For many businesses owners, free logo designs are tempting, especially when they're starting out and operating under a limited budget. But if you're a business owner considering a free logo, take our advice: don't. Don't do it.

There's a reason why these logos are freely available online: usually they're unoriginal, poorly executed and totally unmemorable. Skimping on something as important to your brand identity as your logo will almost certainly cost you in the long run.

As the series of designs in our line-up suggest, the results are bland, unimaginative, and generic. We sourced these from free sites, and you can tell, the quality is significantly lacking.

Crowdsourcing through DesignCrowd enables you to develop a specific brief, set a budget, and work with a community of 480,000 professional designers to get a customized design that is right for you.

But if you're absolutely set on getting yourself a free logo, at least follow our guidelines for which cringe-worthy logo fads to avoid, to contain the damage.

Free Logo Fad #1: Human Silhouettes

• It's easy.
• Presumably, it's meant to highlight a human element in the business

• There's nothing original or surprising about a logo that is essentially a Clipart image next to some text.
• A logo should be catered to your business specifically, but images like the ones above could stand for any number of products and services (which is why they are so successful as free logos – but do you really want to share your logo with an unknown number of other companies?)

Free Logo Fad #2: Boxed Icons

• It's easy.
• No really, that's the only reason you'd make a logo like this – it's really, really easy.

• Icons should only be used as – you guessed it – icons.
• Logos should be memorable. Nobody will remember this.

Free Logo Fad #3: Over the Top Typography

• It's easy. Just change the font in your word processor, or download a fancier one if the inbuilt ones aren't enough.
• In most cases it's meant to look either feminine and luxurious or edgy and cool.

• Using chaotic typography means the logo is hard to read. A logo should be easy to read from far away or when scaled down on various devices.
• Especially swirly and voluptuous typography has been done to death. It no longer reads luxury, it reads cheap.

Free Logo Fad #4: Applying Logomarks Inside Typography

• It's an easy way to appear quirky.
• Most inexperienced designers will have done this at one point or another, because it seems like a cute idea. Any experienced designer hides those early doodles in the back of their closet.

• It can make a logo hard or confusing to read, which is the opposite of what you want – a logo should be as clean and simple as possible, so it sticks in the mind with no thought required.
• It can make the intended meaning of the logo seem labored and tiresome.

Free Logo Fad #5: Reflections

• Once upon a time it looked fancy to have reflections on images. Remember that school friend we all had who could make anything look 3D by creating awesome shadows under their drawings? It's those kids these designers are trying to emulate. At least that's what we think.

• Your logo should have one clear focal point. A shadow draws the focal point away from the main image, and disturbs balance, which hinders the natural flow of the eye over your design.
• With the huge diversity of technology consumers now use to access products and services, your logo should be simple and clean so it easily scales from wearable jewelry to highway billboards.

If you're considering a free logo, remember there is a reason why they're free.

Your logo is your brand, it is what creates your image in the market place and what will bring sales through the door – or not. If you need an affordable design, consider creating a crowdsourcing contest for a whole range of logo options catered specifically to your business.

Alternatively, consider looking for ready-made logos on brandcrowd, where you can choose from a host of original designs from your industry.

Either way, the investment is worth it.

Want More?

Starting up a company is no easy task. Thankfully we're here to offer guidance along the way. Check out these articles for more helpful hints:

5 Tips to Go From a Winning Idea to a Successful Business

How Crowdsourcing Design Helped Me to Kickstart My Business

The 10 Decisions You Will Make When Designing Your Logo

Written by Divya Abe on Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Divya Abe is an expert graphic designer ready to share her knowledge with the crowd. Besides spending quality time on the internet she enjoys anything to do with cats. Get in touch via Google+.