Logo Design

Why bother with a logo design? Why not just have simple text? The answer has many factors. Roman type forms are relatively restrained so lack any room for emotion, values or ideas. We have all become masters of reading logos in the context of other logos. Navigating through the different layers of visual information, originating from a changing cultural environment.

Logos originated from trade marks which were a more literal straightforward interpretation of the service or product sold. As consumers now make decisions based on more complex reasons brands want their logos to be platforms for free interpretation.

A freelance graphic designers job is to translate complex market values with concepts that enable contextual interpretation. By understanding these visual references across a large range of industries, sub cultures and social classes in London and internationally, enables a freelance designer to communicate that brand’s values with it’s market.

Once the brand values are established and discussions are had on the marketing strategy, visual metaphors for concepts based around the brand values are explored. Once I’ve playing around with the ideas in a mood board and explored the themes, sudden insight, happy accidents and intelligent connections help the logo creative process, producing effective, original striking work full off emotional or intellectual resonance

Case Study Logo Design Project Health Drink

The client came to me with 2 rounds of logos from 2 previous designers that she wasn’t happy with. The logos were’t quite there, they didn’t have enough reference to the product or the brand. The fonts were not referencing the sub culture of the target market, making it look like it was a brand for an older audience. We went back to the drawing board and established the brand values and who it was aimed for. Once the audience and direction was established we looked at the science behind the ingredients, exploring the iconography of mushrooms and the emotions and feelings evoked by effective health products/ foods to develop a mood board with plenty of visual ideas in different styles ready for discussion with the client.

She had a strong idea of the direction she wanted and we settled on a concept that explored the plant at the top and the mycelium underneath (essentially mushroom ‘root network’). Then we re-worked the colours and combined the new icon and full logo with different coloured versions of the ink in water shots from the photographer to create some of the marketing materials and the final brand guidelines. It worked very well together as the texture from the ink photographs reflected the texture of the drink and it’s organic, healthy qualities.

It was a great project to work on as there was a broad range of visual elements related to the products that could be used to create some meaning in the logo in a style the young market to relate to. It also helped having a shared interest with the client in the science behind mushrooms as it ensured the research at the start of the project was extensive. The more research behind concepts there is at the start the better the outcome of the design.