Recently I had a client approach me wanting a website for their business. The client had used a different designer for their logo, and was seeking to improve their web presence through the creation of a marketing website for the business. My client forwarded me their expensive logo and to say I was unimpressed would be a complete understatement. The design was cute and engaging, but looked cheap and… like clip art. After showing the logo to my team, one was confident that the image used was from a stock logo website. So, after then I was thinking about the commonality of such a situation and whether it’s something that businesses need to be acutely aware of when reviewing logo designs from a designer.

Was my client aware of the real origin of ‘their’ logo?

If I was using a designer to create my logo I would have invested 110% of my confidence in them to create a unique logo and image that was consistent with the brief. I would never consider that paying thousands of dollars for a designer to create my logo that they would have used something from a stock logo site. The fact that my client had obviously no idea about the real value for money that the designer provided for the company by delivering a stock standard cookie cutter solution to their design brief was worrying, not only for me as a designer, but as a business operator also.

Why shouldn’t a business use a stock logo?

However, besides the ethical questions, the business implications of using a logo that many other could also possibly be using could be so problematic, that the business is forced to have a new logo designed. The cost to re-invest in a new logo and image of the business can be unbearable, especially for small business. Therefore, it’s in the best interest of all businesses to get it right the first time and to be very sure about the design process that their designers are using when creating a logo for their business.

Why all the fuss about it?

There is no way that I would deliver a stock logo to a client and present it as their own brand new image. In my eyes, it is unethical, unscrupulous and just plain lazy. A logo should be unique, and always be one of a kind. Something that fits what the client asked for. The client has obviously trusted us enough to create a logo that symbolises their business, not to provide them with an image that anyone can buy online for $75. At the end of the day, this is something that businesses need to be acutely aware of when approaching designers for the production of logos and other artwork.

When I think of an identity, I think of uniqueness or individuality. How many other small businesses have fallen victim to a designer that has used a stock logo for their ‘unique’ brand? How will they know that their branding is not unique and that they may be 1 of 100 other businesses with the same image? I hope that other small businesses out there are able to ensure their image, logo and identity is unique to their business and provides a real source of competitive advantage.

Author Bio: Darren Bruce is a designer for Grumpy Fish Designs in Sydney, Australia. Grumpy Fish provides affordable graphic design, desktop publishing and website design and development solutions.

Category: Marketing
Keywords: graphic design, logo, brandmark, corporate image,