There is in fact quite a significant difference, which we’ll unpack here.

Designers on Fiverr are order takers by necessity. Buyers are paying a very low price for the work, so all sellers must churn-and-burn orders to create enough volume from an economic standpoint. In short, they don’t have time to think outside the box or be very strategic.

Order takers are sufficient for when you have a specific vision and simply need someone to implement it competently. But the downside is that they will deliver what you asked for regardless of whether it’s ideal for your business and your reputation.

They will never offer you the advice I’m about to provide.

To continue with this gentleman as an example, he wanted to use a Haitian flag as his logo. If you are not familiar, the Haitian flag uses neon red and blue stripes with an image in the center of spears and canons.

A Fiverr designer would likely take that idea and quickly turn around an image matching that description without another thought.

However…

Hiring a professional designer in a more conventional capacity also means you’re hiring them to bring all of their knowledge of color, of aesthetics, and of audience perception to bear in a consultative role – for the benefit of your brand’s reception.

In this example, here are my concerns with his logo concept based on 30 years of experience:

1. The use of colors isn’t a fit for the audience.
Someone seeking therapy for anxiety or depression is looking for relief. They need emotional healing in a comforting environment. In this case, the stark red colors evoke a sense of alarm. It’s why red is typically used in warning signs. Instead, colors like green and blue are more soothing, and yellow is often associated with optimism.

2. The symbolic imagery in this logo concept is also at odds with the business’ message.
The flag features a trophy of weapons, including spears and canons. While the context of the Haitian flag is to symbolize readiness to defend freedom, weapons in a logo are threatening. Once again, for a business that is selling a safe space and relief from mental health issues, this imagery does not communicate that.

3. Audience locale is not inclusive.
Who is this business appealing to? If it were the Haitian public, the logo may work on recognition alone. However, for everyone else the flag may not have any specific meaning, and will not serve to draw them in to learn more about the therapy practice.

4. Legal issues.
You can’t register as a trademark any flags, coats of arms, or other insignia from the U.S. or any other country. So in this case, using the Haitian flag as a logo means one would never be able to protect the logo from imitators or brand infringement. In addition, you cannot guarantee that your design is actually unique (creating a barrier to trademark) or that the designer owns a license to use the font.

5. Communication portal presents big challenges.
Most of the communication with Fiverr designers is via the site’s portal, and is usually minimal. This method of communication makes it very difficult to have an open dialogue to facilitate revisions (typically limited to one or two by contract) and finalize your project. Designers are located around the globe, so you may experience issues with language barriers and different time zones that delay communications and project completion.

In summary…

All of these considerations, as well as others, are the components that go into a strong logo that endures. This is why I often conduct a full brand assessment with clients to ensure the messaging of all channels and brand assets are in line with the intention. (And the target audience’s needs.)

While the brand assessment is a bit more comprehensive, I also offer logo assessments to review design concepts from the aspects mentioned above.

Interested in professional insight into either a logo refresh or a new design on a budding business?

The difference between a full assessment and a Fiverr logo could be all the difference in the world.

Reach us at (336) 407-5275.