Squarespace offers small businesses affordable and custom websites, but their newest web app has designers in an uproar. (Squarespace.com)
Squarespace is well known for its easy-to-use website-design tools aimed at small businesses. But last week the company’s newest product launch, a free logo creator, caused grief from the digital community claiming that the company is taking business away from designers and brand marketers.
Here’s what you should know about the company and its logo creator.
1. Proceeds Go to The Noun Project
The Noun Project is a website dedicated to designers to create simple images for people to download and not worry about attribution. (nounproject.com)
Users have the option of downloading a high-resolution image of their logo for $10, with the proceeds going to The Noun Project.
Building a Global Visual Language from The Noun Project on Vimeo.
Squarespace’s primary goal is to help small businesses create professional websites for minimal cost, “from the designers and engineers who are creating the next generation of web and mobile experiences, to anyone putting a website together for the first time,” according to the company website.
Established 10 years ago, Squarespace has been one of the underdogs of the online publishing world and claims to now host millions of websites.
2. Logo Creator Is Easy & Simple to Use
We were even able to make a logo within seconds. Of course, Squarespace gives users the tools for more advanced design with colors and different Google Fonts, but the process is generally elementary. It even gives you a nifty option to see what your logo would look like on a T-shirt, business card or webpage.
Designing with Squarespace’s Logo Creator can be as simple as a three-step process: name, image, print. (Squarespace.com)
All logo images are used through the Noun Project, and fonts from Google Fonts. (Squarespace.com)
After designing your logo, you can see what it looks like on a T-shirt.
3. Easy & Simple, Though, Has Made Designers Upset
I'm not threatened by it's existence just disappointed that it exists at all and this sums it up for me. #squarespace pic.twitter.com/F5nhEOsYBf
— Jason Stanley (@JasonWStanley) January 22, 2014
Many designers feel the logo creator’s hype will only devalue the need for brand marketers and designers.
And so the devaluation of the graphic design industry continues. Let's go and create a logo in about 5 minutes. #squarespacelogo #design
— Will Rees (@Will_Rees2) January 22, 2014
It's main problem is that it devalues the incredible level of skill and creativity involved in the eyes of the client #squarespacelogo
— Gary Garside (@garygarside) January 22, 2014
4. But Designers Shouldn’t Worry About Business
Why #Squarespace Logo is actually good for us. Calm down, everybody. http://t.co/YG3aMZVXgP
— Jake Barry (@jakebarry) January 26, 2014
Some designers have tried to convince others that it’s not the end of the world for professional designers, and many are okay with Squarespace’s web app, saying that those who would pay $10 for a logo wouldn’t have hired a professional designer anyway. Many professional publications have broken down the $10 logo fee to an hourly rate at working with a client just over an hour. “I’m not sure how any designer could deliver a logo for $10,” said WebDesignerDepot.com “If you’re designing logos for $10 you need to find yourself a new career.”
“We’ve seen a number of comments online about Squarespace Logo being positioned as a replacement for professional designers,” Squarespace said in a statement on their blog. “Squarespace Logo is a basic tool for individuals and small businesses with limited resources to create a simple identity for themselves. It is not a replacement for the brand identity a professional designer can craft and deserves to be compensated for.”
5. Squarespace Logo Creator Markets Itself Toward Small Businesses
Squarespace’s logos are designed with images from The Noun Project and Google Fonts. (Squarespace.com)