Pricing

Our company needs a new logo.
How much will it cost?

We get asked that question a lot. Our answer: “It depends.”

These are the factors we consider in setting our fees:

• The size and age of your company. With a startup business, we are free to start from scratch and go wherever creativity leads us. A more established company usually means more constraints so that we preserve as much of the equity in your current brand as possible.
• The complexity of the problem. Creating a new logo, and updating, cleaning up or otherwise recreating an existing logo, are relatively straightforward propositions. More complex problems need more hard thinking. Perhaps your company name gives an inadequate impression of what you do, so you need to be renamed. Or you need a completely new identity to help reposition yourself in the market. Situations like these usually require much more research, interaction, 
and iterations.
• The scope of the job. In addition to your name and logo, you may only need letterhead, a 
business card, and a simple brochure. Or you may also need a new website, all kinds of signage, product packaging, uniforms, and lots of other print collateral.
• Last-minute changes. We anticipate offering you several strong ideas, then picking one or two, refining them, and working with you until we all agree we have found the ‘solution.’ If you begin the project insisting on a red house, and then near the end of the process decide that what you really want is a blue camel, we would probably need to revisit our agreement. Unless it’s our idea, in which case the cost of the change is ‘on us.’
• Work for a committee or a board. Since there is more than one decision-maker, this is usually a much more complex undertaking. It typically calls for more iterations, longer turn-around times, and our very best diplomatic skills.
• How quickly we must act. If we have to drop everything and work nights and weekends to get you out of a jam (it happens!), it will cost a bit more.

Do you charge by the hour?

No, we charge by the project. Coming to a creative solution is not always a predictable process. Sometimes we agree on a design quickly; sometimes it takes longer and many iterations before we agree that we’ve ‘rung the bell.’ Either way, we agree on a project fee with you up front, and stick to that number unless the scope of the work changes. We put all this in a written proposal and look for your authorization by email. Then we stay in close contact with you so you always know where we are in the process. We usually require 40% of the agreed-upon amount before commencing the project, 30% upon concept approval, and the final 30% upon delivery of the final graphic files to you, your printer, or your web developer.

Although we prefer to quote fees by the project, there are a few situations that call for us to work on an hourly basis. Our hourly rates are $125 for design, $75 for copywriting.

What will I get for my money?

Again, that depends on what we have agreed is the scope of the project. Typically, you will get 
your new logo in all the versions you might need it – for print and web – color, black-and-white, white-on-black, EPS, JPEG, TIFF, GIF, etc. If we have designed material for print or imprint, we will handle sending all your graphics files to the printer, embroiderer, sign maker, web developer, etc. of your choice. Even if we make the arrangements for you, we never mark up any of these services.

OK, but I’d still like to know how much it costs. Is it bigger than a breadbox?

Well, probably. A general rule of thumb is this: For a typical company with 5-10 employees, the cost to re-do your corporate identity is roughly one-third of the cost of your company 
president’s car. So, if you drive a 2006 Toyota Camry, you’re probably in good shape. If you drive 
a late-model BMW, well, that could indicate that there’s a bit more to the job than meets the eye.

If you’re a start-up or a micro-enterprise, our basic fee to design a logo and help you think through your name and tagline is $4000. Getting you started with stationery and the basic look for your website will be a bit extra, depending on how many items need to be designed. And if we’re designing your website, as well, we will work with you to make the entire project fit within your budget. We will always provide you with a written proposal that clearly delineates the scope of each project.

As everyone knows (and we are often reminded), you are free to purchase inexpensive logos 
over the internet. But if you want an original identity for your business that is custom-made for you (and guaranteed not to have a ‘swoosh’ in it), hire us. We will stay with your project until 
you are satisfied.

How much is it worth?

Now that’s a question we like to hear. Our clients will tell you that their investment in corporate identity has been worth every cent. And their brand strength continues to increase with time. Imagine trying to alter the St. Luke’s typography, or the Swain School’s shield, or any of the other well-respected logos we have designed.

We have been in this business for 30 years, and you are hiring our experience and wisdom. Have you heard the story of the man who hired a carpenter to fix an elusive squeak in his wood floor? The old carpenter walked into the room, pressed the squeaky board with his foot, took one nail, and with two whacks of the hammer drove it home. “That will be $100, please.”

“But it only took you one minute to fix my floor!”

“Then that’s $1 for my time and $99 for knowing where to drive the nail.”

Our work is like that. Decades of experience have taught us just where to drive the nail. 
Let us drive one home for you.