I listed my request for
a new logo on a website where designers submit their rough ideas and then the
person requesting it chooses the one they like best and pay a sum that they’ve
declared previously. My specifications were pretty simple: I wanted a graphic
element, my name, and a tag line that I provided. The colors were to be black,
and red (on a white background).
So far, twelve designs have been submitted (some designers submitted more than one). Of these, three didn’t have a tagline. Three changed the tagline to a shorter version they made up. Three ignored the requested color scheme.
Now, I know that this kind of site will not attract the top designers—I assumed it was used by people just getting started, or maybe designers in less-developed countries—but even so I’m amazed that most of them paid no attention to the rather simple brief.
I’m probably naïve to be surprised. An agent friend tells me that a good 50% of the submissions they get are not formatted correctly, or are full of spelling errors, or have “warning: I’ve copyrighted this material” pasted all over them, or other mistakes that could have been avoided by anyone who has read any basic book on scriptwriting.
I think it was Woody Allen who said 50% of success is just showing up. Maybe we could also say that 50% of success is just being awake and getting the basics right. This should give you heart if you're just getting started--half or more of your competition is asleep!
(For tips and techniques for being more creative and productive, sign up for my free monthly Brainstorm e-bulletin. Just send an email request to [email protected])
