When you’re building a business from scratch, a logo feels like one of those deceptively small decisions that carries a lot of weight. It’s often the first thing people see, and the first signal of how seriously you take your brand.
For Here Here, I knew I wanted something simple, confident and flexible enough to live everywhere: on a website, on social media, in an email signature, maybe one day on a tote bag. I also knew two other things: I didn’t want to commission a full design agency, and I didn’t want to cut corners by settling for something generic.
I’ve spent most of my career working with designers in an agency environment, so I know how rare really good logo designers are. Not everyone can do it well, and not every designer who can do it is accessible to a small, values-led startup. So I decided to work with an independent designer, remotely, through a global freelance network.
That decision wasn’t only about budget. It aligned with my ethos. Here Here is about being resourceful, thoughtful and grounded – even when you’re working globally.
Finding the right designer
I started where most people do: searching broadly for logo designers, then narrowing my focus to word marks. I wanted typography to do the heavy lifting.
From there, I read reviews, scanned portfolios and tried to understand how each designer thought about restraint and scale. This matters more than ever in an era where your logo is far more likely to be seen at 40px on a phone screen than on a billboard.
I was open to working with someone anywhere in the world, and I capped my budget at R2 000. That combination actually made the search harder. There’s a lot of noise, and plenty of work that looks impressive at a glance but wouldn’t hold up in real-world use.
Then I came across Nancy C (@the.designaffair), an experienced logo and brand identity designer based in India, with thousands of reviews and a portfolio full of modern, minimalist work. I noticed she’d worked on a few symmetrical brand names similar to mine, and clearly had a lot of fun doing so. The cost came in at around R1 500.
Commissioning the logo
Once I’d chosen Nancy, the most important work shifted to my side of the equation: the brief.
I shared:
- The brand name
- The story behind Here Here
- The values I wanted the brand to convey
- My preferred colours and general stylistic direction
I didn’t share a mood board, although that’s not a bad idea. What mattered most was clarity. A good designer can only be as good as the information you give them.
If there’s one thing I’d emphasise here, it’s this: working with a freelancer doesn’t mean being hands-off. If anything, it demands more thought upfront.
The process
Nancy delivered the first round of concepts within two days.
She followed my brief closely – but also pushed beyond it. One of the wildcard options was a triangular form paired with an “H”. To my eye, it felt like an arrow pointing “here”, while also resembling a city block. It captured movement, place and direction without being literal.
I hadn’t asked for a symbol. I’d imagined a straightforward word mark. But this option was so clever, and so aligned with what Here Here is about, that I loved it immediately. That moment was the real value of working with a good designer. She respected the brief, but she also brought her own thinking to the table.
I requested one small revision: a colour tweak. Nancy had followed my brief, but I wanted to see one of the colour options applied to a different version of the design. The update came back quickly, and that was it. Approved.
Throughout the process, her communication was polite, clear and reassuring. I felt comfortable asking questions and, importantly, asking for her opinion. She’s the logo design expert. Trusting that made the outcome stronger.
The outcome
The final logo exceeded my expectations.
It works at different sizes, feels considered without being overdesigned, and the colour version has already informed the look and feel of the Here Here website. When you weigh the quality of the result against the cost, the value for money is almost absurd.
More than that, it feels like the beginning of a relationship, not a once-off transaction. I’ll likely go back to Nancy to develop a more formal CI guide and extend the visual system as the business grows.
Tips and takeaways
If you’re thinking about commissioning a logo through an independent designer or freelance network, here’s what I’d suggest:
- Spend time choosing the right freelancer – style matters more than price
- Write a clear, thoughtful brief – this is non-negotiable
- Don’t micromanage, but be specific about what really matters
- Trust the designer’s expertise and invite their input
- Set a budget that matches your quality expectations, not just your wallet
Freelance platforms can be powerful tools, but they reward intention and patience.
Final thoughts
I love how this logo came together. It saved me time, money and a lot of unnecessary stress, and it reinforced something I’ve long believed: good design isn’t limited to agencies or big budgets. The best collaborations happen when you respect the craft, do your homework and work with people – not platforms – in mind.