Early in my career, I used to dread client feedback. Now it's my favorite part of the process.
Because the best feedback isn't "I don't like it." It's the client explaining why something doesn't feel right, even if they can't articulate it in design terms.
"It feels too...
Most "branding" isn't branding. It's decoration.
A logo slapped on a template. Colors picked because they "looked nice." A brand kit with no story behind any of it.
Here's what I actually ask before I design anything for a client:
What does this business want people to feel in the...
Most People look at a logo and see the final shape.
A mark, a wordmark, some colors.
So the quote feels high for a few shapes.
But the shape is the last 5% of the work.
The other 95% is deciding what the shape should say, who it should say it to, and what it should never say.