By Josh Taylor, graphic designer

I recently learned that istockphoto.com is “excited to announce a whole new product coming to the iStock collection”: they will start selling logos on the site. IStock is a discount stock image and video Web site where visual artists upload royalty free images and then  iStock customers can purchase from the Web site. Original artists are then paid a commission for those individual works.

As a designer, it’s no secret that from time to time I use photos and illustrations from the service because of client or project budget constraints. Perhaps the client can’t afford a photo shoot,  or maybe they just can’t stretch the budget for a professional service like Getty. Unfortunately, our industry seems to be shifting more and more into the mentality that stock houses like iStock, and amateur sites, are simply the more affordable equivalent of their professional counterparts. In other words, the people who take photographs for a living, who do the job every day for hours a day, who take the time to work with clients to arrange content into a specific composition meant for a very specific ad/brochure/Web site, are being confused with laypersons who happen to snap some shots with a handy-cam.

iStock is a valuable source. When you simply can’t afford to pay for professional photography, it’s a viable option. But. Let me say it again. But. You are not getting the same quality of product. As professionals we know this, but it seems like more and more folks are starting to believe that the quality is the same. The reality is a quick five-minute browse comparing the images at iStock to the images at Getty will quickly dispel any notion of parity.

So if photography can be replaced, what’s the big deal with logos?

It removes the design.

Design is not simply making things look pretty. It is visual communication. Designers are hired to make images speak, not just to make them look good. The purpose of our industry is to tell stories with visuals. Our job is to make the image tell the right story.

The problem with iStock selling logos lies in the lack of client-designer interaction. It means that the designers who are willing to sell logos to iStock don’t even know their “client,” much less what service or product their “client” provides. The logo can’t tell a story about the client or provide a precise visual description of the client services because the designer has no idea what those offerings are. Instead, the “client” is left to browse images that they find personally, and subjectively, attractive. Professionally, and objectively, they will have no meaningful, intentional relationship to the company or client that the logo will then represent.

Visual representation without creative thought and implementation is a problem because people are choosing what looks good as their branding. Their visual brand – the visual identity that serves to communicate the essence of the company, the company someone invested time, energy and money into – is boiled down to one person picking what they find personally aesthetically pleasing.

As an agency, however, we know an organization’s brand deserves more thought than a quick scroll through images.

We take the time to research the company history and the company goals. We get a feel for who the company is and who they want to be. We recommend a strategic approach that conveys your unique positioning in the marketplace. We take the time to find solutions that make sense visually and historically. We take the time to make sure that the image is able to be trademarked and doesn’t face issues with another pre-existing logo. We take the time to sketch, test, critique and design the images we create. We take the time to make sure a logo will work across multiple mediums and uses. We take time to double-check our work, and make sure there are no remaining issues with it. Most importantly, we take the time to work with our client to ensure an end product that is personalized, meaningful and effective.

The time we invest in creative development is valuable and should not be reduced to a Web page order form.

Is working with an agency going to be more expensive than purchasing a pre-made logo (which I feel inclined to refer to as ‘clip art’) on iStock? Absolutely. Will you get the same quality work? Never.

Tags: graphic design, logos

This entry was posted by Borshoff on Thursday, September 24th, 2009 at 3:49 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the Comment Feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.