FAQs
Logo Design FAQs
When looking for a designer, you should ask them these questions:
- Do you have a portfolio of work specific to my industry?
- Do you have a clearly defined process for designing logos?
- Have any of your logos passed a USPTO trademark application?
These answers will give you a great starting point to determine if someone is a good fit for you.
Every good logo designer will have different priorities that drive their process. But, here is a small list of best practices that drives Dunson Design’s process:
- Logos should be created in a vector format so they can be scaled without losing detail.
- Logos should be able to work as a one-color option.
- Logos should always be as simple as possible.
When deciding if you want to use websites like Fiverr, Upwork, and 99designs, there are some questions you should ask of your design project:
- What’s the most important thing to me: price or the final product?
- How much does it matter to me to develop a longstanding partnership with a designer?
- Am I willing to take the risk of being given a product that infringes on someone’s work of art?
We cover this topic in greater detail in this blog post. For a quick overview, here are a few differences:
Logo Refresh:
- Subtle Updates: Minor changes like font, color, or design tweaks.
- Purpose: Modernize and stay relevant without altering core identity.
- Benefits: Maintains brand recognition, cost-effective.
Logo Rebrand:
- Complete Overhaul: Entirely new logo to reflect significant company changes.
- Purpose: Align with new vision, mission, or market position.
- Benefits: Signals a fresh start, appeals to new target audiences, often part of a broader rebranding strategy.
When to Choose Each:
- Logo Refresh: When you need minor updates to stay current but your core brand remains the same.
- Logo Rebrand: When your business has undergone significant changes that require a new visual identity.
For expert logo refresh or rebrand services, contact us to discuss how we can help elevate your brand.
School Branding FAQs
Even though schools are in a unique position where they don’t have to market to find clients, brand reputation still affects them. Plenty of schools have suffered the difficulties of their communities feeling like they are underperforming or underdelivering based on perception rather than reality. A change in identity, like what we did for Pebblebrook High School, can go a long way in helping shape the community opinion of a school.
We prioritize understanding your school’s values, ethos, and brand identity to create a logo that authentically represents your institution. We encourage active involvement from your team, seeking your insights and feedback at each stage of the design process. Our aim is to achieve a logo, mascot, or brand identity that resonates with your school’s unique character.
Knowing when to rebrand and when NOT to rebrand is a sign of a great design agency. In our opinion, certain logos should never change due to the brand equity invested in them and their iconic nature.
However, when debating whether or not rebranding is right for you, the first question should be, “Is the logo we are using legally our own, or are the trademark rights owned by someone else?” If you find out you do not own the trademark rights to the logo you are using, we suggest a change in the logo is likely in your best interest.
Our recommendation would be to only use someone else’s intellectual property if a licensing agreement is in place with that entity. If you use someone’s logo without explicit permission, you open yourself up to significant legal liabilities that can easily be avoided.
*We do answer this question in greater detail in this blog article.
While elementary and middle schools do not have the same level of athletic programs as high schools, the school spirit can be equal if not greater in some cases. Our team has helped design over 200 school logos and some of the most beloved within a community belong to elementary and middle schools.
Sports Logos FAQs
Though each project is different, we follow the same six steps for all our logo projects:
- Research and Discovery: A phase of background work and figuring our project deliverables.
- Concept Sketches: Creating multiple sketches based on the project brief that are unique and able to be trademarked.
- Vector Refinement: Moving the chosen concepts into the computer, we refine the logo to ensure proportional accuracy and reflect the team’s colors.
- Supporting Marks: We develop items such as custom lettermarks, custom wordmarks, custom font and numeral systems, and sport-specific layouts as needed.
- Export Files: We provide the client with JPG, PNG, EPS, AI, PDF, and other various files.
- USPTO Registration: We work to guide the client through a US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) application.
Yes! Our team has worked with many schools and educational institutions to not only design sports logos, but to develop branding that reflects the school’s values, ethos, and brand identity. You can learn more here.
Team names that have the greatest connection with a community and fanbase have one of the following:
- They have a direct correlation to the history and region they represent.
- They have a less familiar name as it tends to make the greatest impact.
- They recognize a new name comes with needing a new logo. If the name has a large list of USPTO registered logos (i.e. Tigers), it will make it harder to create a team logo that can be owned.
There is no set time when a team MUST change their logo. In some instances, it is advised to keep a logo that has developed significant brand equity. However, these are some signs it is time to change a sports team’s logo:
- The team is using a logo that is the property of another team or entity.
- The logo has obvious anatomical flaws when compared to the thing it represents.
- The team’s fanbase does not connect with the current team logo.
Even though the process of developing a sports logo is very similar to that of a traditional logo, how a sports logo looks and “feels” is vastly different from a traditional logo. It is recommended to find a designer or design agency that has a portfolio of successful sports logos. One of the biggest factors in determining success is if a logo is registered with the US Patent & Trademark office.
To find sports logos that are currently in use or have been used in the past, you can explore several useful tools and resources:
Sports Logos.net: A comprehensive database of sports logos from various teams and leagues, including historical and current designs. Visit Sports Logos.net.
LogoLounge: A platform showcasing a wide range of logo designs, including sports logos, with the ability to search and filter by category. Visit LogoLounge.
BrandsoftheWorld: A repository of logos from around the world, including sports teams and organizations. Visit BrandsoftheWorld.
These tools will help you discover and analyze sports logos across different sports and eras.
We would love to help you create your sports team logo for your school mascot or team! We would help by taking you through a process we’ve refined and successfully guided over 100 clients through.
If you are creating your sports team and no team name or colors are identified, we can help you select both. Our team has experience creating unique team/mascot names and choosing specific colors that resonate with your community.
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