Technological innovations are increasingly making traditional jobs obsolete, and it looks like the already tech-savvy industry of graphic design could be next.
Toronto-based startup Logojoy’s online artificial intelligence (AI) platform provides premium and accessible design services for small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs looking to create personalized graphics at an affordable rate. So far, the company has generated more than two million logos and has 600,000 active users globally since its launch in November 2016.
Its AI technology is intuitive and mimics the process of working with an actual human graphic designer through a simple, guided user experience.
All customers need to do is log into the Logojoy online platform, answer a few key questions, and select example logos as inspiration so the site can automatically generate logos based on the user’s taste, the company explains. Customers can narrow down their search and choose their favourite before selecting a package, which range from CAD20 to $165.
“The magic of Logojoy is the groundbreaking algorithm, user-friendly interface, and premium design ingredients,” Dawson Whitfield, founder of Logojoy, says in a July 17 press release. “Logojoy has close to 1000 design rules built into its algorithm. For example, one of our many rules include ‘thin fonts need to be a darker colour or else they will be difficult to read.’ Beyond that, we have 10 times more premium font and graphic selections than our competitors – a vital component to bringing every customers’ visions to life through design.”
With EY’s recent Millennial Economy Report saying that 72 per cent of new businesses do not have the funding for graphic design services, LogoJoy emphasizes that its platform is meant to help small businesses “get off the ground with strong visual representation” with minimal investment.
“As a graphic designer, many of my clients were looking for budget solutions for their businesses, so this is when I realized I could help a lot of people in the start-up and SMB spaces with this software – a service that can provide premium design at a fraction of the cost,” Whitfield adds.
The company raised approximately CAD900,000 in its first seed round, which has allowed it to grow its internal team and plan for expansion. It points out that the funding was provided by a collective group of investors, including Dominic Bortolussi, the lead investor in Caravan Ventures and founder of TWG.io; Mark MacLeod, founder of Surepath Capital; Nitesh Banta, founder of B12 Labs; and Gautam Gupta, founder of Naturebox, among others.