My friend Michelle Sorensen wrote this. I was reminded of it when I wrote my logo-progression post last week. I want to share this with every client that wants a “simple” logo.
Logos are so simple! Why do they cost so much?
You’re right—the best logos out there are simple. However, making a simple logo doesn’t make for an easy project. So if you’ve seen a good, simple logo lately, there’s a talented designer behind it who’s making their job look easy.Designers go through hundreds of revisions trying to create a logo that will 1) be easily recognizable, 2) be memorable, and 3) encapsulate the feel of your company—all while being able to look good as a 40 ft banner, 2×3 inch business card, or 16×16 pixel icon.
This is very, very true! Making complicated designs is quite easy, but boiling things down to the simplest concept is actually really hard. The same goes for writing – I tried my hand at copywriting this week at work and I was appalled at myself for actually writing too much. Me, a designer, was told to cut the copy down, that I had too much information. Simple isn’t easy.
Reminds me of this story:
Legend has it that Pablo Picasso was sketching in the park when a bold woman approached him.
“It’s you — Picasso, the great artist! Oh, you must sketch my portrait! I insist.”
So Picasso agreed to sketch her. After studying her for a moment, he used a single pencil stroke to create her portrait. He handed the women his work of art.
“It’s perfect!” she gushed. “You managed to capture my essence with one stroke, in one moment. Thank you! How much do I owe you?”
“Five thousand dollars,” the artist replied.
“B-b-but, what?” the woman sputtered. “How could you want so much money for this picture? It only took you a second to draw it!”
To which Picasso responded, “Madame, it took me my entire life.”