When it comes to choosing the best logo design agency for startups, it is important to take a few factors into account.
You are developing a startup, and at some point, between the pitch deck and the product roadmap, someone says: “Wait, what will our logo look like?”
One minute, you're down to the 40th tab and the next, you're looking at a ton of portfolios which start to merge together after a while.
There is a caveat that no agency will tell you straight out: There is no one "best" agency. That's marketing jargon and not reality. What really exists are agencies that are right for you – right for your budget, your industry, your growth stage and for your personality as a founder. Rather than aiming for a rank, let's discuss what a good logo design partner looks like, and what questions distinguish the ones worth your time from the ones simply pursuing a ranking.
Your logo isn't just a logo.
The founders often think of the logo as a checkbox to check for their website and move on to "real" work such as fundraising and hiring. However, a logo is the first shake of the hand that your brand makes to the world. It's the condensed, visual version of all that you represent, before anyone reads your mission statement, or even tries your product.
Good logo design doesn't just occur either. It's related to your brand strategy, which is the thinking that goes behind your brand's look, feel, etc., and it typically leads into a larger brand identity system: colours, typography, packaging, even your brand's social media presence. A logo that is not designed in that context looks rather pretty “on the first day” and sounds rather irrelevant after two years.
1. Will they ask you about your story before opening Illustrator?
The fastest way to get to mockups is avoiding learning your brand story, your market and your customer. The people you want to hire dig into you before drawing on the first shape.
2. Can they do anything more than a logo?
New businesses expand rapidly and within months you will need more than just a logo. Find a partner that understands the big picture of the brand design – logo, visual language, packaging design if you're physical product based, print and collateral, and even 360° branding solutions that integrate your brand identity and ensure it's present in every touchpoint. You're not going to have to piece five freelancers into one later.
3) Do they have a variety of personalities in their portfolio, or one template?
A telltale sign of an agency that "gets it" is variety. If they have an identical style for every logo in their portfolio, it's not a style, it's a template they're copying. You don't want a team that can't tell a story for every brand, it's just an exercise in fill-in-the-blanks.
4. Are they talking timelines, processes or vibes?
The good ones guide you through discovery, strategy, concepts, revising, delivering. Ask the agency how they're going to take you from "we have no name yet" to "we have a full brand identity" but if they don't have an answer, it's a red flag, not a green one.
5. Do they work together or are they vendors?
This is more significant than is commonly believed. You want a team that will work with you, challenge you, ask tough questions, view your brand as something they own, not something you're paying them to complete.
There's no universal “best”, however there are certainly agencies at this present time doing truly reflective and thought out work in the brand and identity area.
Asense Branding, a brand and creative agency based in Rajkot working since 2010 is one such brand that is worth a look. Their approach is unique in that the logo and identity design is not considered a standalone service, but part of a larger branding strategy, packaging design, print and collateral, and full 360 degree branding solutions. From FMCG giants from Adani Spices to Neelam Tea to industrial brands such as Falcon Pumps, they're proved to work across categories, not one size fits all.
It's not "we're the best" as their entire pitch is, it's closer to "we're here to turn an idea into a story, and a story into a strong brand. You need to find out for yourself if that's the approach your startup needs by reading their [logo and identity design work](https://asensebranding.com/logo-identity-design) or their [past projects](https://asensebranding.com/our-works).
The most suitable logo design agency for your startup is the one that listens first, thinks more than just about the logo, and treats your brand as a building project not a project that needs to be shipped by Friday.
Avoid the term "the best". Find the right location to tell your story and make it memorable.
