Career Path Guide
If you want to become a logo designer, you first need to determine if this career path is a good fit for your skills, interests and personality traits. If the following describes you, then you'll likely be well-suited for it:
• You have excellent abilities with graphic design software such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
• You are able to perform work that requires visual precision
• You enjoy working with computers, and doing work that involves creativity
• You are able to concentrate for long periods of time
• You are able to apply listening skills to gain a thorough understanding of a project’s needs
• You are interested in a career that allows you to potentially work from home or be self-employed
Below we've outlined what you'll need to begin a career as a logo designer. We've also included helpful occupational information, such as job description, job duties, salary expectations, required skills, educational requirements, a list of employer types, and much more!
Education Needed to Become a Logo Designer
The level of education you require to become a logo designer will typically vary from employer to employer, although you typically need a diploma, an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, visual communication, or a closely related field.
Some employers may hire you without formal post-secondary education, although they will likely require that you have an impressive portfolio that demonstrates your versatility and competence in logo and graphic design.
Regardless of the level or type of degree you pursue, you will need to take courses such as studio art, principles of design, computerized design, commercial graphics production, printing techniques, and website design in order to become competent and technically qualified as a graphic and logo designer.
It is also recommended that you pursue courses in marketing and business, as they are all useful in helping you market yourself as a logo designer, helping you understand the needs of businesses that hire you, and in helping you work effectively on team-based projects.
Success Tip: Try to look for a diploma or degree program that offers an internship or work placement opportunity as part of its curriculum, as these are great ways for getting relevant career experience while you are still a student.
General Job Description
A logo designer is a specialized type of graphic designer. They are responsible for manually sketching or graphically designing symbols that are set in a specific typeface and arranged in a unique way with unique colours, to represent a company, product, organization (such as a sports team), agency, or service.
In order to create an effective logo, a logo designer must first gain a thorough understanding of the style and purpose of the brand for which the logo is being created. They must gain information regarding what their client’s organization does, who they would like to appeal to (such as a market sector, age group, etc.), and other details of what they’d like their logo to communicate.
By designing a logo that meets a client’s objectives, logo designers perform a valuable branding service; in creating a visual image to represent an organization, they provide that organization with something that makes them immediately recognizable to consumers.
Logo designers may work in a specialized capacity and only perform logo design work, or they may work in additional graphic design capacities (such as web design) as freelancers or for their employer.
Typical Job Duties
• Gather sufficient information from the client as to inspire creative direction for the creation of the logo
• Create drafts of logos based on the information given by the client that will be easily associated with the company
• Present the drafts to the client for the purpose of choosing one which will represent the company
• Use computer software, such as Adobe illustrator, to create the drafts and the finalized logo
Skills Needed to Be Successful
To be effective in a career as a logo designer you need to posses a certain set of skills. These skills will allow you to perform your job duties with competence, and are usually acquired from a combination of natural ability, schoolwork, and practice.
Design Skills: Logo designers need natural artistic ability and must have a flare for design. They must also be well-versed in graphic design software, such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and others.
Communication Skills: Whether working as a freelancer or as a permanent employee, logo designers must also be able to gain a thorough understanding of their client’s or employer’s needs and objectives. They must also be able to explain why every aspect of a design was chosen as it was.
Business Skills: Logo designers must have a variety of abilities in business. They must not only have self-promotion and marketing skills to attract business if they are working on a freelance basis, they must have the time-management and organizational abilities to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines, as well as the ability to work within a budget.
Physical Abilities: Yes, physical abilities. Not necessarily in the “must be able to lift heavy weight” type of sense, but as a logo designer you need to be able to physically (and mentally) ensure working long hours in front of a computer, and concentrate for long periods of time. You also need to be able to perform work that requires visual precision.
Personal Characteristics Needed to Be a Logo Designer
Certain traits will help you enjoy performing the tasks of a logo designer, and help you endure the ups and downs of this career.
• A passion for design
• Willing to stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends and techniques in order to stay relevant
• Able to accept professional criticism
• Enjoy working hard towards a product you and your client are proud of
• Enjoy the possibility of working from home and/or being self-employed
• Willing to work in front of a computer for long periods of time
Logo Designer Salary Level
The salary level of logo designers can vary, as there are many factors that influence their level of earnings. One of the main factors affecting their level of income is whether they work as full-time employees of an organization, or as freelancers. This is because:
• The amount of work a freelancer is able to secure may fluctuate greatly from week to week
• Freelancers may incur additional expenses, such as marketing, software subscriptions, etc.
• Freelancers are free to set their own hourly fees
Aside from their employment structure, their level of earnings can also vary on a number of other factors, including:
• Their level of education
• Their level of experience and aptitude
• The region in which they work
• The size and type of their employer/client
Logo Designer Salary in Alberta: According to the 2018 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, the average salary level of Albertans working in the “Graphic Designer” occupational group is $56,601 per year.
Salary - British Columbia: According to WorkBC (Province of British Columbia), those working in the “Graphic designers and illustrators” occupational group earn an annual provincial median salary of $50,960.
Salary - United States: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary level of Americans working in the “Graphic Designers” occupational group is $50,370 per year (2018 figures).
How to Get Relevant Career Experience
The path for becoming a logo designer is very similar to that of becoming a general graphic designer; only you have the advantage of having a specific career focus in mind. Getting a job as a logo designer requires experience, skill and a portfolio that demonstrates these attributes as well as your signature style.
Prior to landing a job or client as a logo designer, you must ensure that you have honed your style and skills. You must have enough knowledge and practice under your belt to have your work easily recognized as your own. You must also have a strong portfolio that demonstrates your skill and versatility.
In order to gain career experience and build your logo design portfolio, you can complete projects in school, as part of an internship, projects for free, as well as paid projects for friends, family and other people in your personal network.
It’s key to find as much work as you can; develop business cards and logos for friends of yours that run their own business - big or small; create promotional materials for friends who play in a band; anything to help you build your portfolio.
Once your portfolio is prepared, you may begin marketing your services. It is highly recommended that you develop a website in order to showcase your portfolio, as well as display testimonials from previous clients.
Who Employs Logo Designers?
A Logo designer typically either works as a permanent employee of an organization, or as a freelancer that is hired for a specific project, or for a specific period of time.
They may be hired by an organization to work strictly as a logo designer, or they may be required to work in other areas of graphic design as well, such as web design; if working as freelancers, logo designers may choose to perform work in other areas of graphic design in order to supplement their income.
Whether as a permanent employee, or as a contract freelancer, the following types of organizations employ logo designers:
• Advertising agencies
• Colleges and universities
• Small, medium and large private and publicly owned businesses
• Graphic design studios and consultancies
• Non-profit and not-for-profit organizations
• Sports teams and recreational clubs
• Hospitals and healthcare organizations
• Newspapers and magazines
• Architectural firms
• Signage companies
Current Job Postings
Our job board below has "logo designer" postings in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia:
Typical Work Environment
Working Conditions: Whether working as a freelancer or as a permanent employee, a logo designer often faces very tight deadlines. They spend much of their day in front of a computer, using specialized design software.
They may also spend some of their day communicating with clients, team members and employers, either via e-mail, over the phone or in person.
Working Hours: The working hours of logo designers can vary; some may work a traditional 9-5 working day, while others may choose their own working hours. Logo designers have to occasionally put in long hours in order to ensure they are creating a logo that meets their employer’s or client’s need.
Producing a quality design translates into job security for a logo designer via referral business and testimonials, so it’s in their best interest to do quality work.
Work Setting: Whether employed as a freelancer or a full-time employee of an organization, logo designers may work out of a home office or a traditional office.
Similar Career Guides
Listed below are careers in our database that are similar in nature to "logo designer", as they may involve many of the same skills, competencies and responsibilities.
References
Please use the references below to find more information on the various aspects of a career as a logo designer.
Occupations in Alberta: “Graphic Designers.” (March 31, 2019). ALIS website - Alberta Learning Information Service. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
Arts and Design: “Graphic Designers.” (September 4, 2019). United States Bureau of Labor Statistics website. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
Explore Careers: “Graphic designers and illustrators.” (December 11, 2018). WorkBC website - Province of British Columbia. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
Careers: “Logo Designer.” (n.d.). The Art Careers Project website. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
Scholarships for Becoming a Logo Designer
Scholarships in Canada and the United States listed for majors that apply to becoming a logo designer can be found on our Fine Arts Scholarships and Graphic Design Scholarships pages.
Success Tip: Be sure to apply for any scholarships that you even barely qualify for, as there are millions of dollars of scholarships that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants!
Relevant University Majors
Studying one of the university majors listed below is an excellent starting point for this profession. Click on the links to find out what else you can do with these majors!
