How long does the process of logo creation take?
It depends on whether you want
an original and memorable Professional Logo
OR
a generic minute-made image (which is called "logo" in above answer)
to represent your company.
It is difficult to answer exactly how long the creative process should take. I would not expect a logo to be created from scratch to finish to take any less than a week or two. An exception to this may be if you already know precisely what you want and just simply need a designer to create it digitally. The clearer and more constructive the correspondance between you and designer, the faster the logo will get completed.
A minute-made "logo", like the one described above is basically putting together some generic public domain clip art along with picking a font and some colors. Yes, it is easy but it is not what most professionals would deem a true logo. This easy approach may be fine for a business that just needs something that is better than nothing. If a minute-made logo is currently your only choice, make sure that you work with an honest company…I would not pay much for a generic minute made logo. Some devious companies can charge big bucks for a logo that a young child could put together. Also, keep in mind that every company wants to make a profit. If the logo is very cheap, then it is likely the designer won’t spend much time on your logo (unless maybe your logo is outsourced abroad, which is a completely different subject).
A wise approach may be to carefully consider the needs of your company, think of logos that you like for inspiration, check out professional graphic design portfolios and find someone who has a style that you like. I strongly recommend working locally (whenever possible) since you have the ability to meet and communicate directly with the designer. Remember that your logo is an investment and a good logo more than pays for itself over time. You get what you pay for. Think long-term, not just short-term.
In any case, I would not go looking for a designer last minute. Depending on what your needs are, ask your designer to work out a realistic agreement on the timeline, deadlines and cost before any work is done.
Good luck!!
http://www.coroflot.com/erinmoll/logos
The whole process is extremely fast! You can actually make your logo in just a few minutes. This is because the interface is extremely user-friendly. In spite of allowing users to apply a great number of effects and options to their logo elements, the software has been designed to function intuitively and a user can find his way around quite easily in the process of making a logo.
