Unfortunately, I accepted the project as a logo design instead of concept design – which proved to be a HUGE mistake, and one that designers often make.

I ended up spending over 10 hours developing their image for this “dream company”, going from one idea to the next. The women came up with a new idea each day; they wanted me to try out to see if they’d like it, and without fail, each time I did this they came back with, “We’re not sure about it, we’d like to try something else. Something’s missing but we don’t know what”. This was, to put it lightly, unbelievably frustrating.

It sounds crazy but this was my fault, I didn’t first analyze and distinguish the differences between logo design and concept design. I should have recognized and explained to these women that their project was concept design, not a logo design, and that our objective was to flush out concepts rather than a finished logo. In the end I gave the clients their deposit back and wished them the best of luck. They in turn scrapped the idea of having a logo, and paid another designer to create a web site for them – the web site never amounted to more than an “Under Construction” page.

Bottom Line for Small Business Owners:

If you don’t have the time or talent and you have the money, go ahead and hire a good designer to concept design for you. But for most small business owners, having a frugal marketing and design budget is a must. In this case I

Here’s What Happened to Me:
About a year ago I worked with three enterprising women who were considering a start-up company specializing in makeup and a bath and body line. They were a good referral from a trusted business colleague.

When these clients first contacted me, they hadn’t done any research in their client market, they had no business plan and they had no idea what type of logo they wanted. Nor did they know what their business was about, what their competition was doing, or even who their customers were. They just thought, “We need a logo design of some kind that will define our company, so let’s hire a designer”. These clients were intelligent, fun and enthusiastic women who said they wanted logo design – but in retrospect I now know they needed was not logo design but concept design.

NOTE: If you’re a small business owner here’s an important point you don’t want to miss: your company should define what your logo looks like and what it is; your logo should not define your company.

Why is it important to distinguish between concept and logo design?
Understanding the project as a logo design or concept design clearly defines the final product of the project, as well as the project’s expectations. When the project’s expectations and objectives aren’t clearly defined we end up with miscommunication and the project can end badly for both parties.

If you’re a designer, it’s critical to have the expectations spelled out; miscommunication and misconceptions can cost you a load of time and money. It’s your responsibility as a designer to get clear on what the project’s scope and objective really is, and help the business owner understand the process and the end product. And as a business owner, you want to make sure you’re getting what you’re paying for.

Here’s a real world example, which should help you distinguish between logo design and concept design: a client tells you, “This is what we want, we’ve taken some time to look at the competition, talked to our clients and discussed what we’re looking for in a logo/brand. We want it to say this…” – this is logo design. The final output and objective for this project is going to be a final, finished logo that the company is going to use as long as it remains in business.

Conversely, another client says, “Well, we’re not sure what we’re looking for, so were bringing you on as our creative person. We don’t know what we want, but if you hit it, we’ll know it” – this is concept design. The final output and objective for this project is to generate new ideas and identity concepts for company can mull around, brainstorm over (the designer essentially does the research and the thinking for the company). Clients typically receive 3-9 different concepts depending on the designer.

Do you see the difference?

Ultimately the final product is either a finished, “set in stone” logo that a company will use from that point on, or the final product(s) are concepts that help the company flush out ideas they haven’t had time to look into, ideas they can look over, discuss and test.

Either way, it’s important to make the distinction before the project begins. The following set of questions will help both parties understand the nature of the project.

What Questions to Ask to Determine if You have Logo Design or Concept Design:
Have you spent any time thinking about what you think would be a good logo?
Have you scrutinized your competitors logos, do you have any examples of logos (in or out of your industry) that you like or dislike?
Have you talked to any of your clients or prospects about this?
Who’s making this decision? How are you or they going to be making it?
Are you going to be making this decision based on what you like or what your clients have told you they like?
Have you invested any time getting some preliminary feedback from clients or prospects?
What is this logo supposed to convey, communicate or say to a client or prospect?
Do you have a tag line?
What images/icons or insignias do you think would help communicate your message and draw in customers?
How would you like your logo to differentiate your company from the competition? How do you want your logo help you define a niche market that is different from your competitors?
How do you want prospects/customers to feel when they see your logo?
What do you want prospects/customers to think when they see your logo?
What are some adjectives you would want your prospects/customers to use to describe your company based on seeing your logo?

Based on the answers given to these questions, you should quickly be able to determine whether the project is a concept design or a logo design.

Key Phrases that Indicate Concept Design:
Here are a number of top phrases I’ve heard that should tip you off that the project is concept design rather than logo design. The business owner says,

• “I don’t know what I want, but when I see it, I’ll know”
• “Just create some logos, and I’ll tell you what I think”
• “I can definitely tell you what I don’t like”
• “I don’t have much for you to go on, just use your creativity”
• “I haven’t had time to think about what I want”
• “I am not sure what else is out there, as far as my competitor’s logo”
• “I’m just starting this business and I probably have to get something”
• “I am thinking of starting this business and I’ve got to come up with a look or something”
• “I just need to get something done”

The Rest of the Story if You Wanted to Know:

Even though they said they wanted logo design, the 3 clients were asking for concept design. Unfortunately, I accepted the project as a logo design instead of concept design – which proved to be a HUGE mistake, and one that designers often make.

I ended up spending over 10 hours developing their image for this “dream company”, going from one idea to the next. The women came up with a new idea each day; they wanted me to try out to see if they’d like it, and without fail, each time I did this they came back with, “We’re not sure about it, we’d like to try something else. Something’s missing but we don’t know what”. This was, to put it lightly, unbelievably frustrating.

It sounds crazy but this was my fault, I didn’t first analyze and distinguish the differences between logo design and concept design. I should have recognized and explained to these women that their project was concept design, not a logo design, and that our objective was to flush out concepts rather than a finished logo. In the end I gave the clients their deposit back and wished them the best of luck. They in turn scrapped the idea of having a logo, and paid another designer to create a web site for them – the web site never amounted to more than an “Under Construction” page.

Bottom Line for Small Business Owners:

If you don’t have the time or talent and you have the money, go ahead and hire a good designer to concept design for you. But for most small business owners, having a frugal marketing and design budget is a must. In this case I

esigner, it’s critical to have the expectations spelled out; miscommunication and misconceptions can cost you a load of time and money. It’s your responsibility as a designer to get clear on what the project’s scope and objective really is, and help the business owner understand the process and the end product. And as a business owner, you want to make sure you’re getting what you’re paying for.

Here’s a real world example, which should help you distinguish between logo design and concept design: a client tells you, “This is what we want, we’ve taken some time to look at the competition, talked to our clients and discussed what we’re looking for in a logo/brand. We want it to say this…” – this is logo design. The final output and objective for this project is going to be a final, finished logo that the company is going to use as long as it remains in business.

Conversely, another client says, “Well, we’re not sure what we’re looking for, so were bringing you on as our creative person. We don’t know what we want, but if you hit it, we’ll know it” – this is concept design. The final output and objective for this project is to generate new ideas and identity concepts for company can mull around, brainstorm over (the designer essentially does the research and the thinking for the company). Clients typically receive 3-9 different concepts depending on the designer.

Do you see the difference?

Ultimately the final product is either a finished, “set in stone” logo that a company will use from that point on, or the final product(s) are concepts that help the company flush out ideas they haven’t had time to look into, ideas they can look over, discuss and test.

Either way, it’s important to make the distinction before the project begins. The following set of questions will help both parties understand the nature of the project.

What Questions to Ask to Determine if You have Logo Design or Concept Design:
Have you spent any time thinking about what you think would be a good logo?
Have you scrutinized your competitors logos, do you have any examples of logos (in or out of your industry) that you like or dislike?
Have you talked to any of your clients or prospects about this?
Who’s making this decision? How are you or they going to be making it?
Are you going to be making this decision based on what you like or what your clients have told you they like?
Have you invested any time getting some preliminary feedback from clients or prospects?
What is this logo supposed to convey, communicate or say to a client or prospect?
Do you have a tag line?
What images/icons or insignias do you think would help communicate your message and draw in customers?
How would you like your logo to differentiate your company from the competition? How do you want your logo help you define a niche market that is different from your competitors?
How do you want prospects/customers to feel when they see your logo?
What do you want prospects/customers to think when they see your logo?
What are some adjectives you would want your prospects/customers to use to describe your company based on seeing your logo?

Based on the answers given to these questions, you should quickly be able to determine whether the project is a concept design or a logo design.

Key Phrases that Indicate Concept Design:
Here are a number of top phrases I’ve heard that should tip you off that the project is concept design rather than logo design. The business owner says,

• “I don’t know what I want, but when I see it, I’ll know”
• “Just create some logos, and I’ll tell you what I think”
• “I can definitely tell you what I don’t like”
• “I don’t have much for you to go on, just use your creativity”
• “I haven’t had time to think about what I want”
• “I am not sure what else is out there, as far as my competitor’s logo”
• “I’m just starting this business and I probably have to get something”
• “I am thinking of starting this business and I’ve got to come up with a look or something”
• “I just need to get something done”

The Rest of the Story if You Wanted to Know:

Even though they said they wanted logo design, the 3 clients were asking for concept design. Unfortunately, I accepted the project as a logo design instead of concept design – which proved to be a HUGE mistake, and one that designers often make.

I ended up spending over 10 hours developing their image for this “dream company”, going from one idea to the next. The women came up with a new idea each day; they wanted me to try out to see if they’d like it, and without fail, each time I did this they came back with, “We’re not sure about it, we’d like to try something else. Something’s missing but we don’t know what”. This was, to put it lightly, unbelievably frustrating.

It sounds crazy but this was my fault, I didn’t first analyze and distinguish the differences between logo design and concept design. I should have recognized and explained to these women that their project was concept design, not a logo design, and that our objective was to flush out concepts rather than a finished logo. In the end I gave the clients their deposit back and wished them the best of luck. They in turn scrapped the idea of having a logo, and paid another designer to create a web site for them – the web site never amounted to more than an “Under Construction” page.

Bottom Line for Small Business Owners:

If you don’t have the time or talent and you have the money, go ahead and hire a good designer to concept design for you. But for most small business owners, having a frugal marketing and design budget is a must. In this case I

ished, “set in stone” logo that a company will use from that point on, or the final product(s) are concepts that help the company flush out ideas they haven’t had time to look into, ideas they can look over, discuss and test.

Either way, it’s important to make the distinction before the project begins. The following set of questions will help both parties understand the nature of the project.

What Questions to Ask to Determine if You have Logo Design or Concept Design:
Have you spent any time thinking about what you think would be a good logo?
Have you scrutinized your competitors logos, do you have any examples of logos (in or out of your industry) that you like or dislike?
Have you talked to any of your clients or prospects about this?
Who’s making this decision? How are you or they going to be making it?
Are you going to be making this decision based on what you like or what your clients have told you they like?
Have you invested any time getting some preliminary feedback from clients or prospects?
What is this logo supposed to convey, communicate or say to a client or prospect?
Do you have a tag line?
What images/icons or insignias do you think would help communicate your message and draw in customers?
How would you like your logo to differentiate your company from the competition? How do you want your logo help you define a niche market that is different from your competitors?
How do you want prospects/customers to feel when they see your logo?
What do you want prospects/customers to think when they see your logo?
What are some adjectives you would want your prospects/customers to use to describe your company based on seeing your logo?

Based on the answers given to these questions, you should quickly be able to determine whether the project is a concept design or a logo design.

Key Phrases that Indicate Concept Design:
Here are a number of top phrases I’ve heard that should tip you off that the project is concept design rather than logo design. The business owner says,

• “I don’t know what I want, but when I see it, I’ll know”
• “Just create some logos, and I’ll tell you what I think”
• “I can definitely tell you what I don’t like”
• “I don’t have much for you to go on, just use your creativity”
• “I haven’t had time to think about what I want”
• “I am not sure what else is out there, as far as my competitor’s logo”
• “I’m just starting this business and I probably have to get something”
• “I am thinking of starting this business and I’ve got to come up with a look or something”
• “I just need to get something done”

The Rest of the Story if You Wanted to Know:

Even though they said they wanted logo design, the 3 clients were asking for concept design. Unfortunately, I accepted the project as a logo design instead of concept design – which proved to be a HUGE mistake, and one that designers often make.

I ended up spending over 10 hours developing their image for this “dream company”, going from one idea to the next. The women came up with a new idea each day; they wanted me to try out to see if they’d like it, and without fail, each time I did this they came back with, “We’re not sure about it, we’d like to try something else. Something’s missing but we don’t know what”. This was, to put it lightly, unbelievably frustrating.

It sounds crazy but this was my fault, I didn’t first analyze and distinguish the differences between logo design and concept design. I should have recognized and explained to these women that their project was concept design, not a logo design, and that our objective was to flush out concepts rather than a finished logo. In the end I gave the clients their deposit back and wished them the best of luck. They in turn scrapped the idea of having a logo, and paid another designer to create a web site for them – the web site never amounted to more than an “Under Construction” page.

Bottom Line for Small Business Owners:

If you don’t have the time or talent and you have the money, go ahead and hire a good designer to concept design for you. But for most small business owners, having a frugal marketing and design budget is a must. In this case I

feel when they see your logo?
What do you want prospects/customers to think when they see your logo?
What are some adjectives you would want your prospects/customers to use to describe your company based on seeing your logo?

Based on the answers given to these questions, you should quickly be able to determine whether the project is a concept design or a logo design.

Key Phrases that Indicate Concept Design:
Here are a number of top phrases I’ve heard that should tip you off that the project is concept design rather than logo design. The business owner says,

• “I don’t know what I want, but when I see it, I’ll know”
• “Just create some logos, and I’ll tell you what I think”
• “I can definitely tell you what I don’t like”
• “I don’t have much for you to go on, just use your creativity”
• “I haven’t had time to think about what I want”
• “I am not sure what else is out there, as far as my competitor’s logo”
• “I’m just starting this business and I probably have to get something”
• “I am thinking of starting this business and I’ve got to come up with a look or something”
• “I just need to get something done”

The Rest of the Story if You Wanted to Know:

Even though they said they wanted logo design, the 3 clients were asking for concept design. Unfortunately, I accepted the project as a logo design instead of concept design – which proved to be a HUGE mistake, and one that designers often make.

I ended up spending over 10 hours developing their image for this “dream company”, going from one idea to the next. The women came up with a new idea each day; they wanted me to try out to see if they’d like it, and without fail, each time I did this they came back with, “We’re not sure about it, we’d like to try something else. Something’s missing but we don’t know what”. This was, to put it lightly, unbelievably frustrating.

It sounds crazy but this was my fault, I didn’t first analyze and distinguish the differences between logo design and concept design. I should have recognized and explained to these women that their project was concept design, not a logo design, and that our objective was to flush out concepts rather than a finished logo. In the end I gave the clients their deposit back and wished them the best of luck. They in turn scrapped the idea of having a logo, and paid another designer to create a web site for them – the web site never amounted to more than an “Under Construction” page.

Bottom Line for Small Business Owners:

If you don’t have the time or talent and you have the money, go ahead and hire a good designer to concept design for you. But for most small business owners, having a frugal marketing and design budget is a must. In this case I

Unfortunately, I accepted the project as a logo design instead of concept design – which proved to be a HUGE mistake, and one that designers often make.

I ended up spending over 10 hours developing their image for this “dream company”, going from one idea to the next. The women came up with a new idea each day; they wanted me to try out to see if they’d like it, and without fail, each time I did this they came back with, “We’re not sure about it, we’d like to try something else. Something’s missing but we don’t know what”. This was, to put it lightly, unbelievably frustrating.

It sounds crazy but this was my fault, I didn’t first analyze and distinguish the differences between logo design and concept design. I should have recognized and explained to these women that their project was concept design, not a logo design, and that our objective was to flush out concepts rather than a finished logo. In the end I gave the clients their deposit back and wished them the best of luck. They in turn scrapped the idea of having a logo, and paid another designer to create a web site for them – the web site never amounted to more than an “Under Construction” page.

Bottom Line for Small Business Owners:

If you don’t have the time or talent and you have the money, go ahead and hire a good designer to concept design for you. But for most small business owners, having a frugal marketing and design budget is a must. In this case I suggest doing some research on your own rather than paying a designer to do it for you. Look at competitor’s logos; browse the Internet; and decide what colors, fonts and icons you might like. The more you can hone down exactly what you are looking for, the less expensive and the faster the project will go. Most companies don’t have the time or the funds to hire a designer for concept design, so do your homework up front rather than saying, “We’re not sure what we want, but if you get it we’ll tell you”. If you do some preliminary background work you can expect to save significant time and money in having the project done.

Bottom Line for Sharp Graphic Designers:

Invest a little time up front and get clear on what the objective of the project is, it will save you a world of future headaches. Is the project’s objective just coming up with concepts or is it taking a clear idea or vision the company has and making it tangible? Graphic designers, it’s your responsibility to take the lead on this, you’re the expert. If you use the information I’ve provided above as a guide, you will be off to a great start, best wishes!