Studio history

A trip down memory lane

What makes The Logo Factory different from most other online logo design companies? We like to think it’s because we’re designers running a business, rather than business people trying to be designers. Not surprising really, considering our history. Company founder Steve Douglas, has been a professional graphic designer and illustrator for almost thirty years. Having studied traditional illustration at Sheridan College of Visual Arts (Brampton), as well as traditional art and photography at Ontario College of Art and Three Schools (Toronto). Steve has been a magazine art director, as well as an ad agency art director until he founded his own freelance studio in 1990. This freelance project evolved on the Internet into The Logo Factory, after an online personal portfolio drew request after request for him to design company logos. As he tells us:

“Over the years I tried to utilize my training as an illustrator but clients kept coming back for company logos. It seemed to be something I was good at, and was a niche market that pretty well developed itself. I began to specialize in logo design, and started to realize the importance of a logo, both as a sign of a company’s goals and a symbol that “hey – I have arrived”. Having been involved with the arts since a kid, I had always dreamed of running my own art studio and had originally envisioned a rough version of the TLF concept – a logo design company that worked with small to medium companies to create top-notch corporate logos around 1993 as I thought of ways to build my freelance practice.”

“It became apparent to me that many small businesses were settling for home-made icons, clip art logos or other less-than-stellar do-it-yourself solutions. Large agencies were either too expensive, too intimidating, or both. Was it possible to work with smaller clients while supplying agency level work? I figured it was. After all, I was working freelance for these very same agencies who turned over my designs to the end client, but not before marking up my work a thousand percent. I imagined a studio that worked one-on-one with clients and by charging reasonable rates, could afford to hire, and nurture, extremely talented designers. I imagined the kind of design shop that I would like to work for.

It wasn’t until I discovered the Internet that the idea was realized completely – when an online personal portfolio quickly evolved into a rudimentary version of The Logo Factory. Rather than local clients viewing my work, requests for quotes came in from all over the world. Seeing that opportunity unfold, I began to formalize what would that year become The Logo Factory Inc. – a utilitarian ‘working studio’ without the typical agency pretensions and outrageous design charges usually associated with logos and brand development. At the beginning, I ran TLF as a ‘one-man show’, working quite literally off my kitchen table and making it up as I went along. There was nobody to emulate, so through trial- and a lot of error – I ended up developing some online design concepts – bragging rights I suppose – that would later became the business model for thousands of companies.”

But regardless of where the company goes and even though we celebrated our 15th anniversary at the beginning of 2011, I will never forget those humble beginnings. It is those humble ‘kitchen table’ days that allows us to have a special affinity with the new business owner – the majority of our new clients.”