For any brand, the country of origin plays a vital role in setting up its brand equity around the world. For example, in electronics, Japanese brands are the most preferred due to the advanced state of technology in the South-Asian Island. Likewise, French wines are considered the best because of their country of origin. Similarly UK brands are also backed by their rich cultural heritage of the country they belong to.

But what would happen if logos of famous UK brands are switched between their foreign rivals? How would that affect their status as a loyal and faithful UK brand? For instance, let’s say if British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) swapped its logo with its rival American news channel CNN, would it influence their ratings? How would their loyal customers in UK react?

In order to check the outcomes of logo swapping of UK brands, I have taken 10 famous UK brand and switched their logo design with US Brand Logos (however, few of the logos belong to rival counterparts from other countries). Let us see how the viewers react to this change:

1. American Airlines and British Airways Logo Swapping

2. Bank Of America and Barclays Logo Swapping

3. CNN and BBC Logo Swapping

4. BP and Shell Logo Swapping

5. Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin Logo Swapping

6. Marlboro and Dunhill Logo Swapping

7. Reebok and Nike Logo Swapping

8. Tesco and Walmart Logo Swapping

9. At&t and Vodafone Logo Swapping

10. Wimpy and Burger KingLogo Swapping

One of the most critical questions that logo designers face in their careers is…should they choose to follow logo design trends? Or should they use their own design expertise? Some believe that it is not wise to follow trends as they are vulnerable to change. Some say that studying trends help in creating newer trends.

For UK logo designers, it is essential to understand the prevailing logo design trends in UK market. This is because when you are catering a specific target audience, you must understand their culture, customs and traditions in order to serve them properly. I am not advocating that every logo designer should follow logo design trends, but you must pay attention to the latest developments in your field.

1. Handwritten Logos

2. Minimalist Logos

3. Chat-Bubble Logo:

4. Color Contrast Logos:

5. 3-Dimensional Logos:

6. Corporate Font Logos:

7. Combo Logos:

Creating a logo design isn’t a one step process. It involves a complex strategy and an intricate research procedure that includes identifying your client’s needs, its business, the industry and the customers being targeted. Many people react adversely on the excessive price of logo design in UK. For example, the London 2012 Olympics logo was criticized for its £400,000 budget. But most of us are alien to the factors that lead to this costing.

Apart from the effects of the economy and inflation, several factors alter the cost structure of a logo designer or a creative agency. Clients in UK are mostly unaware of the aspects that determine the cost of acquiring a logo design. So the next time you decide on obtaining an identity for your company, study the following factors that decide the pricing of a logo design:

• Experience of the Designer/Agency:

Why are all the famous Universities like Oxford and Harvard so expensive? It’s because of their longstanding status and recognition that they can charge premium from the students. Many famous UK brands also choose renowned design agencies and established logo designers to revamp their identities. This is one reason why they incur exorbitant bills. Like I mentioned above, Wolff Ollins, designer of London 2012 Olympics logo, charged £400,000 for the identity. So, the price varies from company’s status and designer’s experience.

• Scale of the Logo Design Project:

Another factor that affects the cost structure of a logo design is the magnitude and level of the project. Case in point in the UK market is British Petroleum that incurred a massive £4.6 Million for its BP logo redesign in 2008.If an entity is large in size; its identity will also incur hefty charges. While the same for a small business or a startup will cost relatively less. This is because in a new startup there is no prior history and brand culture involved. Moreover, the target market and positioning is relatively smaller in magnitude than for a large corporation.

• Hourly vs Flat Rates:

Did you know that the Nike logo was designed by Carloyn Davidson for an hourly charge of $2, which added up for a total bill of $35? Another important factor that determines the final price of a logo is how you are being charged. Are you working with a designer that is charging at an hourly rate? Or are you working with a design agency that charges you a flat fee? When you are working with someone who deals on an hourly basis, your price of logo will increase with the passage of each hour.

• Quality of Logo Design:

You must be wondering…how in the world can one determine the quality of a logo design? Although the true quality of a logo is determined by its effect on the target market, some technical aspects are also of importance for clients. For example, is the designer providing you the logo files on EPS format (one that is scalable in all sizes) or a simple jpeg file?

Many people underestimate the intricacy of designing a logo. They believe it to be a mere image or icon that is placed outside the company’s signboard. However this is not the case. Logo designers have to go through a comprehensive logo design process to create the perfect logo for their clients. Especially, UK logo designers are tasked with an even more difficult job. They must design the logo keeping the cultural and social factors of UK people in mind.

Therefore, I would like to put forward 6 simple logo design tips that would basically help every logo designer but will be a real contribution for upcoming UK logo designers. Although I agree that logo designers should not follow a set pattern, but these logo design tips will enable logo designers to work on an appropriate framework.

1. Know your client – Make a brief:

The first thing that a logo designer needs to do is to know his clients requirements. Many UK logo designers make the mistake of starting hastily without getting an insight from their clients. Eventually, they end up in designing a logo that isn’t up to the clients’ expectations. Since clients in UK have a different mindset and expectations, their choices vary. Therefore, the foremost thing is to make a logo design brief and note down whatever your client has in mind.

2. Start with a sketch:

Some logo designers skip the most important step in a design process….sketching. They directly start with a logo design on computer because they believe sketching to be old-fashioned. They forget that sketching can save them ample of time because putting a concept on paper is much easier than putting it on computer. Sketching enables logo designers to pour out different ideas and concepts for the logo design.

3. Convert sketch into vector:

Once you have created a rough sketch of your sketch, convert it into digital format, preferably vector. Avoid creating a logo on Photoshop. Instead use Illustrator or Corel Draw to generate a vector format of your logo design. Designing a logo in vector format enables you to scale the image to infinite proportions without affecting its quality. Plus, it gives your client more options to select on an appropriate size.

4. Maintain balance in the design:

Another point that some logo designers miss out is the balance in the logo design. Maintaining a correct equilibrium in any design is crucial in its success. Always employ the use of rulers available in your software while designing logos in order to keep a balance and composure between all elements. Avoiding random placement of design elements and align every aspect of the logo. This will make your overall design look in sync and harmonious.

5. Always start in black and white:

Adding colors to the logo design should be a secondary preference of logo designers. A useful logo design tip is to always start in black and white. This is because a logo that might look good in color may not look appealing when used on mediums that don’t support colors. A logo created in mono-color can be adapted on every background and marketing mediums.

6. Apply color psychology:

Once you complete the logo design in black and white, start applying relevant colors. But don’t just start playing with colors when your logo design is in initial stages. Use the color psychology in logo design in order to find the right color that suits your logo. For example, if you are designing a logo for a fast food restaurant in UK, you would want to select yellow or red color as they induce the human appetite.

I hope these logo design tips will prove to be useful forall logo designers, especially UK logo designers. If you have any logo design tips of your own that you would like to share, don’t hesitate to add to the list

Clients for logo designers are always a bone of contention…can’t live with them, can’t live without them. On one hand, some clients can be most co-operative and considerate while others can be a nightmare for logo designers. Regardless of how difficult it is to handle annoying clients in logo design, I believe it is the job of a logo designer to deal with all types of clients.

Today, I will be discussing the various types of clients in the UK logo design world and how to handle them. Although logo design client types are similar in almost every part of the world, but I have especially filtered out the particular ones in the UK logo design market:

1. The “Rushers”:

“I want my logo design by tomorrow…URGENT!” I’m sure you’ve heard this before. If you’re getting continuous emails and couriers flagged as “high priority” from your client, then be advised because you’re dealing with a “rusher” type client. These types of clients always want their logo design hastily and consider their work as supreme. A rushing client adds stress to your life since you need to work countless late nights to fulfill their demands.

2. The “Bargaining” Scrooge:

3. The “Con-Man”:

How to Handle Them:

Clients who think they can outsmart logo designers for a free logo design must be severely dealt with. When asked for a trial, make it crystal clear that you work for a fee. Ask for a down-payment in advance so that even if the client runs away with the design, you are left with some compensation.

4. The “Short-tempered”:

“Are you crazy? Why don’t you understand what I’m trying to say?” I’m sure most of you have dealt with the ‘short-tempered’ type client. It is a herculean task for logo designers to handle the angry type clients. This is because not only do the designers have to control their own emotions, they need to pacify the anger of clients as well.

How to Handle Them:

The best way to handle angry clients is through humor and avoidance. No matter how furious your client is, alleviate his rage with a light humor. Always stay focused on your work and don’t let the anger of the client bother you. Learn not to take things personally and you will easily tackle the short-tempered type clients.

5. The “Perfect” Angel:

How to Handle Them:

You don’t want me telling you how to handle the ideal clients, just sit back and enjoy the praise and appreciation showered by them. But don’t get carried away with the pleasure, always remember to reciprocate the act of kindness. If he/she is being nice to you, you should also treat him with respect and dignity. My humble request…doesn’t take advantage of their cooperativeness.