Deseret Morning News
July 13, 2004
Lindon firm specializes in logos
by: Jordan Burke
PROVO - As the head of a small credit-card processing firm, Jeff Marcous didn't have access to a slew of graphic designers, nor could he summon effort from an in-house design group.
So the 51-year-old went shopping for a company that could help him create a new image for his eight-person operation. Marcous hoped building a new Web page and finding a new logo for 6-year-old Dynamic Payment Solutions would attract new business.
"Logo design sets your mark," said Marcous, president of DPS.
Marcous' initial efforts were not as encouraging as he had hoped, however. When he received the price quote, he was surprised that the logo itself would run $2,500.
But he kept looking and eventually found Logoworks, a 3-year-old Internet company that specializes in logo design and creation.
Lindon-based Logoworks acts as a clearinghouse between design professionals and logo-seeking customers. Its chief selling point - besides a lower price - is a 72-hour turnaround for a first draft of the proposed logo. The key to the process is a cadre of free-lance graphic artists who are available to respond to Logoworks projects.
The company offers logo design packages ranging from $265 to $549. Many advertising agencies won't "touch it (for) under $1,000," said Morgan Lynch, president of ARTEIS Inc., Logoworks' parent company.
On average, the 72-hour process is followed by two rounds of revisions. So from start to finish, the process could take about a week. The length of time is influenced by how long customers take in deciding which rendering they like.
"Anybody should be able to afford good design," Lynch said. He prides himself on providing advertising-agency quality at a "price for small businesses."
That's where the independent graphic designers from across the nation come into play.
When customers sign up on the logoworks.com Web site, they are asked to describe their company and what they want in a logo. Their logo request is then picked up by two to five designers who create separate versions. The company offers three logo packages that provide between four and 12 logo concepts, depending on the amount the company is willing to spend. The company is also given the option of selecting colors for the project.
Marcous said it took him about 25 minutes to provide the requested biographical information and tell about his business.
Marcous received 11 concepts (Logoworks advertised 10 to 12 for his particular package).
The top two packages, gold and platinum, enable customers to seek unlimited revisions, or changes. The least expensive, the silver package, offers four to six concepts from two designers with two revisions before the final selection is made.
Marcous picked one logo that he liked and had the artist tweak it before accepting the finished product, which involved a blue and green scheme. He said his expectations were met throughout the process. Each time he asked for a revision, Logoworks provided a precise time frame for completing the task. Marcous said every deadline was met or beaten.
Once the project is finished, Logoworks sends an electronic version to the customer, followed by delivery of a CD-ROM with the logo design.
Lynch said he eschews the popular "teamwork" concept that many companies use, instead focusing on harnessing the "raw creativity" of the designers.
"We don't believe in brainstorming," he said.
The more than 100 designers used by Logoworks do not see each other's work. By having designers work on their own, the company is able to deliver unique designs. The company does have a small number of staff designers to oversee work quality, but they do not influence the creative process.
"No designer ever does a logo they don't want to," Lynch said.
For DPS, Marcous found a logo he liked during the second revision round. He said the process was "incredibly simple."
"They all (the independent designers) came back with something that I was looking for," he said. "I'm really happy. There's plenty of creativity. I think it is a good business."
<< Logoworks in the news
See the Logoworks article at www.startupjournal.com
See the Logoworks article at ries.typepad.com
See the Logoworks article at www.statesman.com
See the Logoworks article at www.benchmark.com
See the Logoworks article at www.usatoday.com
See the Logoworks article at www.constantcontact.com
