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Tips for Buying on Fiverr

StompingAcorns

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I thought I would post a few tips for Buying on Fiverr. I’ve recently been working with a few people for logo and label design. I’ve discovered a few things – posting here in case it helps someone else who’s new to Fiverr. I know a lot of you may be working as Sellers on Fiverr, Upwork, or other sites – maybe this would be a helpful for you as well to see one Buyer's perspective.
  1. You can view the online portfolios, select who you want to work with, and engage them specifically rather than posting a job for bids. (That’s what I did.)
    1. Consider both the star rating (1-5 stars) as well as the number of ratings.
    2. If you're hiring a designer, take into account that design is somewhat interpretive, so the Seller may have gotten less than stellar ratings – not because the designs weren’t good, but because the clients couldn’t communicate what they wanted. I.e., I wouldn’t limit myself to only 5 star ratings. I looked at that in combination with the quality of the portfolio.
    3. Look closely at the portfolio – you can often determine when you’re seeing a fake design (not done for a real customer) or an actual deliverable. I was only concerned about fake designs if that made up the majority of the portfolio.
  2. Engage a number of people first with just basic design, to see who returns valuable designs that you like.
    1. Designers often charge more for faster turnarounds, source files, additional types of deliverables (like social media, 3D renderings), etc.
    2. Figure out whether they can produce designs that you like before paying for all of that.
    3. Keep in mind that a designer may not put in an all out effort for a low cost gig, e.g., $5 or $10. You have to weigh that against your budget, time, and what you’re trying to accomplish. My opinion is that a good Seller will put their best into every gig.
    4. I used the low cost designs to help me narrow down the Seller I wanted to work with. I got low cost designs from about 5 different people and then chose the Seller who made provided the best design.
  3. Pick the designer you like, and then engage them for the full package you need.
    1. After I chose my designer, I engaged them for more work, different kinds of work, and more expensive packages.
  4. If you have more than one job to get done, and you’re in a hurry, be sure you break it into separate jobs. This one got me – here’s why:
    1. The seller sets the delivery timeframe and number of revisions as part of defining the gig.
    2. Fiverr sets a countdown timer with each communication during the gig.
    3. So, I engaged someone to do 2 jobs for me, but purchased it as one job.
    4. He started on only one job. He made his first deliverable within the timer. This starts a timer during which I have to respond.
    5. I requested revisions. This restarts the timer for him!
    6. He delivered the revision within the timer – this restarts the timer for me!
    7. I requested revisions. This restarts the timer for him!
    8. Are you getting the drift? So we go round and round on one design only, and he hasn’t even started the second design. I would rather have both designs in progress at once. Live and learn…
  5. If you want to work with a specific Seller, but they don’t offer the package you’re looking for, message them.
    1. You can negotiate a deal using messages.
    2. Once you agree, the Seller can send you a Customized Offer in the message, and you have the option to Accept it if you choose.
    3. I did this for a particular gig I wanted from the Seller I had chosen.
  6. One final note – I’m not an expert in this, but I did some research, and it seems that if the Seller gives you the source file, that this implies full copyright transfer.
    1. I tried asking some of the Sellers about this and could never get a clear answer from them.
    2. Google turned up a number of articles that basically said: copyright transfer is implied where design-for-hire is concerned, especially if you get the source file. So when I ordered the final deliverables, I purchased gigs that included the source file.
    3. Disclaimer – consult a lawyer. (And if you’re a lawyer, let us know if this is correct!)
Hopefully, in this small way, I've contributed to the community here. If you have any tips to share for Buying on Fiverr, Upwork, or other sites, please chime in!
 
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Niptuck MD

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Awesome right up thanks for the help
 

StompingAcorns

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Next tip: if you purchased the source files, check them before accepting the gig. Specify in your request that you expect to see separate objects in the final source file (and layers, if you require that).

I discovered the elements in the source files that had been given to me had been flattened. If you don't have each element as a separate object, what's the point in having a source file? Crazy.

Also, Inkscape is a free download and nice alternative to Illustrator.
 

Andy Black

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I thought I would post a few tips for Buying on Fiverr. I’ve recently been working with a few people for logo and label design. I’ve discovered a few things – posting here in case it helps someone else who’s new to Fiverr. I know a lot of you may be working as Sellers on Fiverr, Upwork, or other sites – maybe this would be a helpful for you as well to see one Buyer's perspective.
  1. You can view the online portfolios, select who you want to work with, and engage them specifically rather than posting a job for bids. (That’s what I did.)
    1. Consider both the star rating (1-5 stars) as well as the number of ratings.
    2. If you're hiring a designer, take into account that design is somewhat interpretive, so the Seller may have gotten less than stellar ratings – not because the designs weren’t good, but because the clients couldn’t communicate what they wanted. I.e., I wouldn’t limit myself to only 5 star ratings. I looked at that in combination with the quality of the portfolio.
    3. Look closely at the portfolio – you can often determine when you’re seeing a fake design (not done for a real customer) or an actual deliverable. I was only concerned about fake designs if that made up the majority of the portfolio.
  2. Engage a number of people first with just basic design, to see who returns valuable designs that you like.
    1. Designers often charge more for faster turnarounds, source files, additional types of deliverables (like social media, 3D renderings), etc.
    2. Figure out whether they can produce designs that you like before paying for all of that.
    3. Keep in mind that a designer may not put in an all out effort for a low cost gig, e.g., $5 or $10. You have to weigh that against your budget, time, and what you’re trying to accomplish. My opinion is that a good Seller will put their best into every gig.
    4. I used the low cost designs to help me narrow down the Seller I wanted to work with. I got low cost designs from about 5 different people and then chose the Seller who made provided the best design.
  3. Pick the designer you like, and then engage them for the full package you need.
    1. After I chose my designer, I engaged them for more work, different kinds of work, and more expensive packages.
  4. If you have more than one job to get done, and you’re in a hurry, be sure you break it into separate jobs. This one got me – here’s why:
    1. The seller sets the delivery timeframe and number of revisions as part of defining the gig.
    2. Fiverr sets a countdown timer with each communication during the gig.
    3. So, I engaged someone to do 2 jobs for me, but purchased it as one job.
    4. He started on only one job. He made his first deliverable within the timer. This starts a timer during which I have to respond.
    5. I requested revisions. This restarts the timer for him!
    6. He delivered the revision within the timer – this restarts the timer for me!
    7. I requested revisions. This restarts the timer for him!
    8. Are you getting the drift? So we go round and round on one design only, and he hasn’t even started the second design. I would rather have both designs in progress at once. Live and learn…
  5. If you want to work with a specific Seller, but they don’t offer the package you’re looking for, message them.
    1. You can negotiate a deal using messages.
    2. Once you agree, the Seller can send you a Customized Offer in the message, and you have the option to Accept it if you choose.
    3. I did this for a particular gig I wanted from the Seller I had chosen.
  6. One final note – I’m not an expert in this, but I did some research, and it seems that if the Seller gives you the source file, that this implies full copyright transfer.
    1. I tried asking some of the Sellers about this and could never get a clear answer from them.
    2. Google turned up a number of articles that basically said: copyright transfer is implied where design-for-hire is concerned, especially if you get the source file. So when I ordered the final deliverables, I purchased gigs that included the source file.
    3. Disclaimer – consult a lawyer. (And if you’re a lawyer, let us know if this is correct!)
Hopefully, in this small way, I've contributed to the community here. If you have any tips to share for Buying on Fiverr, Upwork, or other sites, please chime in!
Thanks for this. I'm sure it will help a few people. Rep+
 
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Fpm9

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Thank your for the advice. Do you recommand a few specifics sellers ? I might hire someone one Fiverr for logo and/or label design
 

StompingAcorns

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Thank your for the advice. Do you recommand a few specifics sellers ? I might hire someone one Fiverr for logo and/or label design
While I wouldn't mind sharing the people I used in a PM, I would hesitate to recommend them - it really depends a lot on the style of art you want, what parts of the process you need the most help with, how you work with people, what price range you can spend, and so on. For example, one person turned out an awesome logo for the first brand and gave me crap for the next two brands. Another person turned out decent work but seemed to display no common sense and had to be micromanaged through the whole thing. That would have been impossible if the gig hadn't specified unlimited revisions.

I'd recommend you start by viewing the portfolios and choosing someone who's done a design similar to what you have in mind, whether you have a specific design in mind, or just an overall "look and feel" that you want. It's infinitely easier to say, make me something similar to this, but use a cat instead of a teapot - than to try and describe what's in your head.
 
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Ankerstein17

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I thought I would post a few tips for Buying on Fiverr. I’ve recently been working with a few people for logo and label design. I’ve discovered a few things – posting here in case it helps someone else who’s new to Fiverr. I know a lot of you may be working as Sellers on Fiverr, Upwork, or other sites – maybe this would be a helpful for you as well to see one Buyer's perspective.
  1. You can view the online portfolios, select who you want to work with, and engage them specifically rather than posting a job for bids. (That’s what I did.)
    1. Consider both the star rating (1-5 stars) as well as the number of ratings.
    2. If you're hiring a designer, take into account that design is somewhat interpretive, so the Seller may have gotten less than stellar ratings – not because the designs weren’t good, but because the clients couldn’t communicate what they wanted. I.e., I wouldn’t limit myself to only 5 star ratings. I looked at that in combination with the quality of the portfolio.
    3. Look closely at the portfolio – you can often determine when you’re seeing a fake design (not done for a real customer) or an actual deliverable. I was only concerned about fake designs if that made up the majority of the portfolio.
  2. Engage a number of people first with just basic design, to see who returns valuable designs that you like.
    1. Designers often charge more for faster turnarounds, source files, additional types of deliverables (like social media, 3D renderings), etc.
    2. Figure out whether they can produce designs that you like before paying for all of that.
    3. Keep in mind that a designer may not put in an all out effort for a low cost gig, e.g., $5 or $10. You have to weigh that against your budget, time, and what you’re trying to accomplish. My opinion is that a good Seller will put their best into every gig.
    4. I used the low cost designs to help me narrow down the Seller I wanted to work with. I got low cost designs from about 5 different people and then chose the Seller who made provided the best design.
  3. Pick the designer you like, and then engage them for the full package you need.
    1. After I chose my designer, I engaged them for more work, different kinds of work, and more expensive packages.
  4. If you have more than one job to get done, and you’re in a hurry, be sure you break it into separate jobs. This one got me – here’s why:
    1. The seller sets the delivery timeframe and number of revisions as part of defining the gig.
    2. Fiverr sets a countdown timer with each communication during the gig.
    3. So, I engaged someone to do 2 jobs for me, but purchased it as one job.
    4. He started on only one job. He made his first deliverable within the timer. This starts a timer during which I have to respond.
    5. I requested revisions. This restarts the timer for him!
    6. He delivered the revision within the timer – this restarts the timer for me!
    7. I requested revisions. This restarts the timer for him!
    8. Are you getting the drift? So we go round and round on one design only, and he hasn’t even started the second design. I would rather have both designs in progress at once. Live and learn…
  5. If you want to work with a specific Seller, but they don’t offer the package you’re looking for, message them.
    1. You can negotiate a deal using messages.
    2. Once you agree, the Seller can send you a Customized Offer in the message, and you have the option to Accept it if you choose.
    3. I did this for a particular gig I wanted from the Seller I had chosen.
  6. One final note – I’m not an expert in this, but I did some research, and it seems that if the Seller gives you the source file, that this implies full copyright transfer.
    1. I tried asking some of the Sellers about this and could never get a clear answer from them.
    2. Google turned up a number of articles that basically said: copyright transfer is implied where design-for-hire is concerned, especially if you get the source file. So when I ordered the final deliverables, I purchased gigs that included the source file.
    3. Disclaimer – consult a lawyer. (And if you’re a lawyer, let us know if this is correct!)
Hopefully, in this small way, I've contributed to the community here. If you have any tips to share for Buying on Fiverr, Upwork, or other sites, please chime in!


Thanks for sharing some really good tips!

If there is one thing I have learned through Fiverr, Freelancer etc is the importance of having to communicate with the sellers before hand. And I don't mean have a conversation, but mean HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC CONVERSATION.

I've found the more specific I can be in a conversation and demonstrate to the seller exactly what I want the better outcome of the service. Be specific about what the end product should look like and what kind of quality is to be expected. If they don't deliver to that standard then rate them accordingly.
 

StompingAcorns

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Thanks for sharing some really good tips!

If there is one thing I have learned through Fiverr, Freelancer etc is the importance of having to communicate with the sellers before hand. And I don't mean have a conversation, but mean HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC CONVERSATION.

I've found the more specific I can be in a conversation and demonstrate to the seller exactly what I want the better outcome of the service. Be specific about what the end product should look like and what kind of quality is to be expected. If they don't deliver to that standard then rate them accordingly.
Thanks for jumping in! I think it really helps everyone to hear experiences from multiple people.
 

Fpm9

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While I wouldn't mind sharing the people I used in a PM, I would hesitate to recommend them - it really depends a lot on the style of art you want, what parts of the process you need the most help with, how you work with people, what price range you can spend, and so on. For example, one person turned out an awesome logo for the first brand and gave me crap for the next two brands. Another person turned out decent work but seemed to display no common sense and had to be micromanaged through the whole thing. That would have been impossible if the gig hadn't specified unlimited revisions.

I'd recommend you start by viewing the portfolios and choosing someone who's done a design similar to what you have in mind, whether you have a specific design in mind, or just an overall "look and feel" that you want. It's infinitely easier to say, make me something similar to this, but use a cat instead of a teapot - than to try and describe what's in your head.

Thank you for those tips. I am a bit sceptical when I see people offering to design a logo for $25 or even sometimes $20. I've read many designer are stealing good designers work to put in their portfolio. How much did you spend for your logos ?

I also have an idea of the type of look I want for my logo, but sometimes I consider designing it myself.
 

Scot

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So I only use Fiverr for low value jobs, like a quick edit to a picture, a social media post, or my instagram profile picture. I’ve done all my more important designs through Upwork or Peopleperhour.

The designer I found for my logo was on people per hour had an awesome design process and I paid $100 for it. They had a 5 step process where they’d ask questions, provide examples to different types of design, then take you through each iteration of the design.

My label for my product, I found the designer on Upwork. I used a tip I read in one of @SinisterLex threads, to put a detailed job posting and ask for specific things. If they don’t reply to the posting with those basic things, I don’t even consider them. For example, in my job posting I said things like “must be familiar with FDA food label requirements and have experience creating product labels” and “please send a link to your portfolio on your response.” I also started off by saying “looking for a kick a$$ designer for...”

The artist I went with started her application by saying “I think I’m pretty badass” (which means she actually read the posting). She also provided several links to portfolios as well as specific samples of food labels she created. She even said that she didn’t have a solid grasp on FDA requirements but that she would research them for the job.

She was the only person out of 10 applicants that even acknowledged that I was designing a food label. 5 applicants told me in the boilerplate pitch they had a great logo design process.

And as asked above, for price range for a label, I paid my designer $450. It was 100% worth it. I truly believe you get what you pay for in quality. Besides, that’s a steal in the design industry. I’m sure Pepsi pays $500,000 to a branding agency to come up with a new label.

The most important thing when posting a job is to be specific in what you’re looking for. If the freelancers can’t be bothered to read your full posting and fullfill an easy request like a link to their portfolio, they’re either don’t care enough or aren’t detail oriented.

Most importantly, looking at her portfolio, I liked her style. Like @StompingAcorns said, each designer will have a unique style. So you have to see what previous work looks like, and don’t expect them to create a design outside of that style.

Ps, I love my designers work so much, I wish I could share it with y’all, but I’m not going to show the thr public my brand.
 

Fpm9

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I'll keep everything you guys said in mind if I hire a designer, but I can't afford to spend a few hundreds $ on a logo ( I owe the government a lot of monet and I barely have enough to start my business )
Do you think its too risky to try a cheaper design on Facebook ( less than $50 ) ? Should I use a mediocre design until I can afford to pay a good designer ?
 
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Scot

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I'll keep everything you guys said in mind if I hire a designer, but I can't afford to spend a few hundreds $ on a logo ( I owe the government a lot of monet and I barely have enough to start my business )
Do you think its too risky to try a cheaper design on Facebook ( less than $50 ) ? Should I use a mediocre design until I can afford to pay a good designer ?

You can find a good logo for less than $50 easily on Fiverr. Most important thing is to just check their portfolio.

But I will say, for $50 don’t expect the logo to be overly creative.

The only reason I was happy spending $100 was because I know this logo will be on grocery store shelves, so it needed to look real good.
 

StompingAcorns

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@Fpm9, I stayed in the $20-30 range for initial concepts and then engaged them for more expensive jobs ($50-75) to do iterations on it and provide the source file. I was intentionally staying on the low end to get an adequate logo to start, with the intention of improving it as the business generates more income.

Now that I have learned how to do some things in Inkscape, I would probably do this initial design myself. But when I first started, I hadn't yet found that tool, much less learned how to use it.

The designer I found for my logo was on people per hour had an awesome design process and I paid $100 for it. They had a 5 step process where they’d ask questions, provide examples to different types of design, then take you through each iteration of the design.
That's a great call out! Based on my limited experience with design in various day jobs, I agree - the type of 5 step process you outline is exactly what a professional designer uses. Design is very subjective, so that type of process helps turn that subjectivity into specific, concrete style and design characteristics that meet the customer's needs and expectations.
 

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Did you consider 99 designs as well? After having 5 people do initial concepts and then getting the full gig, it may not be that much difference price wise.
 
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Scot

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Did you consider 99 designs as well? After having 5 people do initial concepts and then getting the full gig, it may not be that much difference price wise.

99 designs isn’t that affordable, I think the lowest package they have is $200. And from what I’ve heard, you don’t really get all that creative of work. @JAJT had some experience with them.
 

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I thought I would post a few tips for Buying on Fiverr. I’ve recently been working with a few people for logo and label design. I’ve discovered a few things – posting here in case it helps someone else who’s new to Fiverr. I know a lot of you may be working as Sellers on Fiverr, Upwork, or other sites – maybe this would be a helpful for you as well to see one Buyer's perspective.
  1. You can view the online portfolios, select who you want to work with, and engage them specifically rather than posting a job for bids. (That’s what I did.)
    1. Consider both the star rating (1-5 stars) as well as the number of ratings.
    2. If you're hiring a designer, take into account that design is somewhat interpretive, so the Seller may have gotten less than stellar ratings – not because the designs weren’t good, but because the clients couldn’t communicate what they wanted. I.e., I wouldn’t limit myself to only 5 star ratings. I looked at that in combination with the quality of the portfolio.
    3. Look closely at the portfolio – you can often determine when you’re seeing a fake design (not done for a real customer) or an actual deliverable. I was only concerned about fake designs if that made up the majority of the portfolio.
  2. Engage a number of people first with just basic design, to see who returns valuable designs that you like.
    1. Designers often charge more for faster turnarounds, source files, additional types of deliverables (like social media, 3D renderings), etc.
    2. Figure out whether they can produce designs that you like before paying for all of that.
    3. Keep in mind that a designer may not put in an all out effort for a low cost gig, e.g., $5 or $10. You have to weigh that against your budget, time, and what you’re trying to accomplish. My opinion is that a good Seller will put their best into every gig.
    4. I used the low cost designs to help me narrow down the Seller I wanted to work with. I got low cost designs from about 5 different people and then chose the Seller who made provided the best design.
  3. Pick the designer you like, and then engage them for the full package you need.
    1. After I chose my designer, I engaged them for more work, different kinds of work, and more expensive packages.
  4. If you have more than one job to get done, and you’re in a hurry, be sure you break it into separate jobs. This one got me – here’s why:
    1. The seller sets the delivery timeframe and number of revisions as part of defining the gig.
    2. Fiverr sets a countdown timer with each communication during the gig.
    3. So, I engaged someone to do 2 jobs for me, but purchased it as one job.
    4. He started on only one job. He made his first deliverable within the timer. This starts a timer during which I have to respond.
    5. I requested revisions. This restarts the timer for him!
    6. He delivered the revision within the timer – this restarts the timer for me!
    7. I requested revisions. This restarts the timer for him!
    8. Are you getting the drift? So we go round and round on one design only, and he hasn’t even started the second design. I would rather have both designs in progress at once. Live and learn…
  5. If you want to work with a specific Seller, but they don’t offer the package you’re looking for, message them.
    1. You can negotiate a deal using messages.
    2. Once you agree, the Seller can send you a Customized Offer in the message, and you have the option to Accept it if you choose.
    3. I did this for a particular gig I wanted from the Seller I had chosen.
  6. One final note – I’m not an expert in this, but I did some research, and it seems that if the Seller gives you the source file, that this implies full copyright transfer.
    1. I tried asking some of the Sellers about this and could never get a clear answer from them.
    2. Google turned up a number of articles that basically said: copyright transfer is implied where design-for-hire is concerned, especially if you get the source file. So when I ordered the final deliverables, I purchased gigs that included the source file.
    3. Disclaimer – consult a lawyer. (And if you’re a lawyer, let us know if this is correct!)
Hopefully, in this small way, I've contributed to the community here. If you have any tips to share for Buying on Fiverr, Upwork, or other sites, please chime in!
Hi Stomper, That was really a concise and informative primer. I needed that b/c I'm just getting started. I had some cards made cheap (el presidente grande, of an idea-me). I want to have a "pro" take a shot at a logo that can be turned into a super-duper-amazing-terrific-(you get the idea), logo. Then if I get the source file would I send that to a label maker? Were you leaning to someone in the U.S.? It's a concern for accountability, not a prejudice thing. Thanks for putting that together. It was nice. Greg
 

StompingAcorns

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@powderhound100, no I had not heard of them so I haven't tried them.

Hi Stomper, That was really a concise and informative primer. I needed that b/c I'm just getting started. I had some cards made cheap (el presidente grande, of an idea-me). I want to have a "pro" take a shot at a logo that can be turned into a super-duper-amazing-terrific-(you get the idea), logo. Then if I get the source file would I send that to a label maker? Were you leaning to someone in the U.S.? It's a concern for accountability, not a prejudice thing. Thanks for putting that together. It was nice. Greg
You're welcome. No, you ask them to provide the source file for your future use and for copyrights, e.g., the right to edit it and make changes later (again, as I understand it - consult a lawyer). Make sure they also provide you with a .jpg or .png, which is what you give to the label maker. In my case, I found the label specs on the label website and sent that to the designer with instructions to create the label within those guidelines, so that it would print correctly.

I worked mostly with people outside the US, and they were all fairly quick to turn around the work, taking into account the time zone differences.
 
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You can find a good logo for less than $50 easily on Fiverr. Most important thing is to just check their portfolio.

But I will say, for $50 don’t expect the logo to be overly creative.

The only reason I was happy spending $100 was because I know this logo will be on grocery store shelves, so it needed to look real good.

Thanks! I am not expecting something very creative with tons of colors and fancy details, but I'd like a clean and minimalist design. I'll go check some portfolios on Fiverr this week.


@Fpm9, I stayed in the $20-30 range for initial concepts and then engaged them for more expensive jobs ($50-75) to do iterations on it and provide the source file. I was intentionally staying on the low end to get an adequate logo to start, with the intention of improving it as the business generates more income.

Now that I have learned how to do some things in Inkscape, I would probably do this initial design myself. But when I first started, I hadn't yet found that tool, much less learned how to use it.


That's a great call out! Based on my limited experience with design in various day jobs, I agree - the type of 5 step process you outline is exactly what a professional designer uses. Design is very subjective, so that type of process helps turn that subjectivity into specific, concrete style and design characteristics that meet the customer's needs and expectations.

Yeah I think I'll try to find something for around $30, but if I'm not satisfied I'll do it myself. If I can find a good design on Fiverr I'll make sure to get the source files.
 

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@powderhound100, no I had not heard of them so I haven't tried them.


You're welcome. No, you ask them to provide the source file for your future use and for copyrights, e.g., the right to edit it and make changes later (again, as I understand it - consult a lawyer). Make sure they also provide you with a .jpg or .png, which is what you give to the label maker. In my case, I found the label specs on the label website and sent that to the designer with instructions to create the label within those guidelines, so that it would print correctly.

I worked mostly with people outside the US, and they were all fairly quick to turn around the work, taking into account the time zone differences.
Hello again Stomp, After asking you about the use of a source file I realized (duh) I don't know what a source file is.
@powderhound100, no I had not heard of them so I haven't tried them.


You're welcome. No, you ask them to provide the source file for your future use and for copyrights, e.g., the right to edit it and make changes later (again, as I understand it - consult a lawyer). Make sure they also provide you with a .jpg or .png, which is what you give to the label maker. In my case, I found the label specs on the label website and sent that to the designer with instructions to create the label within those guidelines, so that it would print correctly.

I worked mostly with people outside the US, and they were all fairly quick to turn around the work, taking into account the time zone differences.

Hi Pow, Thanks for that good info (actually it is great info.) I googled "source file" and the definition went right over my head. Is it something I need to understand (layers...) at this point? Is it ok to simply make sure to get it and verify completeness? Thanks for sharing your experience, Greg
 

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I googled "source file" and the definition went right over my head. Is it something I need to understand (layers...) at this point? Is it ok to simply make sure to get it and verify completeness? Thanks for sharing your experience, Greg
When you use a design program, such as Illustrator, or Inkscape, it creates a file in a particular format. You either have to have that program to read the file, or a similar program that can import that file specific type. That file, in general, is called the source file because it has all of the objects and layers that were used to create the logo/label/whatever. Objects and layers are terms that make sense when you learn how to use those types of programs.

If you gave the source file to a second designer and said, please make these changes, they should be able to open it and have all of the objects and layers. This makes changes very quick and easy. If the source file has been flattened - meaning the layers are gone and maybe even the objects combined into one graphic that can't be broken apart without a lot of work, then the source file is useless. The whole point is that part of the work has been done, so your next designer doesn't have to create it all again from scratch.

It's probably good to know enough about source files to be able to open it and check that the layers and objects exist - but I'm betting a lot of people don't. Plus, the cost of those programs can be more than people want to pay, and sometimes you need the original program to do that. I found that when I opened an Illustrator source file in Inkscape, Inkscape did not import some of the elements properly. The designer insisted they were there, and since some of it looked correct in Inkscape, I gave him the benefit of the doubt and decided it was a problem with trying to open an Illustrator source file with a different program (Inkscape).
 
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When you use a design program, such as Illustrator, or Inkscape, it creates a file in a particular format. You either have to have that program to read the file, or a similar program that can import that file specific type. That file, in general, is called the source file because it has all of the objects and layers that were used to create the logo/label/whatever. Objects and layers are terms that make sense when you learn how to use those types of programs.

If you gave the source file to a second designer and said, please make these changes, they should be able to open it and have all of the objects and layers. This makes changes very quick and easy. If the source file has been flattened - meaning the layers are gone and maybe even the objects combined into one graphic that can't be broken apart without a lot of work, then the source file is useless. The whole point is that part of the work has been done, so your next designer doesn't have to create it all again from scratch.

It's probably good to know enough about source files to be able to open it and check that the layers and objects exist - but I'm betting a lot of people don't. Plus, the cost of those programs can be more than people want to pay, and sometimes you need the original program to do that. I found that when I opened an Illustrator source file in Inkscape, Inkscape did not import some of the elements properly. The designer insisted they were there, and since some of it looked correct in Inkscape, I gave him the benefit of the doubt and decided it was a problem with trying to open an Illustrator source file with a different program (Inkscape).

Hi Stomp, You do not mess around!! You cleared up the source file mystery for me so well I don't even have a follow-up question. (Usually I do.) So I'll just say, "Thanks, and keep stomping, Greg (As an aside, does "Stomping Acorns" come from the hiking experience at certain times of year?)
 

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Hi Stomp, You do not mess around!! You cleared up the source file mystery for me so well I don't even have a follow-up question. (Usually I do.) So I'll just say, "Thanks, and keep stomping, Greg (As an aside, does "Stomping Acorns" come from the hiking experience at certain times of year?)
Congrats, you are the first person on the forum to ask me that. Good guess, but no. It's about a childhood memory.
 

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So I hired someone on Fiverr to design a logo for my company. I went with a guy with a lot of reviews and who seems to do original work. I liked his portfolio, so I went with the $30 offer ( I was scared of wasting a good oportunity by spending only the $5 minimum ).

I was asked 7 questions, and I gave him long answers, also provided a few examples of designs I like.

The results were pretty good. The logo is not my dream logo but I give it a solid 7/10. I asked for a revision because I am not satisfied with a small part of it, but I think I'll use it for my business. Its better than what I would have done in such a short time.
 
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Congrats, you are the first person on the forum to ask me that. Good guess, but no. It's about a childhood memory.
Hi Stomp, I did everything as you suggested and got 2 logos that are good from 2 sources. They sent the source files and one opened in jpeg. The other was in Illustrator I think and it wouldn't open. Would I have to pay for an (expensive) upgrade in Adobe to get it? I want to get labels made and I'm nervous that I won't be able to transfer the logo source file. Any suggestions? Thanks, Greg
 

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Hi Stomp, I did everything as you suggested and got 2 logos that are good from 2 sources. They sent the source files and one opened in jpeg. The other was in Illustrator I think and it wouldn't open. Would I have to pay for an (expensive) upgrade in Adobe to get it? I want to get labels made and I'm nervous that I won't be able to transfer the logo source file. Any suggestions? Thanks, Greg
Hi Greg - Inkscape is free. Download it and try to open the Illustrator file. It may not translate perfectly, but if it looks about right, it's probably good. You can also Google "open illustrator source file" and it will give you alternate instructions for just glimpsing what's inside as opposed to opening it.
 

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Hi Greg - Inkscape is free. Download it and try to open the Illustrator file. It may not translate perfectly, but if it looks about right, it's probably good. You can also Google "open illustrator source file" and it will give you alternate instructions for just glimpsing what's inside as opposed to opening it.
Hi Stomp, As I said before, "you don't mess around." For future reference, I did find it much easier to communicate w/ English speakers. I have no idea how their logo skills match up. Thanks again, Greg
 
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