I finally realized why some clients in Austin keep asking for 'just a quick logo'

Honestly, I see this all the time where someone wants a full brand identity but only budgets for a single icon, like offering $300 for a complete logo package. Tbh, I think it's a huge red flag because it shows they don't value the work, but some designers say taking the job can lead to more work later. Has anyone else in Texas had a client start with a tiny logo request and then actually become a good long-term project?

4 comments

4 Comments

skyler_kelly691mo agoRising Star

Flip it around and look at it from their side for a second. I mean, sometimes a small business owner just needs a simple icon to put on their social media and they have no clue that a "logo" involves all that extra strategy stuff. Idk, maybe it's just me but if someone comes at me with $300 for a logo and they're upfront about it, I'd rather just say no thanks than do a half assed job and hope for more work later. Most people I've seen who take those tiny gigs end up doing way more revisions than the pay is worth, and the big job never comes.

morganl712mo ago

Remember that a logo is just one part of a brand. I've had clients in Dallas ask for a simple mark, then come back a year later needing a full website and packaging because their business grew. The tiny job can be a test run for them. It's not always about not valuing the work, sometimes they just don't know what they'll need yet. You have to decide if that first small project is worth the potential future work.

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pat_harris2mo ago

But how many of those test runs actually turn into the big website job later? I've seen plenty of clients just take the cheap logo and run, @morganl71. It feels like betting on a maybe while doing real work for low pay now.

ray_burns2mo ago

Oh man, I saw a thing about this. It said to treat those small jobs like an audition for you, not just for them. If they're a pain from the start, the future work probably isn't worth it either.