When creating copy for this website recently I have been especially careful about referring to the work I do as “branding” rather than specifically “logo design”. It’s a balance between attempting to describe what I do to folks who are perhaps not heavily involved in the design industry and better describing the work I do.

What do you do?

If anyone asks me what it is I do, usually, I describe myself as a freelance graphic designer, perhaps if I’m being fancy, I might say “I run my own freelance graphic design business”. So I assume to myself that I do “Graphic Design”, which is the case. But I’ve found throughout my career that Graphic Design is a pretty wide term. It encompasses a great number of disciplines including typography, photography, desktop publishing, typesetting, font design, illustration, website projects, user interface design, user experience, colour theory and much more. My work touches on all of these areas, some I’m better at than others and some I work with 3rd parties to create a more rounded project.

Focussing in on the type of projects I specialise in, therefore, helps visitors of the website understand the services they can expect to receive when we work together. The website, though filled with projects, explanations and details about what I get up to, doesn’t have the same opportunity that I do when talking face to face, as much as I’d like every visitor to read all my posts, I know they won’t.

Keywords and all that

As with all things website, one needs to bow to the altar of Google and find out what words folks are using when looking for the services you offer. Naturally, there’s a healthy dose of terms from across the wide gamut of services as described above, but one key term that’s popular and describes a good chunk of what I do is “Logo Design”.

Seems like a suitable term, I relish creating logos for great businesses and logos are often the start of future work, it sends loads of traffic and it’s simple and descriptive.

It’s also pretty rubbish.

Just tap in a search for that in Google. The results are filled with ads and companies offering logo competitions, online logo “makers” and logo design from £0.

Zero. The most expensive advert there is less than £20.

If there’s one thing I know I don’t do, it is to create brilliant designs for great clients for next to no money. If you wonder how others can do so, read my post on “How much does a logo cost“, but needless to say it isn’t done through hard work, creative exploration and careful understanding of your business.

Why not Logo Design?

The key reason then is because people looking for “logo design” expect a low-value project cost. Even at 10x the value of some of these adverts I can’t, in all honesty, offer my clients the service their business deserves. It’s important to me that the work I produce is of the highest quality, suited and appropriate to the business and it’s audience. Design that works and meets customers goals.

It’s all Visual Branding

In my experience branding is also a better description as almost nobody needs just a logo. As my practice has developed I’ve become accustomed to creating multiple articles for clients, sometimes starting with a logo, often not. All of this is well encompassed by the term “branding”. Brochures, social media images, website designs, banners, posters, flyers, clothing, the list goes on.

Even if I don’t create the logo initially, elements I do create are all brand elements, they all tie into the companies wider visual brand. Crafting brand assets is pretty much everything I do.

Collaborating on Better Projects

Finally, for lots of reasons, I prefer to work on more significant projects with clients who have a good idea of the importance of visual branding. This type of client understands that investing in a logo for £20 isn’t the way to go, but developing a logo as part of an overall brand strategy is the key to improved results across all of their visual branding.

That’s why “The One Brand Identity Package” focusses on creating exceptional visual brands, including brilliant logo design, alongside additional brand assets depending on the client.

That doesn’t come for £20, or even 10x that. It does, however, deliver brilliant brands for fabulous businesses.

And that’s what I love to do.