September 29, 2022
The cost of a logo design will vary, as every design project does. However, there are some standard features that most designers include in their prices. Here are examples of the pricing structure.
The cost of a logo design will vary, as every design project does. However, there are some standard features that most designers include in their prices. When pricing a logo, there are essentially two things you consider: how much time it will take to design and how much money you're willing to spend on that time. The more research, concepts, and tweaking that go into the design process, the more time it's going to take—and consequently, the more money it will cost.
A logo is a very personal and memorable symbol for any business. It's what makes customers excited to see your company or product, and it can make the difference between a customer choosing your company over another. A logo may seem unimportant until you've used one that you like or dislike, depending on how well it captures the essence of your brand. You'll know immediately if it fits you.
There are two main factors to consider when determining whether or not you should pay someone to design a logo for you: how much do you want to use the design, and how important is the design to your business? If it is something that will be printed on your products or stationery or something that will be used in social media posts, then yes, it's probably worth spending money on. The more often you plan on using the logo, the more important it is for it to be done right.
Below are some real pricing structures of a logo design and what they include:
In this first bracket, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the number of options that exist. Though there are plenty of talented graphic designers uploading logo designs, most have only a handful of examples that can fit your business, which makes it hard to find a good fit for your project if you don't already have an idea of what you need. Still, if you are willing to invest this amount on a part of your brand identity, especially if you’re just starting out, you can get are logo templates license from a library of designs that you can DIY to fit your business needs.
One reason why people tend to want to create their own logo is that they think they can do it cheaper than hiring someone else—not because they actually want to learn the art of logo design (or how to use programs like Illustrator or even Photoshop). The truth is that creating a good logo can take much more time than expected, depending on how complicated the project ends up being. It's a process where every part of it needs to be thought out and executed with care. And it takes time and effort.
With this slightly higher price point, you can get some freelancing help with any templates license you have previously bought, or what you want your logo to look like. In this case, you’ll have the ability to make some small adjustments to your template with a very limited number of revisions. You mostly need a clear idea of what you want before giving instructions. There are various platforms such as Fiverr where you can ask for help from some freelancers for a small project such as these.
Why would you want to spend $200+ when there are so many designers out there willing to do the same thing for half the price? The answer lies in quality and process. There are plenty of good templates at that price point, but $200+ is where you start seeing customized logos.
The cost of a logo design depends on the experience and skills of the freelancer. New designers might charge less than $200, but it's likely that their work won't be as good as one from someone with more experience. A freelancer will be able to give you logo design options to iterate and can be more fit to your budget. This might not include any strategy or documentation such as guidelines. Again, this ultimately comes down to how much you would want to invest in your brand.
There are tons of different factors that come into play when thinking about how much it should cost to design a logo, but for an experienced designer or a studio with its own team, it can come around this price range. While this can seem broad, it will make sense when you consider the deliverables’ formats, versions and documentation. Here is an example:
Design process (including a few concept sketches) - $500-$1000
Revisions & exports (if necessary) - $200-500
Understandably, going through a more structured process in ensuring that your final logo is the best that it can be will come with a lot of work and will cost more—but it will be worth it.
An established agency with multiple people assigned to the project could easily charge $2k-10k for a logo design project and higher if they're doing more than just creating the logo itself. This package can also include creating your brand visual identity, the long process of working through this with your collaboration, and the multiple assets you will need to export.
To any designer, $2,000-$10,000 for a logo design might sound like a lot of money. Constantly looking at logos and brands, it's easy to forget how much time, effort, and skill go into creating something as seemingly simple as a logo. The key here is the amount of work to complete the deliverables required for the project. This might involve some combination of those roles working together to find the right balance of business strategy and visual design to represent your brand. The amount of thinking and planning behind the process is what sets the price apart from lower-budget logo designs. Here’s an example of what this might look like:
Pre-design preparation (Audit, Competitive research, strategy plan, mood boards) - $1000-$3000
Design process (including original sketches, variations) - $1000-$2000
Revisions (3 rounds of revision or more)- $500-1000$
Documentation (Branding style guide, design system, Resources, library) - $1000 - 2000$
Exports (formats, banners, branding assets, logo video animation, illustrations, templates) 500-2000$
This example portrays a smaller version of what a Fortune 500 brand project could look like.
This price point is for companies of another level, probably for Fortune 500 level who can afford to invest this value towards their brand’s visual identity and more. While this can go beyond a logo design and be more geared towards a rebranding package or a full branding set, you can mostly encounter this quote also from world-class agencies and world-famous designers taking you through their own tested and proven strategies and processes. These agencies and designers most commonly have the biggest brands we all know under their belt. Their expertise, efficiency, and level of clarity on the brand strategy are what sets them apart from other designers doing just a logo design.
When you're starting out, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the cost of the design if you don't know what goes into it. The price you see for a logo is usually just the tip of the iceberg. The money that goes into creating a logo is spent behind the scenes, a process that can take months or even years. There are also tons of other factors you need to consider when deciding on a budget. If you're working with an agency or freelancer, they'll be providing more than just the design itself: they'll be creating your brand identity and offering guidance on how to implement their work. With today's technology, creating a successful logo is much more than slapping together some shapes with text—it's about creating a brand personality and conveying your message with clarity and style.
For now, if you’re a business owner interested in creating your brand’s visual identity, reflect on how much you are willing to invest and the budget range you would be working on. More than that, think of the primary purpose of you wanting to spend money on this—is it necessary for your business? Is it one step towards getting more sales? If you are a designer, on the other hand, consider these price points and your current pricing structure. Are you pricing your work for what it’s worth?
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