Utah-based Logoworks, which just relaunched a major new user interface, has an innovative and inexpensive way of creating corporate and other logos for customers. They outsource the project to interested and pre-approved designers who come up with design concepts. You then pick the concept you like best and iterate from there. Designers are paid bonuses based on having their designs chosen, and so a very efficient and competitive market is created around each logo creation project.
I went through the initial stages of the process to see what the Logoworks designers could come up with. After a couple of days I received an email linking to logo concepts (many of them are below). Logoworks stresses that the initial compositions are simply concepts, and asks that you pick one of the concepts and go forward with iterations.
Some of my initial concepts:
The ability to tap into a number of different designers who will have very different logo concepts, combined with the rock bottom pricing, is pretty compelling.
Logoworks has a number of different pricing plans ranging from $300 and up. If you are in the market for a new logo, you may want to give this a look.
Discount Code: If you go to Logoworks using this link – www.logoworks.com/techcrunch, they will take $50 off any order. I am not receiving any commissions or other payments for any purchases – I just asked them to give TechCrunch readers the biggest discount they could. The discount is good until June 13, and you’ll see the original prices crossed out and the discount shown when you select “start my logo”.
We used these guys too for our logo (JustSayHi.com) – not yet launched.
We paid $600 for 10 concepts and unlimited revisions. We went through about 4 iterations before selecting a final logo.
Worked great and I recommend them. They even had a feature that allowed you to email your colleagues/friends to help you decide on the right intial concept.
Bad link to http://www.logo....com/techcrunch
Thanks Satish. I owe you another $ for finding a typo.
I’ve used these guys b4 about 3-4 years ago…and I must admit that in terms of cost effectiveness…these are the guys to go with when you’re on a budget. FAST, RELIABLE, and B+/A- artwork…
wow.. you could even use one of these. the third one is simple and fits this site’s design well.
I have found an excellent logo designer with pricing starting from $60 only with unlimited revisions … etc ! I think you can find better prices.
Who is that designer Hatem? Is there a website?
I was convinced that these guys could help with our logo – I was wrong. The service from the company itself was first class but the designers I got failed to fully understand my brief. I guess it can be a little bit hit and miss, depending on the designers that decide to pitch for your logo.
Just to re-iterate though, the company are honest, have great customer service and try hard to make you happy. Be lucky!
Compelling? You get a dirt cheap job certainly, especially from the guy that Hatem says does them for $60 with unlimited revisions. Judging by the results you got though, you definitely get what you pay for.
You got raped, if u paid $60 for that logo…
Jon, Since you are a designer I understand your frustration. But the business model is compelling to us non-designers. As a new company you understand exactly what you will get for your money – a number of different options that you can choose from, and iterations from there. It’s very hard, and time consuming, to find a good designer. This gives companies access to a number of proven designers without having to go through that search process. And the price is attractive.
Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely a place/need for this kind of service, and it’s not as if I feel threatened by it, I just think that the results you got back were all that compelling.
I have to concur with Jon – the results posted aren’t that good…
http://www.designoutpost.com/ has a similar kind of service but a more open proccess were you can talk with the designers …
Michael I like your logo just the way it is.
If you really want a new logo design I can help you out at half the price these guys would charge you.
Mike,
You write that Logoworks “outsource the project to interested and pre-approved designers” – yet their website states “Logoworks has over 40 designers in house to help create the identity your business deserves.” and seems to suggest that all design work is done by a team selected from this group. (Of course, that could just be a new slant either on “outsource” or “in house”).
It looks like to the “market efficiency” to which you refer may actually be limited to the efficiency of Logoworks’ (apparently closed) internal market.
My english is not to good, I have arrived here with “clicking” a link in Enrique´s Dans blog. I think it is a good inovation to join a group of designers and then you can choose the one you like, it´s a good idea.
Thank you for the discount
Carlos del Val
I have been looking for a GOOD logo for quite sometime, I even had a contest on my website once for submissions. I have thought about using ELANCE.COM and post a WANTED LOGO but I hate to hurt peoples feelings. I have two websites one that is up and running and established the other is in its beginning stages. I really would like a logo that I could call my own ! I see here that there are several “designers” that visit techcrunch, so if you would like to submit to me some ideas and or “proofs” for logo for my website I would love to see what you come up with. The examples given here are very professional looking, I went to the website and looked at many more, they seem to be good at grasping the concept and offering a simple “catchy” design!
The trick is to provide a CLEAN logo so that use in printing in black & white or color would be easy. I am not as “technically savvy” as many of you are so the ones I saw, even the $60 one look pretty good! Take a peek at my website and let me know what you guys come up with and your cost preferences, be easy on me! 
http://www.freelancebyu.com
Good idea, I wonder where the real money comes from? But Michael, if you need a new logo (not needed from my perspective) I would choose the on ewith the PI sign. Tech has to do a lot with mathematics, pi is a cool number and a cool sign. voila
I don’t think any of the example logos are that good. Could just be me though.
I like the top one the best if I had to choose
After speending $600 on a logo done by a professional design firm I was not happy with the results. I ended up posting a contest for a new logo. I ended up paying $60.00 for the prize and am extremely happy with my logo. You can check it out at http://www.qoof.com
I thought the logos looked alright. I assume that it was a criteria to put “Tracking Web 2.0″ in the logo, which looks pretty silly and will be dated next year when that term drops off the face of the earth.
What other high profile logos have slogans/taglines in them? Not many and there’s a reason for that.
I’m with Jon, you certainly get what you pay for. Your brand isn’t something to just flippantly throw around for a couple hundred bucks from some mass logo producing factory. I guarantee that all these ideas they’ve thrown your way are just “leftovers” from other logo ideas they had for other companies. They aren’t developing anything unique for you.
And I highly doubt that $300 is even making a dent in this sites revenue.
I used them and included an entire brief on the logo. Their designs were terrible and it appeared that they contracted “Joe Shmo” designer on the street.
This kind of thing hurts the freelance illustrator’s industry and all of the guys trying to make a living giving you personal, direct custom designs. Just a thought. The only reason I am here is because I am not only a technology fan, but an artist working on trying to make it also as a freelancer. I understand the approach, and I submit my art to similar places like Istockphoto and mojizu which is sort of the same.. but Ideally I would get paid directly for my work. remember when you are paying $300 – $600 for a logo through that kind of place, the end-designer only gets a small percentage. If you’re willing to pay that much, why not pay the artist directly??
Heck, since everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, here’s a plug for our designers.
We used TheLogoCompany.com. They’re HQd in the UK and use a similar process to LW. However, the pricing is competitive, the turnaround time is prompt, and we found the ability to work with them was very good.
We had specific details in mind for what our logo should look like and they created it to our satisfaction. Weighing quality/price/service, TLC delivers.
I agree with mgbeers (mainly because I’ve contracted him to work on the Yokudo project, lol, but seriously through experience with this kind of site) … if you are willing to pay this amount money then contact the artist directly. I contacted mgbeers through the Mojizu site after reading about it here on TechCrunch and seeing his work there. He jumped straight on board and came up with some fantastic ideas almost instantly. The guys on this kind of independend site are really talented, and are geniunely great people. I posted the job offer on the forum before contacting mgbeers direct and several artists responded with some great ideas and really reasonable prices. Keep your support for the freelance guys.
-Mic
http://yokudo.blogspot.com
These type of companies are very hit and miss. the company i’m at used them, and we got a couple logos back that were somewhat original, but the rest of the ideas just seemed quickly thrown together to round out the package. they also looked very similar to other industry logos.
for $300 you may get endless revisions, but you’re also hiring a company that churns many of these logos for other companies out over a week – and the attention to your logo is split between many others.
take the time to find a logo you like, or it may cost much more than $300 to change it down the road to something else.
“I don’t think any of the example logos are that good. Could just be me though.”
No, most would agree with you. At least most professionals.
You’re paying $60 for a half dozen designs? What is that? $10 per design? Needless to say, you’re not going to be getting top-level brand designers working for those wages.
Logoworks is really nothing more than spec work spun into a business plan. They’re making money, so more power to them, I guess, but you really do end up with an incredibly bland solution that really isn’t worth the $60 you paid.
Michael
I personally worked recently with Logo Design Creation http://www.logo...igncreation.com
They did the logo for my blog ‘Serge the Concierge’
After giving them a try and being satisfied with the process, I asked them to do a logo for one of my business websites ‘New Jersey Concierges’.
I selected their $49.00 package and got my logo in a few days time.
Serge
Biz:
http://www.njconcierges.com
Blog:
http://www.serg...heconcierge.com
I recently launched a similar site that is based on the same concept of both worth1000, designoutpost and the site mentioned. Clients set a price, deposit their prize, and our qualified designers compete in the “Posts” creating mockups and entries. Ultimately one design is chosen.
Check it out at: http://www.designpost.ca
Logoworks is a perfect example of why the Internet model works great for some consumers and not for others. I paid $579 (http://logowork...ageSelection.do) and asked Logoworks to take an existing design and fine tune it. I spent at least an hour creating a brief and uploading it on their questionnaire page. I received 6 samples back that were OK. I liked one the best and picked it – but it still needed a LOT of work. I was then presented with another online questionnaire. I realized at that point that it would take me at least another hour to try to describe in writing what changes I wanted. I called and asked if I could receive the file (I had already paid in full) in its orginal format so I could mark it up for the designer. I was told that was not allowed (even though I had chosen the basic design I wanted to go with). Fair enough, so now I asked if it was possible to talk directly to the designer. I was told no, I had to communicate everything through my customer service rep who would then relay it to the designer. At that point I realized that by the time I got done “saving money” I would have spent so much of my own time that I wasn’t saving anything at all.
I think happened to visit the blog Solution Watch, thought the design was quite good. The blog was designed by Brian Benzinger’s 19 year old brother Tim (http://timbenzinger.com/). I employed Tim to do the logo, was able to communicate with him directly via phone and E-mail and now have a logo I am positively thrilled with at a reasonable price.
One final note – I suspect you got the special treatment because they knew you would be writing about them. Let me assure you my 6 samples looked NOTHING like the samples you are showing in your article!
So just in case someone didn’t read that entire thing. I’d like to give a personal plug to Tim Benzinger who did my logo. (http://timbenzinger.com/) Tim also designed the http://www.solutionwatch.com blog and logo for his brother Brian.
@Chris it’s logorama.com I have review it here
What a great service. BTW, the green is fine, but I LOVE the TechCrunch logo with the big gray box and it makes sense since you are moving much faster than web 2.0 anyways. (All VCs who are actually tuned in will also appreciate you removing the tracking web 2.0 as well, trust me). Nevermind, it looks like u already did.
My Dad’s opinion:
“Jenn,
I like the one with fractured T in middle best – different, eye-catching; second choice would be top one with removal of 2.0 reference underneath and replacement with extended underlining. Less is more here.”
Thanks Dad.
the death of good design!
So are you going to use one of these? Considering you don’t have logo now? (bold “Tech” and non-bold “Crunch” is _not_ a logo).
Do you plan to change your website design again? None of those match the redesign…
Exactly why would I pay these guys hundred of dollars to do a logo, which they then outsource anyway (and make some good money I’d think as well) when I can use a site such as Scriptlance.com and get it done directly with the designers for around $50?
The problem with this service is not that the designs are bad (they’re not amazing, but they could be worse) but with the fact that the whole model is based on the notion that all a company needs is a good logo to succeed. In the case of a TechCrunch audience, the UI and technology behind the product is far more important than how clever the logo is (see also: google), and generally if you have a top-notch person behind that, they could put together a top-notch logo for you as well.
Many people have emailed me about our logo that we paid $60.00 for (see http://www.qoof.com)
I posted a contest on http://www.namepros.com
Good Luck!
Beware, you cannot design a logo by committee. If you email suggestion to 25 people you will get 26 responses. Also remember a logo is a just a logo it is most certainly NOT a brand.
I agree with Josh (post 46) above, the designs are satisfactory, but at that price point, how much thought has actually gone into these? Are old rejected design just recycled? How much thought is given to the actual application of these logos? Do you get to see a variety of stationery layouts? Do you see how this might be applied online etc? I’m sure this is a good solution for the start-up with limited resources, but corporate design does not have a $600.00 solution.
i also like the IDEA of the website. but i have to say i am very UNimpressed with the examples in this article. if you want a cheap-ola made in india logo, there are better places.
Mike, you can always use one of the logos, let someone e-mail you a better one, and post it so your original logo designer quits.
Sites like this only feed the idea of design as a commodity. However, they are only a threat if a designer cannot justify his/her worth. Paul Rand would create books explaining every single decision he made in a logo mark. There is a very good reason he was paid $100,000 for the NEXT logo by Steve Jobs, and a reason his logos stood the test of time. As far as these logos, I had a teacher that used to tell students “if you aren’t going to to create something worth talking about, I’m not going to waste our time.”
Your brand is more than your logo. It’s everything from the experience you clients/customers/users have to the smallest details on your product. To fully realise an identity that is effective requires a designer/team that will form a relationship with you and your company/customers. Having a logo without a brand is like polishing a turd.
Of course it all comes down to what you can afford….
Good design is worth money. If you lucky you might get something good for 75 dollars, but dont count on it unless its a family member doing you a favor.
Please remember that somebody is always trying to do something cheaper, and usually less quality.
Prada vs. knockoff
These logos are rather unimpressive. They look churned out and uninspired.
This company devalues design as a whole.