If you want this kind of logo, see the experts over at www.BusinessLogos.com

For instance: at first glance, the Carrie Smith Design logo looks like a simple S. But once you notice that all the letters are represented, you automatically have a higher likelihood of remembering that logo.

These are crest logos I did at my last job.

And these are logos created by me and other designers here at BusinessLogos.

I did these all for the last company I worked for.

These were done by me and the talented group of designers and illustrators at BusinessLogos.com.

Send us a link of your favorite animal logos you’ve done!

As for myself, I’ve been busy starting up a new business with another designer, businesslogos.com, and have really started to see the logo design business from the other side of the desk.
It’s been weird starting this enterprise, because it’s forced me to think like more of a marketer. I’ve never enjoyed that kind of thing. I’ve been pulled kicking and screaming into the role of a businessman, and it’s made my mind think about my early days as a designer. Embarrassing, strange things. So the point of the post is to confess an early memory, and to hopefully provoke you to air out your most buried design secrets.

Back when I was working at a t-shirt printing company, I was starting to get more confident as a designer. Designers were just starting to discover the potential of the internet, and I found the site elance. I advertised my services as a designer/illustrator, with what I thought was an impressive portfolio.

Side topic: do you ever look back at your early stuff in your portfolio and just cringe? Hopefully, we’re all constantly improving and progressing as artists, so your past things should always feel amateur.

Anyway, I was contacted by a guy that wanted a t-shirt illustration for a chessboard with the pawns as cartoon characters, all come to life and fighting each other. It sounded fun, so I quoted a price and looked forward to spending a few days drawing an impressive first draft.

Once he approved the estimate, I got the worst feeling of dread.

Every self-doubt consumed me. How can I pull this off? What if he hates it? All the drawing I’d done for hire was for friends or employers, so this felt different, because it was an anonymous buyer that was investing hard-earned money in ME. It was nerve-wracking pressure, a feeling like none I had ever had. I still can’t understand why I was so scared of this project.

I sent the guy an email and LIED, which I still feel horrible about. I made an excuse like I had a death in the family, and couldn’t take on any more projects. He said it was no problem. It was probably no big deal to the guy, and he just went with the next artist’s bid, but I felt really bad about letting a client down.

This was many years ago, but I still feel a little twinge of guilt and weirdness about it. I haven’t talked to any designers about it. Since that time, I’ve taken hundreds if not thousands of these typed of projects, the huge majority of them ending up great for both parties. It’s just a story of my first time breaking into what I felt were the “big leagues” and finding myself paralyzed with the “design responsibility” of pleasing a client and creating good artwork from nothing.

There you have it. My designer confession. Let’s hear from the rest of you about your dirty little secrets you’ve had during your design career. This is an anonymous forum, remember, and I’ve always felt like confession is good for the sound, and it’s valuable to learn from others’ experience.

Dylan O’Donnell is a designer that sent us this logo to critique.

Company Info: DNA Digital is a hosting company, web devs, design and marketing. Want to avoid typical web cliches but have a strong “corporate” umbrella logo to cover many “digital” operations.

What will the logo be used for: Everything. Business cards, websites and hopefully my personal Jet. *cough*. Must work on all colours / reversed.

It would be nice to have more info on this one, but it’s good to see your process. I like the final logo. I’d like to know what the Social Seguridad has to do with it.