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5 Things You Won't Learn In Design School
By André le Roux
1) You'll need to write a lot. Your clients are not graphic designers. Be prepared to educate them about file formats, resolutions etc. I find that the best way to do that is to write a generic "readme" or "logo guide book" where you explain (with the minimum technical jargon) how the client should use the different logo files.
2) While we're on the subject...
I'm amazed that so many logo designers promise their clients the logo in psd format, gif format (or whatever). The fact is that very few prospective clients know what formats they need. If they see stuff on the order page that they are unsure of, chances are that they won't order. At Biz-Logo.com we just promise to send the logo in every format the client could ever need - and to keep sending them the logo in more formats should they need them later on.
3) As a logo designer you cannot specialize in either "web logos" or "print logos". Well, you could, but then you won't sell too many logos. About 90% of our clients at Biz-Logo.com want the logo for use on the web AND in print. Print isn't going away any time soon. People still want business cards and letterheads - and many print their logos on delivery vans, billboards etc.
4) All the formal elements that you learned about (color, contrast, balance etc.) are great, but your client couldn't care less. He/she wants a logo that will stick in the minds of their customers. They want a logo that will help them sell more. That's the bottom line. You'll do better if you educate yourself on general business principles. Spend a lot of time looking at other people's logos. What are the differences between the logos that inexperienced designers make and the logos experienced designers make? What are the differences between logos of small companies and big companies? Identify trends. Learn. Apply.
5) Clients...
I have a friend who says that Internet consumers are fat, lazy and stupid. That might be taking it too far, but you'll be amazed at the rediculous requests you'll sometimes get. Often the client will pick the weakest design and not like any of the ones that you KNOW are better. Be careful not to be too prescriptive. Give the client your professional opinion and then leave it at that. If he/she still wants that average logo instead of one of the good ones, that's fine. Remember who's paying who. Besides, your client knows the likes and dislikes of his/her target audience better than you do.
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