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Logo and brand identity design
Logo and brand identity design means creating the visual elements and guidance that help a business present itself consistently. You can start with small projects, build a portfolio and expand your offer as your skills grow.
Open the interactive guide (checklist, video, read-aloud) →In plain words
- You make logos and pictures for businesses.
- You learn what each client needs.
- You make designs and improve them with feedback.
- You agree the work, price and changes first.
- You give the client finished files and simple guidance.
Who it suits
Suits people who enjoy visual problem-solving, listening to clients and refining ideas. It helps to be comfortable with design software and explaining the choices behind your work.
Businesses use logos and visual styles to help customers recognise them and to present themselves consistently. They may pay for a logo, or for a wider package with brand guidance and other design materials.
Step by step
- Choose a type of client to focus on. Pick a group, such as independent shops, tradespeople or community groups. Choose people whose needs you can understand and whose existing branding you can look at. About 30-60 minutes.
- Write a short practice project brief. Describe what the business might need, what problem the design should solve and why your approach could suit it. Keep the brief nearby so your design choices have a clear purpose. About 30-60 minutes.
- Research similar businesses and competitors. Look at relevant businesses and note their visual styles and how they present their services. Think about how your proposed design could feel distinct without copying another business. About 1-2 hours.
- Make a few clearly labelled practice projects. Create projects for imaginary or volunteer businesses. Show each logo in useful places, such as a social profile, simple document or sign, and clearly label practice work as practice. About 1-3 days.
- Build a small portfolio with explanations. For each project, briefly explain the brief, your design choices and how the identity could be used. Ask permission before showing work made for a real client. About 1-2 days.
- Decide exactly what each quote includes. Separate a logo from a larger package that might include brand guidance, social templates or website graphics. The scope affects the work and price. Wise About 30-60 minutes per package.
- Send a clear written proposal. Set out the deliverables, timing, price, payment terms, usage rights and how revisions will work. A design contract should cover scope, deliverables, revisions, payment terms and usage rights. Wise About 30-60 minutes.
- Develop and refine the chosen identity. Test logo options, colours, fonts and imagery against the client’s purpose and audience. Share the strongest direction, ask for feedback and record the changes agreed. About 1-5 days, depending on scope.
- Deliver organised files and practical brand guidance. Provide the agreed final files and explain how to use the logo, colours, fonts and tone of voice. Ask whether the client is happy for you to show the finished work in your portfolio. About 2-4 hours.
Your first 15 minutes
Choose one type of client, create a practice identity for a fictional business in that field and write a short case study explaining your design choices.
The money
Start by estimating the hours, software or other costs, and the value and scope of the agreed deliverables. UK benchmarks include freelance graphic-design rates of £10.19–£37.10 an hour and typical logo projects of £200–£1,000; these are market prices, not guaranteed earnings. <a href="https://wise.com/gb/blog/cost-of-outsourcing-graphic-design" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wise</a>
Example only: UK week — one agreed logo project priced at £200 minus £20 of example costs = £180 before tax. Ireland week — one agreed project priced at €250 minus €25 of example costs = €225 before tax. These are invented illustrations, not typical prices or a promise of work.
The rules
Logo and brand identity design is freelance creative work. There's no sector-specific design licence or vetting requirement for this work. Check the tax, data protection, advertising and consumer rules that apply to you.
UK and Northern Ireland
- Trading income and Self Assessment. The trading allowance covers the first £1,000 of trading income in a tax year. This is your gross income before expenses. If your income is above that, tell HMRC. If you need to register for Self Assessment, the deadline is 5 October after the end of the relevant tax year. GOV.UK Tax Help for Hustles GOV.UK
- VAT. You must register for VAT if your taxable turnover is over £90,000. Check your position with HMRC or an accountant. Business.gov.uk
- Data protection fee check. Use the ICO self-assessment tool to check whether you need to pay a fee for the way you process data. The ICO says that advertising or marketing another person’s business, goods or services is an example of work that requires a fee. If your work includes this, check whether the fee applies to you. If you hold customer details only for your own accounts and transaction records, you are likely to be exempt. This does not apply to information processed by or obtained from credit reference agencies. ICO
- Advertising and promotion. Clearly label commercial social-media posts as ads where required. Check the ASA guidance, especially if you promote your own services or work with others on promotional posts. ASA
- Consumer rights and agreements. Write down the work, price, timing, number of revisions and usage rights. Check with Trading Standards or a suitable adviser which consumer rules apply to your client and contract.
- Insurance and other permissions. Consider getting suitable insurance. It's not stated as a requirement here. There's no specific design licence or vetting requirement for this work. If you're unsure, check with your local council or a business adviser.
- Age and Northern Ireland. There's no legal age limit identified for this work. Check platform terms and get advice if you're under 18. In Northern Ireland, you can get free start-up advice through Go Succeed. Mid Ulster District Council
Ireland
- Income tax declaration. If you work for a PAYE employer, you generally need to register for self-assessment using Form 11 if your taxable non-PAYE income is over €5,000 or your gross non-PAYE income is over €30,000. If your income is below these amounts, declare it using Form 12 through myAccount. Check your circumstances with Revenue or an accountant. Revenue
- VAT. The VAT thresholds are €42,500 for services and €85,000 for goods. Check with Revenue which threshold applies to your activity. Revenue
- Business name. If you trade under a business name that is not your own, register it with the CRO. Online registration costs €20. CRO
- Advertising and promotion. Label commercial influencer content with #Ad. The CCPC advises: “if in doubt, label it”. Check the guidance if you promote your work through social media. CCPC
- Consumer rights and agreements. Write down the deliverables, price, timing, number of revisions and usage rights. Check with the CCPC or a suitable adviser which consumer rules apply to your client and contract.
- Insurance and other permissions. Consider getting suitable insurance. It's not stated as a requirement here. There's no specific design licence or vetting requirement for this work. If you're unsure, check with your Local Enterprise Office.
- Age. There's no legal age limit identified for this work. Check platform terms and get advice if you're under 18.
Checked against official sources: 22 October 2026. Not yet reviewed by a qualified tax or legal adviser. General guidance, not legal advice. Check the official link beside each point before you start.
Common mistakes
- Starting design work before agreeing the brief and deliverables.
- Quoting without saying what is included or how extra work will be priced.
- Leaving revision limits, payment terms or usage rights unclear.
- Showing real client work in a portfolio without asking permission.
- Assuming platform prices guarantee bookings, earnings or have no seller fees.
AI-made demonstration: this module has a 20-second street-chat video in the interactive guide. The presenter and the people in it are computer-generated, not real people.