As coordinator of the Marketing Committee, the job meant developing an identity from scratch. If you’re familiar with the world of animal rescue, logos are often designed by non-designers (usually well-meaning volunteers), and worse yet, clip art is used. So not only do a ton of rescues have art that can never be registered under copyright, they don’t have an identity that is truly their own. It’s unfortunately an area that not many in this genre view as a priority. In all reality, just because an organization is a non-profit doesn’t mean they shouldn’t take their marketing seriously and acquire the help of a designer. There are a ton of animal loving designers out there that will take it on for low cost or donate their services in-kind.

So with that, we decided to stay away from the look of clip art. None of the overused symbols allowed! That means—no paws, silhouettes of dogs/cats, or cheesy hearts permitted. AT. ALL.

Instead, we created a stylized collar in the shape of a “G” with orange and lime green as main colors. The GLBAS website was done in WordPress, and will provide a content management system for easy updates. It also allowed for the insertion of automated, rotating Petfinder profiles so that animals get exposure and no one has to mess with it.

Looking forward to the future with Great Lakes Bay Animal Society!

New Business Owner: I’d like to have a brochure and website done up to go with a new company I’m starting. I have a logo already.
Us: Great! Let’s take a look at the logo.

Client shows “logo”. It’s multi-colored, pixelated, and uses Screen Bean Man from Microsoft Office clip art. Aside from the poor execution and Microsoft copyright issues, this image doesn’t even communicate what type of business it is.

Us: I see. Who created this logo for you?
New Business Owner: My cousin, Frank. He’s pretty good with computer stuff and he was really cheap!

It’s usually at this point in the conversation that determines our future with this potential client. While it’s never our goal to belittle what a client brings to the table, it is our job is take your business to the next level. We take this matter very seriously, as your logo is the foundation of your brand.

Your logo is an investment, not an expense.

We fully understand what it’s like to start a business–– funds are low, uncertainity is in the air. Oftentimes however, businesses opt to get a logo from a “friend” to help curb costs. If the success of your business matters (and we’re guessing it does), then have your logo created by a professional. A true logo designer can devise a concept that represents your business and is marketable to your customers. Also, if you had a logo that was “designed” by an amateur, chances are very good the files aren’t acceptable to a printer or sign company because it was built in the wrong software. It makes the old adage “you get what you pay for” a screaming reality.

Got an amateur logo? The first step is admitting. We can help after that.