Bauhaus: 100 years of radical design
To celebrate the Bauhaus centennial, MOO asked three artists inspired by the democratic design movement to describe its impact on their work.
Bauhaus celebrates its centennial this year – but its legacy lives on in our homes and public spaces, and continues to inspire new generations of artists around the world.
Founded in Germany in 1919 by architect Walter Gropius, the Bauhaus school inspired one of the most influential design movements of the last 100 years. Its mission, radical at the time, was to unite the worlds of fine art and design.
With industrialization and automated manufacturing on the rise, Gropius saw that the importance of art was at risk of being downplayed in favor of function. By founding the Bauhaus (literally ‘building house’), he aimed to bring the spirit of art to everyday items with the potential to be mass produced and enjoyed by all.
The school’s central tenet, ‘form follows function’, leveled the playing field between fine art and its practical expressions, such as textiles and architecture, and strove to ‘reunite arts and crafts’ through experimentation and collaboration.
The Bauhaus style was stripped-down and economic, with geometric shapes, bold colors and materials such as steel, concrete and glass at its heart. Although the school itself closed in 1933, its influence can still be felt today.
Contemporary color theory was born at the Bauhaus (and applied to all disciplines except architecture – Gropius preferred his buildings plain), while the school’s printing and advertising master, Herbert Bayer, created the Universal typeface.
Prominent 20th-century artists and designers who taught and studied there include abstract artists Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky, and textile designer Anni Albers, each of whom used trademark Bauhaus geometric shapes and simple color palettes throughout their work.
The sleek, simple lines seen in so much modern furniture were inspired by iconic Bauhaus designs such as Josef Albers’ geometric nesting tables, and Marcel Breuer’s tubular steel Wassily chair.
Following his time at the school as both pupil and master, Breuer went on to design over 100 buildings in the US, including the imposing Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The minimalism of the ‘international style’ of architecture which emerged from the Bauhaus can also be seen in the glass and concrete skyscrapers and tower-blocks which puncture today’s skylines.
The continued influence of Bauhaus after a century is all around us – and its principles, neatly summed up by the school’s final director, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, still resonate today.
‘Less is more,’ he declared. And, thanks to Bauhaus’ enduring legacy, history has proved him right.
The influence of Bauhaus
To celebrate the centennial, we asked three graphic designers who have been influenced by Bauhaus to tell us how the school’s principles have inspired their work.
Luke Tonge is a freelance graphic designer and founder of the Birmingham Design Festival in the UK. Based in Brighton, Tom Cheal brings a geometric approach into his bold designs. While Ronnie Alley is a ‘solopreneur’ in Philadelphia who brings pattern and typography together in his branding to create a unique visual identity.
Luke Tonge
What role has the Bauhaus aesthetic played in your work?
The legacy of Bauhaus thinking has influenced design education to such a degree that we aren’t necessarily aware of its importance. At its most basic, the ‘form follows function’ ethos has stuck with me since school – the notion that utility should take priority over aesthetics, plus an appreciation for truth, honesty and minimalism. There isn’t always evidence of this in my work, but there is in my approach to problem-solving and structuring a project.
Which elements of Bauhaus do you draw on?
Much of my work is colorful and bold, and I can trace my influences back to the ‘international style’ evident in the likes of Max Bill’s Munich Olympics posters, American modernist counterpart designers exploring photomontage, such as Lester Beall, and the later postmodern Italian design group Memphis. I’m drawn to the simplicity and impact of this type of work, which utilizes limited color and shape to maximum effect.
Why do you think Bauhaus has been a continuous inspiration in the design world for over 100 years?
There’s something very idealistic, romantic and intriguing about such an influential school of ideas. Add to that the backstory of rebellion against the decorative arts and crafts that preceded it, and the repression of Nazism, and it reads like a movie plot.
The relevance of its radical thinking and teaching has made Bauhaus beloved, appealing to the modernist inside all of us – that desire for meaning and rationality, and a rejection of frivolous ornamentation.
Do you have a favorite piece or artist from the movement?
This is a little bit of a cop-out, but The Bauhaus Group: 6 Masters of Modernism by Nicholas Fox Weber is a book about Bauhaus – specifically Anni and Josef Albers, the revered married couple who studied and taught at the school – and it has the most beautiful book jacket.
I don’t know who designed it, but I think it’s perfect, and a fitting tribute to a graphic world where only line, shape and color mattered.
How do you see the influence of Bauhaus evolving?
I think we’re going to be talking about and thinking about the Bauhaus for the next 100 years. There’s something very special about the ideology and purity of purpose the Bauhaus evokes, and as with any vital and revolutionary movement, we revisit it to benefit from it in hindsight. We wish we were part of it then – or hope to be part of something similar in the future.
Tom Cheal
How has the Bauhaus aesthetic played a role in your work?
Drawing upon simplistic elements of art and design has been a huge influence on me as a designer and artist.
In a modern day digital culture, it is important to simplify things and connect people to images, brands and experiences. Growing up, I was always drawn to simple, colorful shapes. I have found Bauhaus inspires my work not just visually, but also how I think about design.
What elements of Bauhaus do you draw from your work?
The original inspiration of Bauhaus is that functionality dictates form. Every element is considered and kept simple, even when in an abstract form. It manages to give the impression of being natural, organic and as if it was just meant to be.
My work and style draws inspiration from the Bauhaus movement quite heavily. Conveying ideas and feelings through bold color, strong and simplistic or abstract shapes.
Why do you think Bauhaus has been a continuous inspiration in the design world for over 100 years?
As our daily lives become more complicated and our attention is being constantly fought for, designers look for ways to simplify and make design and information easier to use and understand.
The simplistic aesthetics of Bauhaus has meant it has continued to be an inspiration to many artists and designers all these years later.
Do you have a favorite piece or artist from the movement? If so, why?
I will mention my two favorites, because of how differently they visualize their ideas and how they convey them. Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian have been big inspirations to me from doing art in school to studying design at university.
The eye-catching visuals, diversity and thinking behind their work has had an impact on my process and how I create.
How do you see the influence of Bauhaus evolving in the next 10 or so years?
Bauhaus as a movement has inspired many artists and designers to consider each element and simplify things when possible. As our world becomes more complex and we look to live more sustainably, I think movements like Bauhaus will continue to inspire future artists and designers and have a lasting positive impact on our culture.
Ronnie Alley
How has the Bauhaus aesthetic played a role in your work?
I love playing with geometry, by both laying out grid systems and creating custom type treatments. Members of the Bauhaus really pushed the use of geometry in its purest form in order to create simple and effective designs.
What elements of Bauhaus do you draw from?
The mantra, ‘form follows function’, is key to any design work, and I base all of my work on it. It doesn’t really matter how aesthetically pleasing something is if it isn’t able to perform its function.
Why do you think Bauhaus has been a continuous inspiration in the design world for over 100 years?
I think the Bauhaus school laid the foundation for all design movements that have come after. Its members created the parameters of how design should live and function, and they essentially gave us a toolbox we could build on, and from which we could bend the rules.
Do you have a favorite piece or artist from the movement?
I really appreciate László Moholy-Nagy’s belief that all aspects of creative work, including art, crafts, architecture, graphics, industrial design etc., should follow the same principles of design and work hand-in-hand with each other.
How do you see the influence of Bauhaus evolving?
I’d loved to have seen how virtual reality technology could have been applied to the school if it had been around at the time. Seeing where those design principles could be applied to the VR field will be really interesting.
Want to explore color for yourself? MOO’s Color Study tool allows you to build your own palettes from colors that you pick from across the web. Once you’ve created your palette, print your color creations to life on a selection of Bauhaus inspired patterns.
Our MOOcrew are a talented bunch. Wonder what it’s like to work at our headquarters? Take a look at a typical day for a MOOster…
Lucie Cohen
Hi, I’m Lucie. I’m a Training and Development Specialist at MOO, and I’ve been here for 7 and a half years.
At MOO, I’m responsible for…
Designing and delivering training to the global Service, Sales and Design Services teams (SSDS). This means that my team and I take all SSDS team members under our wing, enroll them onto our internally designed training programmes (including; on-boarding, designing for print, customer experience, management, and much more…) and empower them to deliver award winning service to our customers.
I got my role at MOO by…
I actually started as a 2 week temp working with Customer Service and Marketing, fell in love with MOO and was luckily offered a full time position. Since then I’ve had a variety of roles before moving into Learning & Development.
My morning routine is…
A 30 min workout, a brisk walk to the station and a quick train ride. I wait until I arrive at work before getting a latte from the cafe in our office and then I’m ready to start my day.
A typical working day is…
My day can vary a lot depending on whether we have new hires. Either I’ll be in the classroom delivering training or you’ll find me on a sofa, headphones on, designing and creating a new training video, interactive course or resource to be used in future sessions.
Something people don’t know about my role is…
A huge part of training is being able to interpret the needs of others and translate that into effective material, whether that be a training session, a resource or coaching and guidance.
My proudest moment at MOO was…
Every time I see someone who I’ve trained pass through their onboarding or transition into a new role I feel the biggest sense of achievement.
The thing I like most about working at MOO is…
Definitely the people. I’ve made friends for life.
On the weekend, you’ll find me…
Taking long walks (as long as it’s not raining) and stopping at coffee shops and breweries.
If I wasn’t doing this as a career, I’d be…
I’ve always wanted to open a venue that would be a cafe by day and a bar by night. I’m an avid reader, so it would probably involve some sort of book swap concept and there would be cosy chairs and nooks for reading.
The best career advice I’ve ever been given…
Each role is a fresh start. You have the opportunity to create your own brand, think about the person who you want to be and own it.
Want to join our #MOOCrew? Check out our current vacancies
We all have ideas that we want to bring to life. Whether it’s a small business concept or a design—there is an alchemy that occurs when ideas go from ‘thought’ to ‘thing’. And that’s a truly special feat.
At MOO, we love being at the union of ideas and tangible things. Or to be less poetic: print. No matter what your vision is, MOO offers all the tools and support you need to make your idea a reality.
In case we haven’t met yet – Hello, we’re MOO. We’re an award-winning online print and design company with one simple mission: to provide great design for everyone. Because design is at the heart of everything we do. Curious to know more? Well, we’re glad you asked. Right this way:
A product for any occasion
While MOO started out in 2006 offering premium quality and unique business card printing services, we have since expanded our offering to cover all of your stationery needs. From eye-catching Flyers, to ultra-versatile Stickers, we strive to make every interaction with your project a memorable one. But Flyers and Stickers aren’t the end of our product offering. We offer a range of print options – from special finishes like gold foil and gloss to beautifully tactile paper stocks:
Printfinity
One pack of cards. Lots of designs. We call it Printfinity—and yes, we made up a word. We developed this exclusive technology which allows you to print up to 50 different designs in one pack of Business Cards, Flyers, Stickers, Postcards or Letterhead. How it works is simple: pick a product, get creative with your designs, upload, and order. And at no extra cost, what’s stopping you?
Special Finishes
Sometimes, it takes a little something extra to make a design really pop. That’s where our Special Finishes come in. We offer Gold Foil on our Business Card range for an irresistibly eye-catching touch to your designs. For those looking for a tactile touch, go with the Spot Gloss and Raised Spot Gloss options that add a sleek and tangible shininess to your designs.
Papers
Across all of our print products, we offer a range of premium paper stocks suitable for any project you can dream of.
Luxe
Our irresistibly thick Luxe Paper is the perfect way to make an awesome first impression, thanks to the textured feel of Mohawk Superfine as well as eight color seam options to add a pop of color and surprise to your prints. Available for Business Cards, MiniCards, Letterhead, Notecards and Postcards, Luxe is our finest paper stock option. Put your best foot forward.
Super
Our Super paper stock is slick and durable at a non-bendy 19pt weight. Available in two finishes, Soft Touch and High Gloss, Super offers an unforgettably smooth and tactile experience for your Business Cards or Postcards. How can you top that? Well, try adding Spot Gloss flourishes to your cards for a luxurious texture contrast.
Cotton
Yep, you read that right. Cotton paper. Together with our friends at Mohawk, we developed a paper made entirely from T-shirt offcuts for a tree-free business card printing option. By reusing fashion industry waste, we can now offer a sustainable—and might we say beautiful—paper that feels and looks premium.
Original
Our Original paper is a step up from standard business cards and postcards. While it is our thinnest option, it still offers a thick and luxurious feel at 16pt weight. This paper has a great print quality and holds color well, giving your print a vibrant and dynamic appeal.
Pearlescent
Looking to give your Flyers some extra ‘oomph’? Our Pearlescent paper stock for Flyers offers a dramatic metallic finish that makes colors ‘pop’ off the page. The subtle sheen of the paper makes you want to do a double-take on first sight.
All shapes and sizes
Every project and design has a different scope. Which is why MOO offers a range of different Business Card shapes and sizes so you can find a perfect fit. We offer the Standard Business Card size for a classic feel, or—if you are looking for a little more real estate—we offer MOO Size Business Cards. There is no detail too small to make you stand out from the crowd.
Hip to be square? We couldn’t agree more. Our Square Business Cards make the perfect canvas for your brand to shine. And no matter what size you choose, MOO offers Rounded Corners for an added impression at no extra charge.
Great design for everyone
At MOO, we strive to provide easy, accessible, and amazing design resources to customers of all abilities to create the best possible products they can dream of. But we don’t take this mission lightly. We are passionate about providing resources on our platform to make great design widely available—for everyone.
Templates
Our in-house Creative Team is comprised of print experts with an eye for branding and design. Together, they’ve worked tirelessly to create hundreds of design templates for all of our products. With these templates, you can simply select one that best fits your vision and enter your details, logos, and images to make the design unmistakably yours.
Our customizable templates make it easy for people in all industries to make a truly unique business card design, all at no added cost to you. Whether you are a real estate agent or a florist, you can filter through our templates by industry to make the design selection process that much easier.
Print for designers
Sure, we have plenty of template options, but we also ensure a quick and easy way for professional designers to upload their designs to our platform for print. Our full-upload option makes it as easy as click-and-drag—in just a few simple steps, your cards will be on their way.
MOO even offers a tailored service for professional graphic designers and agencies who create print materials for their clients.
Early access to new products
With special trade pricing, you can gain access to products before they’re available from the MOO site—designed specifically with graphic designers in mind. Everything from new papers and finishes to Custom Notebooks, you’ll be able to ‘wow’ your clients with special access.
Expert support
No robots here. Our Customer Service team at MOO is an award-winning (all-human) crew that offer technical help for design and print professionals. Available to call or chat Mondays through Fridays, our dedicated Customer Service agents are here to listen to all of your needs to make sure we can make the process as easy as can be. Because at the end of the day, we care as much about print as you do.
Tools for Pros
Sometimes a project requires a little more to help get it off the ground. We get it. Our uploading tools will help you work faster on more complex projects—whether they are multiple PDF designs or ordering a suite of products for one project. You can also store your designs so you can do a quick and easy reorder when the time comes.
Quality. Guaranteed.
With MOO’s Pro Print service, you get a partner, not just a printer. Our experts will make sure to do quality assurance checks on every order—every time. And if you’re not 100% happy, we’ll do everything we can to make sure you and your clients are thrilled with your orders.
Pro designer in need of a print partner? Click here to fill out a quick form to get started.
Print for businesses of all sizes
As your business grows, so do your print needs. With each new employee you add to the team, or for each new marketing campaign you launch, print products get added to that never-ending list of things to do. But with MOO Business Services, instead of ordering new business stationery for hours, you can have more time back doing what matters most to you. Here’s how we offer printing services for business, made simple:
The platform
Whether you’ve got 10 employees, or thousands, the MOO Business Services platform is your go-to home for your team’s print needs. Upload all of your brand’s approved Business Card templates to the platform and once each employee creates an account, they can log in, enter their personal information, select the quantity, and order. And we know businesses have needs beyond Business Cards, which is why our platform can host the entire range of MOO products—all with your branding. Have multiple offices and locations to ship to? That’s not a problem either. Enter in all of your locations to the platform and a list will appear at checkout for your teams to choose from.
Dedicated Account Management
We want this process to be as easy for you as can be. That’s why every MOO Business Services customer has their own dedicated Account Manager. Our friendly team are there at every step of the way to take care of those time-consuming bits of uploading templates and on-boarding new employees to the platform. Their contact information will be available on the platform so any team member can reach out during the ordering process.
The process
Looking to sign up? Awesome! We are glad you’re here. To get started, one of our friendly Account Managers will set up your business account platform. They will be available to do a detailed walk-through of the account with you and your teams to get you acquainted with the platform. Next, our team will help you create and upload your print designs onto the platform so they are accessible when you log in to the platform. And finally, once that is all set, you and your teams can start ordering those print products in just a matter of clicks. It really is that easy. We promise.
Find out how Red Bull have used MOO to build their brand and welcome new employees.
Design services
We understand that not every business has an in-house design team to create branded materials for your business. And hiring a designer or agency to do the work doesn’t always fit into your budget. That’s more than fine. Our MOO Business Services customers have the option to work with our in-house Creative Team to take care of any design issues or branding project—no matter how big or small.
Service levels
Every business has its own needs, which is why we offer three different service levels for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Our Essential Package is free to use, with all of the basic needs covered, like business-level pricing, access to the platform, and employee self-ordering. To go further, our Office Package provides advanced brand control with dedicated support for larger teams. This package comes with a dedicated Account Manager, invoice payment, and the ability to use customized templates for all of your print products. Finally, if you have a larger business with more complex print needs, we offer Enterprise Service Levels for those businesses looking to do more. No matter how big or small your business is, we’ve got you covered.
Join other great companies that use MOO Business Services. Click here to fill out the form and get started.
The MOO Promise
What’s better than ‘Satisfaction Guaranteed’? How about being thrilled with every order? That’s what we strive to do. We call that the MOO Promise. For each and every order you place, we’ll go to great lengths to make sure your product is just right—the way you envisioned it, and more.
Quality inspection
With every order from MOO, our quality control team will perform detailed inspections on your order to make sure the design specs are right and that every typo gets caught. Even if you notice a typo when you receive the order, we’ll fix those free of charge.
In-house printing
We have print facilities in the United Kingdom and the United States, and we take care of all of the printing ourselves. This makes it easier for us to have more control over the print process from start to finish.
100% right. Every time.
What looks good to us may look different to you. So if you’re not totally over the moon with your order when you receive it, get in touch with our Customer Service team and they’ll be sure to fix the problem. If you’re still not satisfied, you’ll get your money back. And that’s a promise.
Customer service at every stage
Our award-winning Customer Service team is here to help. They are on hand 24 hours a day, five days a week and there’s no question too lofty that they can’t help with. Supporting our customers is crucial to our mission of providing top-notch products and services. That’s why we make sure you’ll never receive an automated support call from robots—just humans here. We feel that humans know how to help other humans best, it’s just that simple.
And there you have it! That’s the MOO story. No matter what story you have to tell, we’ll be here waiting to bring it to life.
Print your vision to life with MOO
Curious about MOO Business Services? Fill out the form here and a friendly Account Manager will reach out to you.
Whether you’re designing a logo yourself or commissioning someone to create one for you, here’s everything you need to know to find a unique design that expresses your brand personality.
What is a logo and why does it matter?
A logo is one of the most recognizable elements of any brand. It’s the iconic graphic that sits at the top of every Letterhead, adorns every piece of packaging and has pride of place on the front page of your website. So what does it take to create one that represents you best?
What makes a good logo?
Your logo needs to:
- represent your brand values, so that when people see it, their understanding of your brand will be strengthened
- blend smoothly with the rest of your branding, such as your color palette and font, to create a strong and consistent visual identity
- be memorable and easy to recognize
- stand out from the competition in your industry
- be easy to replicate across different formats
- look great in all sizes, large and small
All in all, there’s a lot to think about when you’re creating your first logo or developing a new one as part of a rebrand. Many businesses turn to an agency or a logo designer to help with the process. Whether you’re bringing in an expert or creating your own, here’s what to consider.
How to design your first logo
Even if you don’t have a designer, it’s absolutely possible to come up with a great custom logo in-house. You may want to ‘borrow’ a friendly designer or illustrator to go over your ideas, but you can do the bulk of the work designing a logo yourself.
Like a professional logo designer, you should start off with information gathering – AKA a ‘discovery phase.’
Begin with your brand
Your current branding is going to work in harmony with the logo, so it’s a good idea to review your brand identity and brand personality before you begin. Think about creative elements like your color palette and graphics, and your target audience—what kind of concepts or images will resonate with them?
Check out the competition
You know your own brand pretty well, but how about others in your industry? Look at what other companies’ logos have in common and think about how you could stand out from the crowd. Setting up a mood board on a curation site like Pinterest can help you gather your competitor analysis work together in one place.
Be logo-savvy
Familiarize yourself with the basic types of logo:
- Symbol: a picture or icon, such as the Nike ‘swoosh’
- Logotype: a text-based logo, such as Google’s
- Combination mark: a mix of the two, like Volkswagen or Mastercard
Soak up amazing design inspiration
It’s a good idea to immerse yourself in design of all kinds to help your ideas flow. After all, you can’t choose a design style if you don’t know what’s out there. Explore sites like Behance and Dribbble, where creatives upload and share their best work. If you’re a social media user, follow creative and inspiring accounts and hashtags on Instagram and Pinterest. Pay attention to design elements like color, shapes and typography. Surrounding yourself with cool designs will help you get a feel for the kind of look you want.
Put pen to paper
It can be handy to keep a sketchbook with you so you can doodle your logo design ideas and make notes about the design ideas that appeal to you most. Even if you’re not naturally great at drawing, sketches can help you develop your ideas. Don’t forget: the ones that end up in the waste paper basket are just as useful as the ones that don’t.
Develop your digital design
Now for the exciting bit. If you’re not a professional graphic designer, don’t be put off trying your hand as a logo creator. Thanks to the variety of tools and logo templates around you, youshould be able to create at least a working draft with just basic skills. Web-based design tools like Appy Pie Design, Vectr, Method Draw and Janvas allow you to create scalable vector images – that won’t lose image quality when you make them bigger – without buying or downloading a single byte of software. There are tons of tutorials available online too.
How to commission a designer to create a logo for you
It may not be the cheapest option, but working with a designer is a tried and trusted route to a unique logo that perfectly fits your brand. Here are some tips for finding and working with a designer.
Take recommendations
Ask around your local business community to find out which designer or agency produced their logos, and whether they were pleased with the process. This will help you find a designer whose style you like, and who, just as importantly, is a pleasure to work with.
Find designers online
Freelance designers – and some agencies – often list themselves on professional directories and portfolio sites like Behance. You can also look on more general freelance sites like Upwork and Fiverr
Review their portfolio
Take a look at a potential designer’s website or online portfolio to see the range of work they’ve done. Whether or not you like the work, this will tell you if they’re versatile and adaptable enough to create what you want.
Evaluate your options
It’s a good idea to get quotes and have conversations with a few different people, including both freelancers and agencies. Let them know what your budget is for the work and what you expect to achieve. This will help you find a good fit and a good price for the work.
Write a strong brief
A creative brief is a kind of agreement between you and the designer about what will happen. It’s a key part of the communication process between you and your designer, so it’s worth taking some time over. Make sure it includes goals, objectives, and deliverables, including specifics like file format and font licence agreement, if applicable. If you’re new to briefing, ask your designer for a creative brief template to help you get started.
Answer their questions
Logo designers will usually start by gathering information about your business, your products and your brand. They will also do some research in your industry to find out what your main competitors are doing – this is important as you want your logo to be distinctive and memorable, and not like anyone else’s. The designer will also need to know where the logo will be used. This helps them decide the right level of detail and complexity to make it work in all contexts, from business cards to conference posters.
Give them lots of reading to do
Help your designer understand your brand by giving them as much information as possible, including any existing assets like your brand colors, fonts, brand guidelines and brand values. It can also be helpful for them to know about your target audience and marketing strategy.
Be upfront about amends
When you’re agreeing on the brief, discuss amends with your designer and make sure you are both clear about what’s included in the price of the job. A few tweaks that are in line with the brief should be expected, but if you’re asking the designer to do substantial extra work, they may charge you extra.
Feed back constructively
Like all suppliers, designers need specific, clear feedback on whether they’re meeting your requirements. As a client, there are three golden rules for design feedback:
- Be specific and clear about what you’re commenting on. For example, ‘the text is difficult to read’ is better than ‘I’m not happy with it’.
- Talk about the results you want, not methods to use. For example ‘I’d like the text to be more legible’, not ‘use this font instead.’
- Refer to the brief, rather than using your personal likes and dislikes to measure success. That way, you’ll both know when the design is final and your new logo is complete.
Things to think about when buying a logo from stock
If you’d prefer not to go through the logo design process at all, you can choose to buy a ready-made logo from a stock logo site. This option is likely to be quicker and less expensive that working collaboratively with a designer, but it puts more responsibility on you to choose the right logo that will truly represent your business. You’ll also need to think about whether to pay for exclusive rights to your stock logo. If you don’t, it may end up being used by other companies.
Choose the right design
Stock sites contain a dizzying array of logo options, so it helps to set some ground rules for yourself based on your existing brand. Logo design and branding should go hand in hand, after all.
Start by reviewing your brand identity
Make sure you have a clear overview of your visual branding, including your brand colors, tagline, typeface, brand style guide and existing business logo, if you have one.
Doing this will help you pick a logo that fits with your brand, and help reduce the temptation of other designs that are beautiful but not really suitable.
Think personality as well as design
As well as your brand’s visual representation, think about your brand personality. This can include elements of your marketing strategy like target audience, style guide and brand voice, as well as your brand values. All these things will help influence your choices. It’s worth knowing that many stock logos are editable, so you can tweak them to better fit in with your branding.
Know the copyright status of the design
When you buy a logo online, it’s important to understand how intellectual property rights work, and at what point you’ll become the copyright owner.
Copyright law varies from place to place, but generally speaking, there are a few ways you can pay to use someone else’s design. These include:
- Non-exclusive licence
The owner of the logo grants you the right to use it in a certain way and for a certain period, but other people may be using it too. (Not great for brand recognition.) - Exclusive rights
As with the non-exclusive licence, you can use the logo as agreed. Nobody else will have the right to use it at the same time as you. - Transfer of copyright
With this kind of agreement, ownership of the logo passes to you and the designer gives up all their proprietary rights – i.e. their legal rights as owner.
Whichever option you choose, you may have to sign a written agreement such as a contract or an assignment agreement, which formalizes the transfer of ownership or rights to the copyrighted works—that is, your new logo.
The main thing to understand before putting pen to paper is whether you’re getting what you need. Don’t hesitate to pick up the phone or jump on a live chat with the logo provider if you have any doubt.