You asked for quotes to design your company's identity. One offers a logo for a small fee, another a full identity for several times that, and a third sits in between with a two-line description. You cannot tell what each one includes, so you lean toward the cheapest or toward whoever sounds most confident. This happens a lot, because quotes describe the price more than they describe what you will receive.
We will not quote figures here, since they vary widely by market, designer and scope. What we can say with confidence is what raises the cost, what lowers it, and what you should have in hand at the end.
What determines the cost of brand identity design?
Scope is the biggest factor: how many elements get designed, how many applications, and how many languages. After that comes the depth of work before design starts, from understanding the business and competitors to the number of concepts and revision rounds.
| Factor | Raises the cost | Lowers the cost |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | A new name and an identity from scratch | Refining an existing logo customers already know |
| Languages | Logo and full system in Arabic and English | One main language |
| Applications | Signage, packaging, uniforms, vehicles, menus | Letterhead, business cards and digital templates |
| Templates | Many editable presentations, contracts and posts | A few templates for what you use most |
| Guidelines | Detailed guide with a design system for web and app | A short guide covering the basics |
| Revision rounds | Open-ended revisions and many decision makers | A set number and one decision maker |
People underestimate that last row. When five people with different opinions share the decision, the project drags on and revisions pile up, and that shows in either the cost or the quality.
What is the difference between a logo and a full brand identity?
The logo is one element of the identity. A full identity is the system that makes the logo work everywhere: the colors and their values, fonts in both languages, the rules, and the templates your team uses every day.
A startup may be fine at first with a good logo, defined colors and fonts, and a few templates, then grow the identity as needs arise. What matters is that the logo is designed from the start so it can be built on, and that its core decisions are written down. Ask for the source files, color values and font names from day one, so any designer can build on them later without redrawing anything.
Which stages are you paying for?
- DiscoveryBusiness, audience, competitors and markets
- DirectionInitial concepts and choosing one direction
- DevelopmentLogo and its versions, colors and fonts
- TestingSizes, backgrounds and real applications
- HandoverFiles, guidelines and templates
Very cheap quotes usually cut the first and fourth stages. You end up with a logo that looks good in the presentation and then struggles on a sign or at a small size. Read the tests a logo should pass before approval to see what usually gets tested.
What should you receive at the end of a branding project?
You should receive files you can use without going back to the designer, plus the source files. Put this list in your request for quotation and ask each quote to state which items it covers.
- The logo in vector formats (SVG, PDF, AI or EPS) and as PNG with a transparent background.
- Every logo version: horizontal, vertical and standalone symbol, in color, black and white.
- Color values for screen and print.
- The fonts or their links, with license details.
- Brand guidelines as a PDF.
- The agreed templates in editable formats: Word, PowerPoint, Canva or others.
- The open source design files.
For what goes into the guide itself, read what brand guidelines should include.
What should you check in the contract before work starts?
Make sure the contract states that ownership of the final design and its usage rights transfer to your company after payment, and that source files will be delivered. Without that, you may need the designer's permission, or pay again, every time you need a change.
Ask how many revision rounds each stage includes, what counts as extra work, and how long each stage is expected to take. Confirm that the fonts and images used are licensed for your commercial use. If you plan to register the logo as a trademark, ask a lawyer or the official registration authority in the countries where you sell about the requirements, and tell the designer from the start.
How do you compare branding quotes?
Put the quotes in one table with the same rows: stages, number of concepts, revision rounds, deliverables, rights and timeline. You will often find that the cheapest quote covers half the list and the most expensive includes things you do not need yet. Ask who will do the work on your project, and who you will deal with through each stage.
Ask to see past work applied to real things such as signs, printed material and websites, in addition to the polished mockups, because real applications reveal what mockups hide.
Our branding quotes come with a clear list of deliverables as part of our branding and design service. If you are still at the naming stage, read how to choose a name for your company. Tell us which applications and markets you need and we will send you a detailed scope you can compare with others.
Questions our partners ask
Why do logo design prices vary so much?
Because the word logo covers very different jobs, from a quick sketch delivered as one file to research, concepts, testing and versions for every use with source files. Compare what each quote delivers before you compare the numbers.
How long does brand identity design take?
It depends on the scope and how quickly you give feedback. A logo alone takes far less time than a full identity with guidelines and templates, and most delays come from waiting on decisions and content.
Do I own the rights to my logo after it is designed?
The contract should state clearly that ownership and usage rights pass to your company after payment, and that source files will be handed over. Ask about this before work starts, and check the licenses of any fonts and images used.
Written by the Visual Innovate team, the people who build, host and follow up systems, websites and apps for our clients in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt.
