Has anyone ever hired a designer/design firm to create a brand identity & website?

[BBSLM]

For the past few weeks I've been searching through various design blogs in search of a designer or design firm to create a brand identity, packaging, and website for a small B&M business. Every time I narrow my list of potential candidates down to a reasonable number, I stumble upon a new blog that leads me to tons of new designers whose work I like. The number of designers out there who do great work is just overwhelming.

If anyone has dealt with a designer/firm in the past that they would recommend I would love to get a personal recommendation for them.

There is one guy whose work I really like and think would be perfect for the business, but his fee is >$10k, which is not only out of the budget right now, but is also hard to justify considering the number of designers on etsy would could do decent job for $250.

 

[Gus]

Lots of designers can come up with a design, for cheap. But if you want an integrated concept that will work on all of your materials and in all of your media plus a website then $10K is a good deal.

 

[Douglas]

This probably belongs in the Business subforum - mods if you're listening maybe you can move it.

You've defined a very broad problem here. Are you looking for a logo or are you actually looking for a logo, plus packaging ideas/design, plus help implementing it, including selecting packaging vendors, plus design and implementing a web site?

If you buy that from etsy, and if you buy it for $250, you're going to get what you pay for, which is to say nothing.

What is a B&M business, btw?

 

[CouttsClient]

Originally Posted by BBSLM

For the past few weeks I've been searching through various design blogs in search of a designer or design firm to create a brand identity, packaging, and website for a small B&M business. Every time I narrow my list of potential candidates down to a reasonable number, I stumble upon a new blog that leads me to tons of new designers whose work I like. The number of designers out there who do great work is just overwhelming. If anyone has dealt with a designer/firm in the past that they would recommend I would love to get a personal recommendation for them. There is one guy whose work I really like and think would be perfect for the business, but his fee is >$10k, which is not only out of the budget right now, but is also hard to justify considering the number of designers on etsy would could do decent job for $250.
I know of a number of great people/firms to do this but I don't think what you need is another list. Eventually you just have to make a decision bc the list will forever keep growing. What kind of branding, packaging, and website firm can do this for $250? $10k is a good deal for someone good at what they do.

 

[BBSLM]

Originally Posted by pocketsquareguy

Lots of designers can come up with a design, for cheap. But if you want an integrated concept that will work on all of your materials and in all of your media plus a website then $10K is a good deal.
I unsure if that's good news or bad news. I was hoping the quote I received was on the high end, but at least the firm I feel comfortable with and like the most is a comparatively good deal.

Originally Posted by Douglas

This probably belongs in the Business subforum - mods if you're listening maybe you can move it. You've defined a very broad problem here. Are you looking for a logo or are you actually looking for a logo, plus packaging ideas/design, plus help implementing it, including selecting packaging vendors, plus design and implementing a web site? If you buy that from etsy, and if you buy it for $250, you're going to get what you pay for, which is to say nothing. What is a B&M business, btw?
Yea I wasn't sure where to put it. Mods feel free to move. Not looking for just a logo; I'm looking for everything. I probably wouldn't hire anyone from etsy just because it all seems so generic and banged out; I only mentioned it to explain the variance in pricing. B&M = brick and mortar. It's a legit, long-standing business, and not some side project affiliate marketing site that could get by with a $50 logo design and a wordpress template.

Originally Posted by CouttsClient

I know of a number of great people/firms to do this but I don't think what you need is another list. Eventually you just have to make a decision bc the list will forever keep growing. What kind of branding, packaging, and website firm can do this for $250? $10k is a good deal for someone good at what they do.
That's kind of what I figured. Choosing one just feels like such a leap of faith because the end result is largely a mystery until you've already paid (or at least put down a substantial deposit.) Plus there are so many to choose from. If you want to PM me the people/firms you know of, I'd be glad to take a look at their work. Personal recommendations can be very helpful.

 

[thekunk07]

i owned an agency. if your budget is limited, hire someone who can build a nice wordpress site and I suggest for brand identity, try online logo contests. you get some good stuff.

Originally Posted by BBSLM

For the past few weeks I've been searching through various design blogs in search of a designer or design firm to create a brand identity, packaging, and website for a small B&M business. Every time I narrow my list of potential candidates down to a reasonable number, I stumble upon a new blog that leads me to tons of new designers whose work I like. The number of designers out there who do great work is just overwhelming.

If anyone has dealt with a designer/firm in the past that they would recommend I would love to get a personal recommendation for them.

There is one guy whose work I really like and think would be perfect for the business, but his fee is >$10k, which is not only out of the budget right now, but is also hard to justify considering the number of designers on etsy would could do decent job for $250.

 

[lefty]

Owned? You got out out?

Ignore my recent PM then.

lefty

 

[BBSLM]

Originally Posted by thekunk07

i owned an agency. if your budget is limited, hire someone who can build a nice wordpress site and I suggest for brand identity, try online logo contests. you get some good stuff.
I thought about trying elance (and one other site that i can't remember the name of right now) but was unsure of the quality of the results. I will look into these sites again, though. Are there any sites in particular that you recommend? As for the site, I have a domain and a host, and I'm using a wordpress theme to build a site right now, but it is taking forever as I'm learning everything as I go along. It would be nice to be able hand it over to someone, though.

 

[thekunk07]

no, i am an employee there but I sold it outright. but don't pity me, is a good deal

Originally Posted by lefty

Owned? You got out out?

Ignore my recent PM then.

lefty

 

[thekunk07]

yes, please don't design it yourself. I believe the logo one i mentioned is called logo tournament, yopu pay the winner $500 IIRC

Originally Posted by BBSLM

I thought about trying elance (and one other site that i can't remember the name of right now) but was unsure of the quality of the results. I will look into these sites again, though. Are there any sites in particular that you recommend?

As for the site, I have a domain and a host, and I'm using a wordpress theme to build a site right now, but it is taking forever as I'm learning everything as I go along. It would be nice to be able hand it over to someone, though.

 

[BBSLM]

Originally Posted by thekunk07

yes, please don't design it yourself. I believe the logo one i mentioned is called logo tournament, yopu pay the winner $500 IIRC

thanks.

good call on not designing it myself. although it's really just temporary.

 

[lefty]

Originally Posted by thekunk07

no, i am an employee there but I sold it outright. but don't pity me, is a good deal

If that means a layer between you and clients, then being an employee is a good thing. Dealing with a client right now who wants all the raw footage we shot for her spot. Umm... no, that's ours. You get the finished 30sec video as per the contract. Happy to sell it to you though.

Check out the spot I sent you.

lefty

 

[thekunk07]

will do. and no, I spend more time with clients than ever before, just have someone else paying payroll and such. Good company though, CEO is great and a great guy IME thus far.

 

[lefty]

Just checked out Logo Tournament - pretty cool.

lefty

 

[thekunk07]

^yeah, it's great when you or a client have a limited budget. get some really great stuff and some super lol which is amazing in it's own way. the language barrier can be incredible.