As a small business owner, you probably already know that branding and design are super important for your business to be successful. A kickass visual identity can help you get noticed, build trust with your customers, and help your business stand out from your competitors. While hiring a designer is always an option, it can be pretty costly, especially if you’re just starting out. So if you’re up for it, taking on the task yourself might be a more cost-effective solution. Good news is, DIY graphic design is totally doable even if you’re a complete newbie. So let’s dive into some tips and tools that will help you level up your design game even if you have no clue where to start.
Brand Foundation
First thing first: you gotta build a strong brand foundation. Before you jump into designing, you should be able to answer these questions:
- What is your brand’s purpose?
- What is your brand vision?
- What are your core values?
- What is your brand personality?
- Who is your target audience?
You can use our handy brand clarity workbook to help you with this part.
It’s really important to have a strong foundation before you start designing if you want your visual identity to align with your overall brand messaging and goals. A strong brand foundation provides a clear direction for your logo design and ensures that it accurately represents your brand personality, values, and mission.
Tools
Once you know your brand vibe, it’s time to get to work.
“Ok, great, but where do I start?”
First, you are going to need to pick a tool or software that will help you create your logo.
Here are our top recommendations:
Canva
To no one’s surprise, Canva is the most recommended design tool for DIY graphic design.
It’s a super easy-to-use platform that makes logo design a breeze even if you have no design experience (No joke, my 12 year old uses it regularly). They’ve got a ton of design elements, like icons, fonts, and colors, that you can mix and match to create a logo that truly represents your brand. The best part is, you don’t need any design experience to use it – they’ve got pre-made templates you can customize or you can start from scratch and design your logo from the ground up. Once you’ve got your logo looking perfect, you can download it in a variety of formats so you can use it on your website, social media, and anywhere else you need to. And guess what, it’s completely free!
TIP: One thing to keep in mind – You want to pick a software that can create a vector file of your logo (.eps, .svg, .pdf).
Canva does have a premium version that gives you access to more elements, including a ton of really good stock photos, illustrations, icons, graphics and templates.
I suggest getting started with the free version and then going from there. You can also sign up for a free trial to check out all the pro features before committing to a subscription. Currently, Canva Pro is $12.99/mo or $119.99/year.
Adobe Express
Adobe Express (formerly Adobe Spark) is pretty much a copycat version of Canva, not gonna lie lol. It’s newer so I feel like it’s still trying to catch up to Canva and doesn’t have as many templates to choose from. However, Adobe Express templates are different and offer a great alternative when you can’t find what you’re looking for on Canva. The basic version is also free, so you can try it out any time. This also means that you don’t have to choose one or the other, you can play with both and see which one you like better.
Adobe Express has a premium version that is $9.99/mo or $99.99/year. Adobe Express is also included in Adobe’s Creative Cloud All Apps which includes Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Lightroom, Adobe Stock Images, and many more for $54.99/mo.
AI Logo Generators
If you want to DIY graphic design, but don’t want to do any actual design work, we’ve got another option for you. With AI tools constantly getting better and better, AI logo generators are a pretty good solution for people who are just getting started in their business and don’t have time to figure out how to do it on their own. Using AI logo generators is super quick and easy, and you can get multiple logo options in just a few minutes. However, it’s important to remember that these logos can be pretty basic and might not capture the unique character of your brand or the message you want to convey. In general, AI logo generators are great for small businesses that don’t have a lot of money or design skills, but if you’re looking for something really unique and personal, you might want to consider hiring a pro.
If you’re considering using an AI logo generator for your business, one of the biggest advantages is that most of these tools are available for free. You can create and preview different logo designs without spending a penny. You only need to pay if you’re satisfied with the design and want to download the files in high resolution or vector format for use in various branding materials.
Here are some of our favorites:
Looka
Looka is our favorite AI logo generator. It offers a simple and intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to customize their logo designs by selecting colors, fonts, and symbols. Once you’re satisfied with the design, you can download high-resolution logo files and even create branded marketing materials with Looka’s business card and social media kit options.
Once you pick the design you like you can make simple adjustments to it like changing the font or color. When you’re happy with your logo, you can get high resolution files for just $20. But, if you want a complete package of branded marketing materials such as business cards, flyers, posters, brochures, social media posts, and more, you can go for their Brand Kit subscription which costs $84/year. This is a great option if you want all of these things done for you, but are not ready to hire a designer.
Tailor Brands
Tailor Brands is similar to Looka. While Looka is solely focused on design, Taylor Brands can also help you set up your LLC, get an EIN number, business licenses and permits, all kinds of stuff. You can check it out for free, and plans start at only $3.99/mo.
Keep it simple
In most cases, it’s pretty easy to spot a design created by someone who doesn’t have a lot of design experience. The most common giveaway is that the design tends to feel cluttered and disorganized, lacking a clear focus or visual hierarchy. It might have too many colors or fonts, or too many design elements that distract from the main message. The key to creating effective designs, even if you don’t have a lot of experience, is to keep things simple and clean. Stick to a limited color palette, use a clear and legible font, and avoid adding too many unnecessary elements to your design. Remember that you are not trying to create a work of art, you are trying to get a message across.
Use High Quality Images
One of the easiest ways to elevate your designs is to use high-quality images. You should avoid using low-resolution or blurry images because they can make your designs look unprofessional. If you don’t have your own high-quality images, there are many stock photo websites that offer affordable or free options.
Here are some of our favorite free options:
Favorite paid options:
DIY graphic design can be a great option for small business owners who want to create their own branding materials without breaking the bank. It’s important to remember that it’s not just about making things look pretty – it’s about creating effective designs that communicate your message and brand values to your audience. With the rise of DIY graphic design tools and resources, it’s easier than ever for small business owners to create their own branding materials without the need for expensive design agencies or freelancers. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try out different design tools until you find the one that works best for you. With some practice and patience, you can create effective designs that help your business succeed. Good luck!
Did you put something together and would love our honest feedback? Shoot us an email hello@thenondesigner.co and we’ll take a look and let you know what we think!