Good portfolio – extensive with a fair number of logo projects already delivered. Client testimonials. Communicative. Online portfolio – also well-designed. Confident. The list could extend to include all characteristics of a good human being but the following points should help cover the basics :

Track Record / Client Referrals / Past Project Feedback

You could always ask for references and then talk to those references. Client testimonials on portfolio websites might / might not be accurate – if the logo designer has a LinkedIn profile, check to see if they have any client recommendations on it – since only other LinkedIn members can write recommendations, you’ll know they are legitimate.

Quality of Logos in the Portfolio

Not just based on what you think – you might not have seen some of the best logo design work. One way of finding out if the portfolio of a logo designer is any good is to pick up a recommended book on logo design and then comparing what you see in that book with what you see on the logo designer’s portfolio.

Quality of the Portfolio Display

Has the designer invested time in displaying their portfolio? Is their website designed well or is it just a bunch of logos thrown together in wayward fashion? Not only should the logos in the portfolio need to be professional, so should the portfolio-display itself. Does it give you the feeling that the designer loves what he / she does?

Case Studies

Can you find links to cases studies of logo design projects that the designer has worked on? These are always a great way to understand how a designer works and whether that process will be comfortable for you or not. If you are unable to trace links to any case studies, write to the designer and ask them. Good logo designers always have more than a few they’ve spent time crafting.

Pricing

If the logo designer’s website does not mention pricing, don’t just assume that they must be expensive – write to them – use that contact form – and ASK. Without asking around, you will have no idea about pricing and your self-imposed budget might be completely askew. Once you have an idea of what it costs to get a logo designed, you will probably have to go back and re-ascertain why you even need a logo in the first place – because it’s not going to be a $100 job. [ If it is, then you’re probably better off without a logo till the time you can conjure a decent budget. No logo is better than a bad logo. ]

Geographic Location

Some people prefer to work face-to-face. Some don’t mind working with a designer from another continent, communicating only via email. Put a finger on what you’re comfortable with and why and then seek designers either in your town or abroad. [ The internet will give you varying search results and who you see at the top of the Google Search Result might not be the best logo designer but just the one most talked-about. ] Communicating via email does not mean little / no communication – sometimes, email communication can be better focussed than face-to-face / verbal communication.

the Creative Brief

Most logo designer will share their creative brief questionnaires with you before they ask you for an advance. They will not review the filled-in brief and give you examples of logos that would fit your brand, but they might share their questions. This will give you a great idea of whether the logo designer knows what they’re doing. Ask for the creative brief questionnaire from various designers and compare what you see. You will get an overall idea of what questions are important.