your mind and decide you want red fairies when your designer has already done the majority of the work, you will be increasing the cost.

You can’t expect the designer to charge his original estimate when you have made a dramatic change and it’s not in the original parameters.

Changing job specifications will mean the designer will have to work longer or buy more artwork. There is no magic button that a designer can push to make your vision come true. It takes skill and knowledge to implement a vision into a tangible design that can be used online or offline. If you change your mind in the middle of a project, it will take more time to complete that project and you will have greatly increased the cost of your logo design.

But following these three ideas when hiring a designer will dramatically lessen the cost of making a logo!

And when you have a dynamic logo, you have built not only a brand, but a brand that sizzles!