Do you think this identity design is worth £600,000?

dot design

dot design

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barclays-card-logo.jpg

Barclaycard have recently had a rebrand and new identity designed.

The logo cost £600,000 which was part of an overall £1.5m identity makeover designed by Brand Union

According to the designers, the new Barclaycard identity aims to convey a calm, confident exterior while being warm and vibrant on the inside… and that the globe motif represents a “chip” being released from the constraints of the plastic card and welcomed in by new, exciting methods of payment.

Do you think its worth this worth £600,000?

Is any identity / logo design worth £600,000?
 
If the client thinks its worth it then yes.

If it were me, no. However, if a client is willing to pay me over half a million for a logo I'll agree with anything they say :icon_lol:
 
I don't like it to be perfectly honest.

What I want to know is what this company offered in terms of design that justifies such a hefty price tag?

£600,000!! :icon_eek:

Did they produce 12,000 concepts at £500 a go? Somebody enlighten me please.
 
I'm pretty sure the cost would include all sorts of branding, not just the logo concept.

Its a nice logo but nothing that you wouldn't see on a £29.99 logo design website.......
 
These large branding companies incorporate alot into the process of designing an identity, they will use focus groups, research target markets, also there would have been a number of designs, tweeks, meetings etc etc.

There is a lot more involved than just that.

But still a large price tag!
 
dot design said:
These large branding companies incorporate alot into the process of designing an identity, they will use focus groups, research target markets, also there would have been a number of designs, tweeks, meetings etc etc.

There is a lot more involved than just that.

But still a large price tag!
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So do you think that all of the above is neccessary? For example, do you think that they could have got a result on a par or better without all the focus groups and meetings etc?

For example.. say Barclays got in touch with one of the logo designers on here, do you think they could have come up with something just as good at a fraction of the price? In my opinion and knowing some of you talented guys n gals I think yes, so if this is the case how can the cost of £600,000 be justifiable from a business point of view.
 
Tricky, sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Problem is they need to justify everything, every last little detail.

Its abit like design by committee, sometimes it goes horribly wrong and you just end up with a mash mash of everyone on that committee's ideas, likes, dislikes etc and nothing clear and consise

Research and time to develop a logo/identity is needed but where do you stop? £1k , £2k, or £600k? :icon_smile:
 
Good points, I suppose from their point of view £600,000 is nothing and as long as they are happy with the end result, it's money well spent for them.

I'd love to know how much of that figure was profit for Brand Union, what do you reckon % wise?
 
I agree with DOT.

It's not just about athestics - there is so much more to consider when taking on a project like this.

The way Barclays would have valued it is how much will the right brand make them and how much will the wrong brand cost them.

I'm going to put the PR tin foil hat on here and raise the theory that in the current climate the PR for spending a silly amount on a brand might give an impression they have plenty of money to spend and are a safe bet to bank with.

I suppose this could backfire and make people think they are frivolous with the cash.

What do you guys think - am I barking up the wrong tree?
 
of course its worth it

the scope of the project was prob massive with various touch points and a roll-out over 6 months

without knowing all this proj background you have no idea of the value that they offered barclaycard
 
dot design said:
Tricky, sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Problem is they need to justify everything, every last little detail.

Its abit like design by committee, sometimes it goes horribly wrong and you just end up with a mash mash of everyone on that committee's ideas, likes, dislikes etc and nothing clear and consisent
Click to expand...

Known in my office as a 'Frankenstein job" - something cobbled together from bits and pieces which needs a damn good electrical charge to make it live.
 
tomledwidge said:
of course its worth it

the scope of the project was prob massive with various touch points and a roll-out over 6 months

without knowing all this proj background you have no idea of the value that they offered barclaycard
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I agree with this completely. If Barclaycard had approached me, I would, hand on heart, have had to decline. A project of this magnitude would be well beyond my scope. Not my capability, I hasten to add, just my scope.

Big bucks? Absolutely - but a big project that none of us here could handle.

:icon_smile:
 
Well...

Companies employ large and respected design agencies for their experience, insight and track record with similar scale/similar market clients.
It's not a case of drawing a logo and saying 'there you go, where's the cheque'.
As others have said, a good deal of focus group work and behind the scenes development will have taken place which will ultimately have created this logo which will be believed, accepted and trusted by the client as being 'right' and 'appropriate' representation of where they want to be.

The simplicity of the finished logo is no way an indication of the value of the total project. A logo is purely a tiny part of a company's brand, but is generally mistakenly considered by everyone as being THE brand itself.

The ability to create the logo isn't really the skill...it's the belief/thought process behind it.
 
pcbranding said:
Companies employ large and respected design agencies for their experience, insight and track record with similar scale/similar market clients.
It's not a case of drawing a logo and saying 'there you go, where's the cheque'.
As others have said, a good deal of focus group work and behind the scenes development will have taken place which will ultimately have created this logo which will be believed, accepted and trusted by the client as being 'right' and 'appropriate' representation of where they want to be.

The simplicity of the finished logo is no way an indication of the value of the total project. A logo is purely a tiny part of a company's brand, but is generally mistakenly considered by everyone as being THE brand itself.

The ability to create the logo isn't really the skill...it's the belief/thought process behind it.
Click to expand...

Agreed, I understand how the process works and whats involved - as I've previously worked in 2 London based agencies and have a contact who works for InterBrand and branding companies don't get much bigger than them!

I put up this post to promote discussion on the subject, there has been alot of work on this and behind the scenes no doubt but doesn't that make it better in terms of design than say an Identity produced for £1000?

Barclaycard have mainly paid for peace of mind, focus groups, branding experts, market placing study/report, research, the agencies overheads, 5/10 different designers working on it, expensive couriers, the large office party, etc etc
 
Boss Hog said:
I don't like it to be perfectly honest.

What I want to know is what this company offered in terms of design that justifies such a hefty price tag?

£600,000!! :icon_eek:

Did they produce 12,000 concepts at £500 a go? Somebody enlighten me please.
Click to expand...
Well, I'm thinking it wasn't 12,000 concepts at £500 a go. Maybe, 1,200 concepts at £500 a go?

:icon_blushing:
 
Just to clarify...

(Tone of voice: BIG SMILE!)

I wasn't inferring that you didn't understand the process and it is a great discussion point :)
I was merely putting the point across that the 'logo' represents the end of a whole body of work that we aren't necessarily privy to, by only looking at the logo itself.

A white dot on a white canvas may well be worth millions if it is the right solution to a particular client's needs. Think of all of the 'dubious' art that is sold every day for ridiculous amounts, but you could argue a 3yr old could paint something just as well for nothing!

There are artists that can reproduce masterpieces, but not necessarily create an original...that's where the value and skill comes in and that's what you pay for.
In the same way, a designer can knock up a wonderful looking logo, but one that isn't backed up by anything substantial.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to earn that kind of money, but the process is also beyond me (as Eagle says also) in spite of 16 odd years of doing this.
(My background is London-based design companies too.)

We need to be careful not to fall into the trap of design being about the final printed 'thing' as this can be achieved by any talented computer operator. It's the thought and concept behind it that makes us designers and not mac operators.

Merry Christmas! :icon_biggrin:
 
Agreed Paul, I didn't mean to sound harsh in my reply (maybe I was having a bad day, not sure).:icon_smile:

Some good points raised, I think there are designers here who are capable of the quality of work but not the logistics like some have said!
 
What's with all the 3d circle / balls recently. Everyones doing it.

Barclay Card, BT, BP, xbox

... ok - so it's not an extensive list....LOL

I think its the BT one that first caught my eye...

do you think it's something to do with web and screen presence... where it has the potential to spin...?
 
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