How Much Does Logo Design Cost in 2022?

Your logo sits on everything you sell and everything you send. It is the first thing most customers see of your brand and the part they remember.

It’s not “just a logo”.

A custom logo says who you are and what you do before a word is read. It is the face of your business. It should set you apart from competitors and reflect the culture and values of the company behind it.

The numbers back this up. According to a recent study by the association of Graphic Designers of Canada (GDC), over 90% of consumers consider logos to be the most important aspect of a business.

So most business owners hand the job to a marketing agency, a creative team or an independent graphic designer. The question they all ask first is - how much should a logo design cost?

The honest answer is that it varies a lot, depending on the quality you want and who you hire. Work out what the logo needs to do for the business, look at your budget, and set a ceiling before you start talking to designers.

This LoudCrowd blog gives start-ups, businesses planning a rebrand and anyone who is curious a realistic idea of what logo design costs.

How are Design Costs Calculated?

Bespoke branding work like logo design has no industry standard rate, because no two jobs are the same. Freelancers usually charge by the hour. Branding agencies are more likely to quote a set fee with a deposit, paid upfront or on a payment plan.

A few things decide where in the range you land.

Who should you choose to design your logo?

The biggest factor is who does the work. A freelancer? A marketing agency? Your little brother who picked up some decent Photoshop skills as a graphic design student? The price swings a long way between those options, and with design you almost always get what you pay for.

Do not pick on price alone. A logo is the face of your brand, not “just a logo”.

A good designer does more than draw something nice. They make sure it works on every type of media, from a shop sign to a social media icon, and that it fits your brand values.

How long does it take to design a logo?

Most people underestimate the work involved. A good logo is not a case of playing with fonts and shapes until something decent falls out. There is a proper multi-step process behind it.

Or at least there should be, in our expert opinion.

Some designers promise a turnaround of a couple of days to a week. It will be cheaper and it may be serviceable, but a logo is not something to rush. It shapes how the public and your target customer see you for years. Professional logo design can take up to a month to complete.

You want a design with a strategy behind it, one that still works as your business continues to grow and your brand gets seen more widely. Concept work and rounds of refinement are what get it there.

How to choose the best graphic designer for you

Freelancers and agencies both publish portfolios, on their website, a social media account or a third-party platform. Look through the work and ask whether it matches where you want your brand to go.

Before any design work starts, a good designer will sit down with you to understand your brand identity, culture and values. The more they know, the closer the result will be to something that is true to your organisation.

Many will also research your market and your competitors’ branding, so the design sets you apart from the businesses you are up against.

Choose based on those conversations, what each designer offers, and who you would trust with the face of your business.

How much should I be looking to pay for logo design?

The size of your company is the best guide to how much you should spend.

Logo and branding prices reflect the time and resources that go into the finished work. The more you need, the more it costs.

Start-up

A brand new start-up on a tight budget should look to spend around £500 on logo design. That gets you a logo you can use on print and digital marketing materials from day one.

SMEs

An SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprise) should be looking at a fuller branding package, the kind a marketing and design agency or an experienced designer offers. These cover the logo plus typefaces, brand assets, images/illustrations and brand guidelines.

The guidelines are there for consistency. As you grow and more people produce material for you, everything still looks like the same brand, which is what makes it memorable. For this kind of package, you’d expect to pay a figure of around £1500-£3000 depending on the work that needs to be done.

Large Companies

Packages for larger companies can cost upwards of £10,000 and more, because they include a constant stream of new assets: social media Ad creatives, pieces for print, and graphics for TV advertising.

How cheap logo design can negatively impact your brand

You pay for the designer’s time. A cheap price and a quick turnaround usually mean not much of it went into your logo, and you end up with a subpar result for the money.

Cheap logos also bring legal risk: copyright problems and expiring royalty free images. Either can force a rebrand in the near future. That costs you twice, once for the new design and again in the customers who no longer recognise you.

And under no circumstances should you generate a logo for free using an online tool. It will not be unique, the rights are often unclear, and it will look like it cost nothing.

Pay a good agency or an experienced designer once, and you get a brand identity that lasts.

LoudCrowd Branding Services

Our design work, across branding, print and digital, is built to do a job: more sales, more awareness, more customers who come back. It also feeds into important aspects of web development and digital marketing, so your brand is consistent from logo to landing page.

Get in touch and we’ll show you what good design can do.

FAQs

How much does a freelance designer charge?

It varies widely with experience, time in the industry and where they are based. The average range in the UK is likely to be around £15-30 an hour, rising to £30-60 an hour for experienced designers. Those based in London often charge more.

What is included in a full brand design package?

Everything needed to build a brand identity from scratch: workshops, research, logo design, typography, asset creation, illustrations and a set of brand guidelines to keep it all consistent.

How do I trademark a business logo in the UK?

First, check that it does not infringe an existing trademark. Then file an application for either a UK trademark or a community trademark, with the latter offering protection against 27 other countries in Europe.

It can take 6-12 months for your logo to be protected as intellectual property following a successful application, meaning it’s safe to use without fear of it being stolen.