I would advise browsing the graphics forum (DP>BST>Services>Graphics) and looking at some of the offers from designers and PMing them. You cannot hold a contest, as you said so if you needed the logo urgently then I advise taking the route of individual designers
Logo designers design logo by hand and by using software, most of them including me used to design it with hand and then design it with the help of designing software..
logo designing can be made by Mind. Compare your mind work with software work. You will see big difference. Thanks,
Logo design made by hand is a better idea but for now, it is better if we used a design tools to make it presentable to the market
Designing should start with a pencil and a piece of paper, it's quick, easy and allows you to get your creative juices flowing. When you have enough thumbs or scamps then you can pick a few and develop them further before transferring them to the pc or mac and drawing them up in a vector program. Jumping on the pc straight away will kill your creativity. All IMO ofcourse. Phil
I may be a bit method oriented, but I generally use the A.D.D.I.E. process first. This lets me know exactly what I need to do and makes me aware of constraints based on the nature of the project itself and the client. Then I go to pen/pencil and paper and sketch out a bunch. My freehand drawings admittedly are nowhere near par (why I go to a tablet for digital artwork...ctrl +z is my best friend) but it gives me "room" for trial and error. Picking several designs, I move to the computer and either scan them in or recreate them. I usually make several, evaluate, and make adjustments accordingly. This may sound very mechanical and anti-creative, but I find I work best with a framework.
Well if you design logo with your hands than that's good, you will just need photoshop or illustrator to trace it through pen tool. I will recommend illustrator for you.
My thoughts and methods EXACTLY. Logo design is an ART and a DISCIPLINE. I've been doing logos for 15 years and not one has been easy, nor have any been "affordable", based on the current state of graphic skills pricing structures.
What I do is I first make a sketch, show it to my client, make any changes that he or she wants. Then I go into illustrator and let me hand do the rest of the work. Simple.
When I get a new project to work on, I generally start sketching out 10-20 different ideas before I get something I want to work with. Then I move to the computer. That said when you compare my sketches to my final products, they NEVER look the same. Sketching just gives me a direction to head in.
Logo will be better done by an Artist by hand , then maybe converting to vector .. There are programs to help out artists, pen instead of mouse will be great tool to draw .
*(watch out for sodtware) He has a point, but you do need to use software at one point or another. and there is no, one software, if vector, use ai or cd, for raster ps... but try combining them, sketch by hand, rasterize, then import in to ps and use layer fx / multiple layer with filters for flexibility and quicker editing.