Before I go posting in the main forum,....

[Njones]

So,... I've been blown away by the designs I've seen on here, and I've decided I need a professionally designed logo as it will be SOOOOO much better than my diy efforts.

My questions are:
1. How do I go about finding/choosing a designer
2. How much should I expect to pay for logo design work (Yes, I am a tightwad!)?
3. What kind of design brief is prefered,.. do I go ultra controlling and detailed putting forward all my creative thoughts,.. or simply present the key words, what I want the logo to "say", and let the designer be creative?
4. What other questions should I be asking??? ;)

[morea]

have a look over this thread, there is some excellent information there to help choose a logo designer:

http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24151

[Virgo Nightingale]

1: There are many ways to find a designer. You can do a google search for freelancers or design studios, check out their portfolios, contact the one(s) you think would be the best fit and ask for a quote. You can also contact other business in your area whose logo you like and ask who did their design work. You can also post a classified ad here on GDF.

2: We can't discuss pricing on the forum, so I'm afraid we can't give you any numbers. The number will depend on many things anyway, like the designer's experience and expertise, location, etc. Don't expect much on a "tightwad" budget though. ;)

3: You can give your designer however much or little info to go on. Honestly though, too much direction can be stifling. Let them put their own creativity to work. But don't give too little direction. That's like telling someone to go south, but not giving them a compass.

4: Ask for written contract. Most of whatever questions you might come up with should be answered there. It should also weed out the unprofessional hacks.

[Njones]

Cheers Morea, interesting reading!

I've seen some designs that have particularly impressed me posted on this forum, and have a "shortlist" of ppl I would like to work with. But cost, availability etc are all issues, so I want to learn as much as possible before I post in the classifieds section!

[Njones]

The examples here are defo my kind of style:
http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33505

[morea]

just bear in mind that there are some very good designers here who don't make a habit of posting their work on the forum here, so you might not want to rule out anyone's offer until you have seen their pricing and portfolio. ;)

[urstwile]

This thread (http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27667) has a lot of the members' portfolios all in one spot, that might be something to look at. Good luck with your search.

[budafist]

3. What kind of design brief is prefered,.. do I go ultra controlling and detailed putting forward all my creative thoughts,.. or simply present the key words, what I want the logo to "say", and let the designer be creative?

I think this is something that many clients consider and there are varying answers to this. Some designers dislike a client telling exactly what they want their logo to look like. It's like you going to a fashion designer to make you a wedding dress when in fact you only need a seamstress.

Then, worse is when a client gives you barely any information to go on when in fact they are quite particular. If you hate the colour red, say so. If your target customer are 20-25 year old gamers, say so. Those particulars are good for a designer to place your business branding in the current market.

I would prefer a list of specifications, but not a logo doodled on a bit of paper for me to "jazz up". Sometimes people forget that designers aren't just people that can "jazz up" your idea. We come up with great ideas too!

I think you should go into this tell the designer all the ideas you have as well as things you like and dislike. Then forget everything and let them come up with some concepts.