Logo Creed - The Mystery, Magic, and Method Behind Designing Great Logos (Bill Gardner & Catharine Fishel, 2013)

3T imAdMvecrGtirsainthg DLLeCsi,gnM,eMaseuarseurTewTicweicCeoCnsotnrsutcrtuiocntion Y&R Dubai, Khalid Bin Haider Group
Oscar Morris, Hidden Salon
might be built out of two right-angle squares. Not only do
the two visuals work together to form the letter, but they also
suggest the client’s trade as well as a sense of squareness,
solidness, and trustworthiness.

If actual letters are used in these designs, the style of the
typeface chosen also adds information. Think of a capital let-
ter H displayed in Helvetica, Goudy, and Spenserian Script:
Each conveys a very different personality.

Heed the following notes of caution with these designs:

Clients sometimes are tempted to use single-letter de-
signs as the first letter in the display of a wordmark. In
a few instances this works, such as in the Bridgestone
Tire logo. But usually it confuses the viewer, whose brain
sees a visual sitting in front of a “decapitated” word and
can’t put the two together. Educate your client not to try
this, of course, but also mandate proper solutions so
that it’s not necessary.

Very few initial logo designs work well as a beginning letter of a wordmark. R&R Partners, Wingfield Group
Bridgestone is an exception to the rule.

There is no hard-and-fast rule about what defines an ini-
tial/letterform/monogram design. It can be a one-letter
creation, or it can be a two- or even three-letter acro-
nym (think ABC or BBC). It is more the treatment of the
letters that places such a design in this category.

CHAPTER 7 What sort of mark should it be? 51

Sebastiany Branding & Design, Lirquen Gardner Design, Complete Landscaping Systems

Hulsbosch, SCEC TBWA\Chiat\Day, Gatorade
Odney, 5R Construction
POLLARDdesign, Nike
52

Lippincott, UMW A modern tradition of crests
Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv, Armani Exchange
Landor, Hewlett-Packard Crest-style logos that are referred to in this section are a
hybrid of graphical elements merged into a single solution.
From the thirteenth century forward, the use of heraldry
served the purpose of conveying very specific informa-
tion. A crest might represent a family to which one had
sworn allegiance. It might be topped with an animal or a
helmet or other graphic insignia that indicated a specific
lineage of the family. Banner or ribbon devices may have
been used to contain the name of the family or a motto.
Colors and symbols on the shield would be subtly modi-
fied as families married and new generations carried the
mantle forward. In total, these devices were designed to
be packed with information.

As designers we find situations where an identity may
need to include a name, and a symbol, and a tag line,
and a date of establishment, and more. This heavy lifting
of information is well served by a modern day version of a
crest that allows for many messages in a single cohesive
graphic element. Whether these designs are created to
convey heritage or if the solution is more contemporary
the result is much the same.

Luckily for designers, the modern, consuming public ac-
cepts and understands a very graphical language that
was established centuries ago. Perhaps the specific lists
of the mandatory elements from ancient heraldry are not
met, but the components and their assembly is largely
the same.

Sudduth Design Co., Great Northern Pasta Co.; Schwartzrock
Graphic Arts, Blackwood Management Group

MetaDesign, Volkswagen

CHAPTER 7 What sort of mark should it be? 53

Pictorial / associative / Figurative Also, while you can represent a company such as a coffee
shop with a very literal logo that contains a cup, you can also
These logos provide figurative representations of nouns— use representational images. For the coffee shop, you might
persons, places, or things—but which further serve as vi- instead show an animal with frizzy fur to indicate the energy
sual metaphors. For instance, the Mayflower Company’s and wakefulness the product offers. Or maybe you would
ship logo is not just a ship: In the context of its business, it go with elements from an Italian café scene to suggest Old
also stands for transportation and moving. The World Wildlife World quality or the origin of the product.
Fund’s panda logo is not just an animal: It communicates
concepts such as “endangered” and “lovable.” These designs are excellent storytellers, so they are ideal for
clients who have a great tale to tell—maybe the client’s busi-
Lippincott, Mayflower ness was founded four generations ago, or maybe they only
use organic ingredients, or perhaps they help underprivileged
people succeed. A pictorial logo can serve as an ambassa-
dor that tells that story every time someone sees it.

Finally, how the design is rendered—with loose brushstrokes,
in an aged manner, looking finessed and modern, or what-
ever—provides even more information about the identity.

Landor, World W ildlife Fund Peter Vasvari, St. Julian’s Rowing Club

Seldom is a pictorial logo just a picture either: It lives on more
than just one level. A coffee shop logo might contain a coffee
cup with steam swirls above it, and in those swirls is a smil-
ing face. A boutique’s logo may include a woman’s profile but
also a hidden peacock. The designer’s goal is to build mul-
tiple meanings and provide as many touchstones as possible
for the viewer to reach those meanings.

Ryan Russell Design, Snooty Peacock Chris Rooney Illustration/Design, Ramsell
54

Predrag Stakic, Logo for Human Rights Gardner Design, Wichita Parks Department
BrandSinger and Jerry Kuyper Partners, Cigna Hulsbosch, Star Mart, Caltex Australia

Joseph Blalock, Joseph Blalock Design Office

Karl Design Vienna, Sprachschule Wien

MINE, Peachpit Press Dragon Rouge China Limited, Institute of Scientific Animal Communication

CHAPTER 7 What sort of mark should it be? 55

AbstrAct Carolyn Davidson, Nike
Porkka & Kuutsa Oy, Indufor Oy
These designs are often shapes that are used to express an
intangible notion of a conceptual idea. Because viewers have
to dig in to extract their meaning, it usually means these are
more challenging and do not provide as immediate a shot to
the brain as other categories, but abstract designs can be
very useful and full of symbolism nonetheless.

Abstract designs are ideal when there is a broad concept
that you don’t want to get too specific about—say, high
technology—or when ambiguity is wise—for example, when
it seems likely that your client will branch out into additional
areas of business in time (a manufacturer of aircraft instru-
ments that may also produce medical devices). You don’t
want the logo to paint the client into a corner.

Other ideal candidates for abstract designs are those that are
already living in diverse categories. They also work well for
clients in science, math, and technology areas: The abstract
logo can convey a sense of the company without having to
thoroughly explain the client’s complex business. Clients
whose work deals with processes often are considered for
this category.

Tur ner Duckworth, Tassimo XHXaXnd Dizajn Studio, Quantum Vitrus
Supersoon form + function, Swiss Heat Transfer Technology
Wolff Olins, BT
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the root word Cato Purnell Partners, ClierView
Moving Brands, Swisscom
It’s InterestIng to note that the word logo has
its origin in the Greek word logos, which actually means
“word.” First used at the start of the 1800s, the word logo-
type originally referred to a single piece of hot-set type that
included several words or letters—in essence, it brought
disparate items together into a single physical piece.

In time, “logotype” came to mean an element in an iden-
tity system, and it was eventually shorthanded into “logo.”
Now, more often than not, “logo” refers to a symbol and
does not reference the word solution.

Yataro Iwasaki, Mitsubishi

Cato Purnell Partners, Dubai International

Gardner Design, BCS Siegel+Gale, Cooper Vision
CHAPTER 7 What sort of mark should it be?
57

logotype / WordMark Pentagram, WeightWatchers
SodaStream
These designs present concepts through words, and they Schindler Parent, in collaboration with Underwear, Daimler
can live without a symbol/logo. It’s up to you as the designer Loyal Kaspar, Travel Channel
to decide if such a pairing is needed. Lippincott, eBay
Avis
Let’s look at the different sorts of logotypes/wordmarks.

Unaltered type

I don’t mean that literally. It is not uncommon to see a logo-
type that appears as though it were just typed out and has
no alteration or adornment. But this is seldom the case. You
are likely looking at subtly altered kerning, shifts in letterform
scale, slight character alterations, and so on. These minor
changes give these seemingly unaltered designs enough
personality to make them unique to the client, but they are
purposely understated.

That’s because sometimes the words and the meaning be-
hind them are the paramount concern. Consider the iden-
tity for a law office: The names of the partners are clearly
the most important information and the only focus in the
wordmark.

Another instance where these designs make sense is for
a company that pursues a model of endorsed or branded
marketing, where there are brands under the parent com-
pany name—think of Proctor & Gamble. You want the parent
company’s identity to lay back while the individually branded
products’ identities need to come forward.

Keep in mind that, if you choose to associate a logo with
a wordmark, a largely “unaltered” design may be the best
choice. As more and more alteration is made to a wordmark,
it becomes increasingly aggressive and visually demanding,
which causes tension between the logo and the wordmark
as there is no visual hierarchy.

Sabingrafik, Inc., Beverly Hills Hotel Carbone Smolan Agency, Morgan Stanley
58

Modestly altered type The Action Designer, Curious

On a scale of 1 to 10, if unaltered type (described earlier)
is in the 1 to 2 range, modestly altered type is in the 5 to 6
range. In these designs, perhaps a T has been changed into
a sword. Or maybe certain letters are missing and have been
replaced with objects, geometric shapes, numbers, or just a
space. There is clearly an alteration of letterforms that makes
them a tidy combination of letterform and graphic. Colors,
fonts, scales, and weights can be changed in a more pro-
nounced way, although legibility is strictly monitored. These
treatments are still modest enough to be considered for more
corporate clients.

Dell Global Creative, Dell

Pure Identity Design, City of Elkhorn

Alexander Isley Inc., Mesa Grill Keo Pierron, Ponzu Sushi House
Michael Deal and Juan Carlos Pagan, Pinterest Tomasz Politanski Design, Scooling
Landor, Nextel cresk design, Twyst

The Brand Union, Alfa Romeo Mito reaves design, inkd
CHAPTER 7 What sort of mark should it be?
59

dramatIcally altered Disney
Chris Rooney Illustration/Design, National Geographic Kids
These word designs are fully saturated in graphics. Display Double O Design, Kids Argentina
type may be used, or large pictorial elements, such as logs or
an electrical cord, are used to create letters. Words or letters
may be molded into new shapes, such as a school bus, or
into a geometric shape.

These designs often see more extensive color treatments,
gradations, and shifts in scale. They are usually chock-full
of personality and fun, but this often means they are not the
best candidates for corporate settings. The client definitely
needs to have a personality to match.

Another caution: Unconventional type treatments usually
sacrifice some legibility. In some cases, this is a detriment.
But in others it works: The design starts to come full circle,
and simply ceases to be a workmark and starts to become
a symbolic logo.

FutureBrand, Peru

SALT Branding, Milliken

MINE, Scheyer/SF Gardner Design, American Diabetes Association
Delikatessen, ING Bank
Yaroslav Zheleznyakov, Promotion
60

sSignatures and lockups Hazen Creative, Inc., EPIC

When a logo and Wordmark are used together,
you often hear the terms signature and lockup used inter-
changeably. They are not the same thing, however.

An organization’s signature is its logo and/or wordmark
shown in the manner you would expect to see it. Its lock-
up actually describes the spatial relationship between the
logo and the wordmark: how far they are from each other,
their relative sizes, and their position in space.

cC o m b Ii n at Ii o n m a r k Duffy & Partners, Jack in the Box
Imaginary Forces, Science Channel
The definition for these designs is simple: Words and visu-
als are being combined in a single mark. The various pieces
clearly go together. Usually, they are encased or enclosed
in a way that holds everything together, the way a speech
bubble provides the visual that holds words.

Crests are combination marks. These usually include a shape
with type, visuals, and other information inside.

Combination marks mix shape, text, and symbolism in such
a way that, although you could physically separate them,
they would not convey the same identity message alone.
Each part needs all the others.

Sequence, Chipotle Sagmeister & Walsh, EDP
CHAPTER 7 What sort of mark should it be?
61

Icons and favIcons Google’s new favicon (right) is much less likely to be considered a logo than
the old one.
The public has a hard time distinguishing between icons, fa-
vicons, and logos. So here are some more definitions: Some things were never intended to be favicons. Putting a portrait of Martha
Stewart into 256 pixels will never work.
An icon may represent an entity, but it is not a logo. It
is a simple graphical translation. Think of the stick figure
on a crosswalk sign: He is just that—a man walking.

A favicon is a symbol that is developed for that 16 ×
16-pixel square that displays in front of a website ad-
dress, or the graphic that displays on an app button on
a mobile device. It may be the touchpoint with which
the public has the most contact with the company
(think Google), but it is still not the logo.

You should carefully consider icons and favicons as you are
creating an identity for your client. Sometimes you are actu-
ally designing an identity for a client that exists mostly or en-
tirely online, such as a new app. In those cases, the majority
of people will see the favicon more often than the logo. Many
clients require icons as part of their online wayfinding; again,
these small designs can be seen more often than the logo.

Something else for you to keep in mind: Favicons and icons
are only the visible edge of a whole world of new ways
that people will begin to experience brands. Even now, the
general public easily recognizes Intel’s sonic identity. In the
future, touchscreens may allow viewers to feel logos with
texture; other technologies may bring in the sense of smell.

62

a quick list of definitions

logo / symbol / mark (VIsual) logotype / Wordmark (Verbal)
Nearly never lives without a wordmark May live independently or with a logo

INITIAL / LETTERFORM / MONOGRAM UNALTERED
Can be initials or acronym But modified to create a unique proprietary solution
Provides mnemonic association or phonetic jumpstart Letters, kerning, scale, relationship, character, weight, and
Could be drawn from a previous wordmark ligatures adjusted
May combine visual or pictorial information with letterform Understated solutions often associated with professionals
Style of letter conveys personality or traits Strategically designed to avoid attention
Generally unsuccessful if attached as first letter of Parent in endorsed or branded model to not outshine
a wordmark brand marks

PICTORIAL / ASSOCIATIVE / FIGURATIVE MODESTLY ALTERED
Nouns or symbols Modified as above with significant graphical additions
Uses a visual to serve as a metaphor, or representational or subtractions
trigger Subtle insertion of graphical device in typographic solution
May be a literal depiction of a business, industry, or product Significant integration of additional font, colors, scale,
Mark may be representational of qualities or character weights, etc.
Image may tell a story or convey a concept Wordmark remains corporate with evident signs
Often blends multiple symbols of personality
Style and technique of design illustrates personality
DRAMATICALLY ALTERED
ABSTRACT Use of display type and/or with liberal graphical elements
Shapes or concepts introduced
Expresses an intangible notion or conceptual idea May start to approach a pictorial solution
Ambiguity is helpful if client is in broad sectors Type may be built from graphical components
More challenging to draw meaning from than pictorial Unconventional type selection demands development
Absence of literal symbolism allows for category expansion of opinion
Associated with science and math or technology Legibility diminishes
Style and technique of design illustrates personality
WORDMARK WITH A LOGO
Either element could live on its own but is designed not to
May have alternate spatial relationship

COMBINATION MARK / CREST / EMBLEM
Text and symbolic element are entwined and inextricable
Type may be graphically encased
May contain additional text information beyond entity name
Could present scaling challenges

CHAPTER 7 What sort of mark should it be? 63



development

CHAPTER Generating

8 ideas

Now you can start drawing in sketch on paper, others prefer the computer, and some use
earnest to produce the most a combination of the two. I often start by writing at the top
and best possible solutions. of the page key words that serve as reminders of things that
might be fun to play with. I may draw grass and a cow, or I
so you fInally have in hand an approved project might also draw a fork or rolling hills, or a T-bone or any num-
ber of ideas. These are small drawings, with little time invest-
brief from your client, and your research is now complete. It’s ed in each. The goal at this point is just to record the ideas.
time to start drawing.
In this initial stage, you don’t want to end up getting bogged
You probably have been doodling during this entire process, down in minutiae. You will have an opportunity later to deter-
and you may feel that your “Eureka!” moment has already oc- mine which ideas are good and which should be discarded.
curred. But in all my years of experience, I can count on one Don’t self-edit: The quality ideas will emerge from the quan-
hand the number of times I knew from the start exactly what tity you produce now. You may feel strongly right now that
my solution for a logo design would be. Call them lightning an idea is just plain missing the mark, but that nugget may
strikes: They are just that uncommon. provide the spark for a good idea later.

draW, draW, draW, draW As you start to design logos, where you start with an idea
is just step 1 in a migratory or evolutionary process. If you
There is nothing more dangerous than having just one idea. have the opportunity to observe the sketchpad or computer
You need to start producing drawings—lots of them—and screen of a designer who is involved in this process, you’re
resist falling in love with any of them. Some people like to looking at an evolutionary petri dish—this begat that, which
begat this, which begat another, and so on.
66

This is one of the times in my entire logo design career that I knew at the It’s the idea, not the drawing
starting gate what the solution would look like. Ninety-nine percent of logos
need much more exploration. As soon as the client shared the name “Tall the sketchIng stage can prove to be a real trap
Grass Beef,” I could envision the top of a cow rising above a swale of grass, for inexperienced designers. Instead of producing lots and
the kind that covers the prairies. It seemed like the best possible solution, lots of potential directions, they zero in on an early possible
but this didn’t stop us from investigating and presenting multiple options idea and start to perfect that drawing, believing they have
to the client. Even the logo as first drafted went through iterations, and it found the final solution. As a result, they produce sketches
wasn’t until late in the game that the star brand was added to the animal’s that are flawed in concept but are beautifully finished.
hind quarters. This is actually a double trap, because not only have they
wasted time producing a less-than-worthy solution, but
There’s plenty of circling around general concepts. In the Tall also they now feel more loyal to the idea because of the
Grass Beef logo, above, even though I knew what the final time they already put into it.
concept would be from the start, I drew the grass in many Just draw. Don’t choose.
different ways. The animal’s horns, the stars, the eyes, the
body—I drew them all again and again and again, each time Or maybe you have brainwashed yourself. “This would look
in a slightly different manner. Barns, a fence, and many other really good on the side of a truck,” you think. “We could let-
elements also never made the final cut. terpress this, and it would look amazing.” Suddenly, you have
moved past exploring ideas and fallen in love with minutiae.
Eventually, you discover that the look of the grass that is
against the barn in this sketch could work really well if it were
in front of the cow in that sketch, and that maybe the fence
from another drawing could be brought in, and the cow’s
height changed, and on and on. Elements are combined,
abandoned, modified, and maybe resurrected. Each iteration
is one step in a fantastic discovery process.

It’s crucial to keep moving forward: Don’t stop. Remember
that you are only searching at this point. Don’t become so
enamored with a single idea that you start to render it more
and more perfectly while your valuable exploration time dwin-
dles away. Say you have a logo that contains a peace dove.
You get hung up with the feathers on the edge of the wing.
You draw it one way, then another, and then this way and that
way. You are getting focused on the number of points on the
wing and you are not progressing. This is not the stage to do
this kind of finessing. You are quitting early.

CHAPTER 8 Generating ideas 67

from quantity, quality Remember: You can flesh out a bad or incomplete idea,
but this doesn’t make it a good idea. Right now, you’re just
It’s natural for clIents to be very curious about looking for good ideas, not awesome drawings. Don’t over-
what happens when you retreat into your office and begin finesse a line weight or sweat the small stuff right now. Just
to create their new identity. They wonder, “How long will it get the ideas down.
take? When will I see something?”
I usually spend the first week just focusing on quantity of At the end of my exploration process, I may have five or six
ideas. The quality solution is in there somewhere, and it pages of noodles and doodles and some ideas that look like
will inevitably bubble to the surface. completed logos. As I move on to the next step, do I have to
make a deal with myself that the final idea has to come from
Can you find the designer in this photo? Gardner Design senior designer this pool? No. Other ideas will emerge as you move forward:
Brian Miller saves everything, but he also knows where it is. Have paper and pencil, a laptop, or another way to record
ideas with you everywhere you go. The creation process will
continue, unbidden by you or the clock.

s a v e e v e r y t h I n g / / / During the sketching and exploration
stage, the cardinal rule in our office is to save everything we
do. Even if I make a small change, I duplicate the image to
make my modifications, but I always save the old version.
You need to know where you started and what ground you
already covered. And as you know, the second you delete
something you will surely need it. This also gives me an op-
portunity to see my new iteration next to the old iteration so
that I’m able to compare them and see which one I like best.

You can compare the process to panning for gold. You keep
shaking the pan and casting off gravel. It’s possible that
someone else can come up behind you and spot a nugget of
gold that you missed in the gravel. Many times, I have been
able to look at the complete path a designer has taken and
see that nugget. Get others involved in the panning process
whenever possible.

I n c u b a t I o n / / / After about a week’s worth of sketching and
exploring ideas, we let everything incubate for about a week.
Incubation gives you time to step away and really evaluate
and gain perspective. No matter what your schedule is, leave
yourself some breathing room—even an overnight—to walk
away from the project. Don’t pick anything until this period
has passed.

Incubation is so important that we will talk about it more in
Chapter 12.

68

feed your braIn WIsely A start-up Internet client came to us with a name—BlueHat Media—and the
request for something surprising. Since their reputation was for producing
As you search for solutions, you cannot operate in a vacuum: unexpected results, nothing says that better than a rabbit being pulled from
There’s nothing to push against there. Inspiration is every- a hat.
where. These are just a few ideas.
Be open to happy accidents and combinations that you would not normally
u n r e l a t e d s o u r c e s / / / If you take a look at the screens of have considered, such as this spool/chair combination for the logo of a fine-
experienced designers as they work, you will often see lots upholstery company.
of visuals that are both related and unrelated to the project at
hand. There might also be a vintage book open to the side,
or pages torn from a magazine, or a Pinterest page open.
These are not here to be copied; rather, they are here purely
for reference or visual inspiration.

t h e I n t e r n e t, W I t h a c a u t I o n / / / I constantly use the
Internet to find ideas or visuals that relate to the industry I
am studying. For example, you could be working for a min-
ing company and find visuals of helmets and picks and other
familiar tools associated with the trade, but you could also
see unexpected visuals that inspire you.

However, the Internet is a bottomless well, unlike a magazine
or book. At some point, as you open page after page, you
are not adding anything new to the process. You have to
find your chi, that balance point that tells you that you are no
longer creating and working.

u n e x P e c t e d t u r n s / / / When I travel, what turn out to be the
best places I have ever visited were not in the travel guides.
They were not on my itinerary, or maybe they were the result
of a wrong turn. The best experiences are the ones you do
not expect. If you think the best solution is the one that pops
directly out of your head, you are going to lead a very limited
career. You need to open yourself up to whimsy and danger
and to feeling off-balance at times. Explore the unsafe idea.

We were asked to develop a logo for an airplane deicing product. A snowflake
seemed like a natural link to ice, and we discovered we could perfectly nestle
a plane into its shape.

CHAPTER 8 Generating ideas 69

Conceptually, snail = slow. But JumpStartle’s coiled snail shell sparked the The freshest ideas often come from combining completely
idea of a spring and a windup key, and therefore speed. unrelated concepts.

The JumpStartle project we worked on was a great exam- Pulling together two things that normally would not go to-
ple of an unexpected turn. JumpStartle helps new compa- gether can yield delightful results. As we were working on
nies get started faster, so we were focusing on things that this fine-upholstery logo, our sketches were heading in two
start slow. Animals such as turtles, snails, and sloths came different directions. One exploration talked about sewing and
to mind, but what could we do to imply that they could go the incredible detail the client provided. The other direction
faster? We were unhappy with our progress in this direction, spoke about furniture.
so we put the project aside for a bit.
As I was studying both sets of sketches together, I suddenly
When we came back with fresh eyes to the drawings of snails, realized that a spool of thread from the first set of drawings
we realized the coil of the snail’s shell could be made to look could work perfectly as the back of a chair in a sketch from
like a spring. The addition of a windup key on the creature’s the second set. If we hadn’t thoroughly researched both di-
back beautifully suggests the client’s line of business. rections, this solution would never have emerged.

I n c o n g r u o u s I n g r e d I e n t s / / / Through your extensive re- l o g o l o u n g e / / / At the risk of coming off as a shameless self-
search, you already know the ingredients for the project. promoter, I would be remiss if I did not include LogoLounge.
There may be conventional ways to combine those ingredi- com as well as other sites and publications where you can
ents, but what if you force unexpected items together? study thousands of other logos for inspiration. The idea is not
to imitate but to gather inspiration, find out what else is go-
ing on in your client’s field, and simply learn new approaches
to what can be some pretty clichéd client-speak (“We are a
transparent company,” for example).

Ephemeral items are always an inspiration for designers and a good reason Let someone else do the legwork for you. Sites like LogoLounge.com have
to collect junk. thousands of logos already neatly organized and ready to inspire you.

70

Again, you will often find inspiration in unrelated work. You Is this a potential logo for Kansas Heart Hospital or a pretzel?
might see a mug of beer, or a polar bear, or some wrapping
paper, and although they have nothing to do with your the- Kansas Heart Hospital identity
ater identity project, any one of them may have a certain feel
or line weight or wordmark that suddenly shines an entirely o n ly y o u c a n s e e I t / / / The logo design business is all
new light on your design. about simplifying images. Say you have simplified a horse-
shoe for a new design. Your officemate informs you that it
t y P o g r a P h I c r e s o u r c e s / / / Outside of looking through looks like a toilet seat. But you insist that it’s a horseshoe.
MyFonts and other type sites, it’s actually easier to look at Insist all you want: You are likely the only person anywhere
type in use, such as on poster sites or anywhere you would who can still see the horseshoe.
see good typography used in a very shorthand fashion (as We liked the combination of two hearts in this cardiac hospi-
logos also do). tal logo. The copper and brown palette was chosen because
it was a signature color combination used throughout the
Other excellent sources for typographic inspiration include interior and exterior of the facility. This was a nice departure
antique stores, old annuals, old magazines from estate sales, from the stereotypical red hearts used by competitors.
and old advertising and packaging. Visit eBay, too: The pho- When we presented the design to the main decision maker,
tos posted there can help with your research. he immediately said, “It’s a pretzel.” And it was. There was
nothing more I could say about that design.
a d v e r t I s I n g t r e n d s / / / I don’t know if it’s the chicken or Or maybe you are convinced that the horse in your design
the egg, but many times, art or design inspiration comes looks great, but everyone else is seeing a giraffe. You may
out of video advertising and other motion graphics, such as argue that you are only being figurative, but the perception of
movie titles. The path of an inspiration can be a curious one: a giraffe is a giraffe, no matter how much you want to deny it.
A movie title designer may be inspired by an illustrator’s style.
The title designer gives the technique a new twist, and it im-
presses an ad designer, who makes it simpler and more di-
rect for a commercial. That simple style may be just the thing
you are looking for.

I feel certain that this ongoing process of discovery and inspi-
ration is a design circle of life and that motion and advertising
designers are also influenced by identity.

Remember to look to these other sources: They are compa-
triots that are also closely watching graphics trends, but from
a seat outside our vertical field.

traPs to avoId

As you approach possible solutions for your client—and the
presentation meeting date grows closer and closer—it’s easy
to fall into some very common traps. Even experienced de-
signers, who can recognize these traps well, will admit that
they are not immune to them.

CHAPTER 8 Generating ideas 71

Another instance: You have done a ton of research, know the Felix Sockwell is a master illustrator in many styles, but he has become
client’s lingo, understand the client’s sales goals, and much, known for his continuous line style.
much more. This can lead to creating an in-speak solution
that no one but you (and anyone you have to explain it to) can f o r c I n g y o u r o n ly I d e a o n e v e r y c l I e n t / / / Often, this
understand. It’s too clever by half. has more to do with style than anything else. All designers
gather fallback design ideas or techniques as they grow and
For example, let’s say you have a client whose company develop. Senior designers have a bigger bag of tricks than
name is Hamilton. In your research, you discover that this less experienced designers. If your bag is not very large, you
name translates to “from a beautiful mountain.” That’s swell, just can’t keep using its contents over and over.
but if you head down the path of designing mountain peaks
and summits, no one else will be able to relate to your ob- Sometimes, when a designer is new to our office, I will see
scure discovery. You may be able to design the most beauti- the same idea continue to rear its head again and again
ful mountain logo ever conceived, but is it right? when he or she is exploring ideas for various clients. I tell the
designer that this technique is fine if it is the right one for the
In short, the design has to be understood by other people, client. But I expect my employees to continue to build new
not just you. Typography is notorious for this. It’s very easy to tricks, and to reserve the familiar bag of tricks for the eleventh
take type just a bit too far. hour, when they are in real trouble.

I n l o v e W I t h a b a d I d e a / / / We talked about this a bit a s I g n a t u r e s t y l e , g o o d o r b a d / / / There are design-
earlier. When you find that you are pouring all of your effort ers who have built their entire reputations and careers on a
into one design, question yourself. Is it really the best idea? certain style, and a recognizable style could certainly draw
Are you only going to present this design? Are you going to clients.
present it with other options that haven’t benefitted from your
full effort? If you hit on a great look or a specific style that is popular, you
can get a lot of work off of it for a while. But the downside is
Think of it like playing roulette. Putting all your chips on 36 that styles run in cycles. Also, you can’t do a lot of work in
red might work, but you might be more successful if you your own backyard, because everyone there does not want
spread your chips around the roulette wheel. to look alike. Yet another thought: Unless you build style di-
versity into your portfolio, all of your work will look exactly the
g r e a t I d e a , W r o n g c l I e n t / / / It can be so difficult when you same, and clients will get bored quickly.
have a great metaphor or a great idea but it just does not fit
with the client. It’s hard to set that idea aside (although you
can placate yourself by simply saving the idea for another as-
signment down the line). Imagine that the identity is an outfit:
Can you really imagine your client wearing it?

Try to make an inverted or slightly modified letter e look like an a to show
how quickly you lose readability. In this instance, no amount of acceptable
modification could guarantee to the client that the letter e would not read as
a letter c or some other letter.

72

The client for this project specifically asked us not to use an eye in the Case in point: We had a client, now named Envision Wichita,
design, but it turned out to be the best solution. Always listen, but use an which is an organization that helps the blind or visually im-
educated ear. paired to become prepared for an independent life. From the
very first meeting, the client representatives told us expressly
Likely, a better approach is to make quality and attention to not to use an eye in the logo.
detail—not a style—your signature. If you are trying to be
known for something, especially if you are a designer work- While we didn’t understand why they had this concern, we
ing alone who needs to become versed in a number of styles, knew we needed to at least explore the concept of “eye” for
these aspects will make you far more popular than a style. this project. Most blind people use their hands as their eyes,
Build style diversity in your portfolio; if you don’t, all your so we created a logo that contained two hands coming to-
ideas will look exactly the same. gether with a dot between them to form an eye. The client
loved it. As it turned out, they had seen the logo of a similar
d e l I v e r I n g e x a c t ly W h a t W a s r e q u e s t e d / / / Seldom do organization that contained eyes that had been crossed out
you want to be just the hands of the client. A client who ex- with an X. This had such a bad and lasting effect on them
pects you to do this is not a good match for you. Most clients that they were convinced that any use of an eye would be
don’t want you to do this anyway—or they don’t once they bad.
see how much value you can bring to them.
Do listen to the client, but don’t give them exactly what they
ask for. They want and need your input and judgment.

b e l I e v I n g y o u a r e f I n I s h e d b e f o r e y o u a r e / / / This as-
sociates more with the idea that as we design, it is easy for
us to finesse an idea to the point where it looks like finished
art. Any sketch can look like finished art, whether it is a good
or bad idea. Don’t believe the lure of polish. Just because it
looks finished does not mean it is a good idea.

CHAPTER 8 Generating ideas 73

CHAPTER What the

9 process

can look like

learn from these case studies, Not only do I hope you will find inspiration in their processes,
which share exactly how a select which have grown from many years of stellar work, but their
group of top designers create examples help guide you as you develop new and imagina-
identities. tive directions.

In chapter 8, I shared the process my team uses case study 1:

to create logos. As you know, though, no two designers or mIles neWlyn
design offices use the same process. Some are quite scien-
tific, with preset processes that are followed for each proj- Miles Newlyn consistently produces innovative, fresh, and
ect, while others employ a very free-flowing, instinctual route, noteworthy logo designs that please his clients as well as
trusting the muses will guide them. thrill his peers. But his process is unlike that of most other
designers, and he describes it here. (To learn more about his
I am fascinated by the process other designers use, and work, see www.newlyn.com/.)
likely you are, too. So in this chapter I provide the research,
brainstorming, sketching, refining, and finalizing processes “Whilst I still occasionally work for the likes of Wolff Olins and
that eight other preeminent designers and firms use to create so on, my process has evolved. When I was younger, I used
their stellar work. to be briefed and work with a creative director, perhaps on a
few different ideas for a client, over a period of a week or two.
My clients and I have made this process more efficient now.

74

“The logo work that’s in my portfolio from the last few years— Using heritage is a very good starting point for a logo. I also
Sky, National Trust, Identity Forum, Coutts, B&O Play, Max immersed myself in classical mythology to be able to find
Chocolatier, Lloyds, and so on—is the result of a single day’s a story that both fits the brief and informs the design. The
work on each. My involvement begins at 10 am, before which result has the additional benefit of giving some meaning to
I’ve no idea who the client is, and after 6 pm. I never see or the devouring serpent in the Alfa Romeo badge that it did
hear a thing about the job again. It’s an instant way of work- not have before.
ing. It’s instinctive because I know what the agencies can
sell to a client. It’s also true that people naturally appreciate I studied the classic Roman/Italian love story of Cupid (Latin
craftsmanship, and if my crafted/drawn work is in a presen- Cupido, which means “desire”) and Psyche. It’s not simply
tation among other routes that are less crafted, the client a story about falling in love, but about how the world needs
inevitably selects the crafted route because it looks ‘right.’ love and desires to stay young.
Since I’m never the person meeting the client and selling This is a story with no negative associations for the brand.
it—I really don’t know how it works, but the outcomes are That being said, there is a part that includes danger in the
predictable—I see those logos out there, although I’ve never form of a serpent (Biscione) devouring the child of Cupid and
been invited to a brand launch. Not my cup of tea. Psyche (Voluptas, goddess of sensual pleasures). This could
explain the mysterious serpent devouring a human repre-
“These big identity jobs are few and far between, and I don’t sented in the Alfa Romeo badge.
do any networking. Therefore, logo design takes up consid-
erably less than a tenth of my working year. I spend most of
my time drawing typefaces—the invisible work.”

[In the article that follows, Miles shows the creative process
behind the design of a logo for an Alfa Romeo fan group site.]

“There are lots of Alfa Romeo fan sites and forums out there,
in different countries and in different languages. The art di-
rector for an Alfa Romeo website redesign project wanted
to better link them. After all, these are the brand’s most pas-
sionate customers, those who are most actively participat-
ing. We wanted to create one flag that everyone could rally
under.

“I started by considering the Alfa Romeo’s quadrifoglio (Italian
for ‘four-leaf clover’), a mark that has been used on the com-
pany’s most successful cars. Oftentimes, the clover is con-
tained by a triangular device. The grille of the car is fairly trian-
gular as well, so this is a key brand component for the cars. It
also has a serendipitous relationship with the letter A.”

My idea was to continue the triangular theme. We could
stack them together, the shape could be set on its point, and
they could be grouped in different ways. It could be a neat
system that could contain a certain car name or a 100th an-
niversary mark or other information in the future.

CHAPTER 9 What the process can look like 75

This was a quick study on which way the triangle should be oriented. The
trials that show the shape sitting on its flat base suggested “home” or “roof”
and therefore “community,” all under one roof.
The point-side-down designs are more dynamic—as if something is about to
happen—but they are not stable. There is tension there, which is alarming for
a car brand, like a road warning sign.
Inside the triangle, you can see all sorts of Alfa Romeo references going on:
four-leaf clovers, racing references, the corporate colors of red and green,
references to the AR badge, squiggles to suggest serpents.
These are all very quick studies, incorporating top-of-mind thoughts.

76

CHAPTER 9 What the process can look like 77

With my thoughts assembled, I start to create some more solid trials. I’m Human geometry
moving very quickly at this stage; I probably spent no more than a half to a
full day creating all of these experiments. My process is not to judge anything
at this stage. All I want to do is create something so that I can look at it and
see if it suggests a second stage, if it has an innate evolutionary aspect.
Much of logo design is evolutionary, so you want to keep everything you
create.

The key to getting past self-editing at this stage is to do as much as possible
as quickly as possible. Some of it comes down to being quite quick with the
tool you are using, whether it is Illustrator or a pencil. For me, it is an issue to
keep up with how fast my mind is going. I just can’t get put off if something
looks bad. I can refine it later if necessary

Geometry of the letter A. Human ego
Hard: Spontaneity, the mind
History: Tazio Nuvolari
Geometry of the letter A. In 1930, Nuvolari won his first RAC Tourist Trophy. According to a legend,
Multiples: Community when one of the drivers broke the window of a butchery, Nuvolari, when
passing by it, drove on the pavement and tried to catch a ham.
The triangle as icon.
Soft: the senses, motion History: Tazio Nuvolari
On 28 April 1932, he was given a golden turtle badge by the famous Italian
writer Gabriele d’Annunzio that symbolized the opposite of his speed. He
wore the turtle ever since, and it became his talisman and also his symbol.

Geometry of the letter A. Equity: The quadrifoglio.
Ty p o g r a p h i c Luck, style, and intensity

78

The triangle and how orientation affects signification.

When the point is up, a triangle shows stability and permanence. It is
associated with friendliness and a roof and is thus suitable for a symbol of
c o m m u n i t y.

When the point of a triangle is down, it signifies activity and impermanence.
This association is identified with alarm and is suitable for flagging.

The Alfa Romeo grille is shaped like a shield. This felt like a strong direction. In these samples, the arrow
also defines it as a heart. The arrow represents the male element and brings the grille of the machine to life
as a heart, as in “man meets machine.”

Alfa Romeo grilles are always divided horizontally, always held within a horizontal line. This overall styling
device is echoed by the horizontal arrow, which makes it more ownable—unlike a diagonal, piercing arrow.
The arrow sits comfortably inside the upward-pointing triangle and doesn’t rely on it, so it could be used
separately at some point in the future.

CHAPTER 9 What the process can look like 79

(Additional experiments)
80

I love the final design because it’s timeless. And it doesn’t rely on styling 81
to be relevant. In fact, like the Alfa Romeo badge and the quadrifoglio, it is
simple symbolism: The driver is at the heart of an Alfa. Alfa’s color is red;
a heart is red. It will be immediately understood by the Alfisti. They are the
heart of the brand.
Our symbol represents man’s love for the intensity and thrill of Alfa Romeo.
It’s the irrational relationship an Alfisti has with his car, the love of spirit and
character above and beyond technical flaws.

CHAPTER 9 What the process can look like

case study 2: “With such a great name, I felt my work was made easy. We
had a very clear idea of where we wanted the logo to go
sherWIn schWartzrock visually. I didn’t waste a lot of time sketching a wide variety of
ideas. I felt I had nailed it with this mark.
Sherwin Schwartzrock is a designer who has long been ac- “Jonathan takes complex business and marketing issues
claimed for both his identity design and his illustration skills. and makes the brainstorming and decision process simple.
He is able to marry the two seemingly effortlessly: The intel- The mark needed to reflect that simplicity. I thought I had hit
ligence and the skilled rendering of his work come through the mark with this design. Jonathan loved it, and we moved
easily, in simple yet sophisticated form. His firm, Schwartzrock on to playing with stationery layouts and a website.”
Graphic Arts, is a Minneapolis illustrative creative firm spe-
cializing in serving larger creative agencies. (For more on his I think living with a mark is very important. Using the mark in the context of
team’s work, see http://schwartzrock.com/.) where it will live greatly influences the design. Here is my initial design.

Sherwin explains the identity he created for a friend who was
developing a new business.

“I have a great friend in business. His name is Jonathan
Wiese, and we’ve worked together for many years. I first met
him when he freelanced as a copywriter. We collaborated on
many projects and we soon became great friends, personally
and professionally. Jonathan, actually, was key in educating
me on the greater world of brand and strategy. After many
years of running his own freelance copywriting business,
Jonathan went back to school and got his MBA. Not long
after that, Jonathan began dreaming about transforming his
business into a brand-strengthening firm, offering a full range
of services that build better brands from the ground up.

“As a graphic designer, much of our work visually is distilling
an idea down to the simplest items. Jonathan did that same
thing with the naming process for his business. He isolated
a single idea that speaks to what he does: a launch. Many
of his clients were either launching new products/services or
at a stage where they needed a rebirth and new focus. After
much discussion, the idea of a launch was distilled down
even further to the name: 3.2.1.

“3.2.1 was a name unique to the market, spoke to the launch
idea, and had an element of motion, all good things a graphic
designer tries to do visually.

82

In this design for the website, we explored using some form of illustration to In the design below, we used icons to represent the different steps in
add visual interest to a site that was largely void of photos. Jonathan’s process. I used these icons as a placeholder, believing we would
revisit them if this direction was taken.

We played with multiple color options. 83
CHAPTER 9 What the process can look like

Here’s the final mark. I love the look and feel of
this brand. So much was being said with so few
visual elements. The result was a visual brand
that reflected the process and interaction a
client would have while working with Jonathan
and his team.

In this exploration, I realized I could save even more real estate if I replaced the rocket icon with the numeral
1. Looking back, I feel I should have come to this discovery much sooner in the process. Nonetheless, I
was excited to have made the mark even simpler. So, with this new idea I went back to the drawing board
and explored how that changed the flame element. Even in this part of the logo, I felt I could simplify the
flames a bit more.

84

Through the business card design, we were able to explain more about Jonathan’s
process. We were able to transform the card into a small brochure.

CHAPTER 9 What the process can look like 85

case study 3: In this logo redesign project, Paul explains how he created
a new identity for an extermination company called Perma-
Paul hoWalt guard. The client had tried their hand at designing a logo,
with fairly awkward results. At first Paul and Cam were asked
Paul Howalt has always been drawn to logo design, primar- to clean up the solution, but eventually it was evident that a
ily because so much public perception rests on the success completely new logo was in order.
of the final logo design solution. “The thrill of being a part of
that seminal moment in an organization’s visual branding is
irresistible to me as a designer. I’m motivated by being largely
responsible for a mark that will be part of practically every
piece of marketing the organization commissions. I also thor-
oughly enjoy the process of conceptualizing, rendering, and
bringing in a logical color palette to help communicate the
essence of the organization I’m designing for,” he says.

Paul and his business partner, Cam Stewart, founded Tactix
Creative Inc. in 2004, and they have been designing, brand-
ing, illustrating, and strategizing ever since. (For more infor-
mation on their work, see www.tactixcreative.com.)

Many times with a rebrand, such as was the case with Permaguard, the client
wants to see a refresh of the old logo. I must know how and why each of
the elements came together to make the old logo in order to give it a proper
facelift. Permaguard’s old logo, pictured here, is a protective shield divided
into quarters representing various core values and capabilities. They also
wanted the new logo to reflect their proud use of “green” chemical treatments
as well as their effectiveness and reasonable monthly contract price.

Most branding or rebranding jobs that come through the door start with the
client filling out our fifteen-page Tactix Creative Workbook, which probes
many standard motivations and reasonings behind the client’s decision to form
his or her company or organization. It asks about strengths and supporting
evidence, goals and vision, as well as presents negative perceptions and
legal concerns.
Answering the questions in this booklet gets our client invested in the job and
tells us most of what we need to know about an owner’s business to begin
strategizing about the organization’s new logo project. After a face-to-face
meeting with the client, we are ready to begin.

86

I always review the logos of local and national competitors to get an idea After I gather some key core values from the Creative Workbook worksheets
of the general look and feel of marks within the industry, and also to see and start to focus on the visuals I want to begin building, I turn to resources
where the bar is set in terms of design. I also need to determine how to set such as LogoLounge and older, out-of-print logo books I have on hand for
Permaguard apart visually. inspiration. After I flag pages and gather JPEG files to build light boxes and
resource boards, I organize and begin to circle desired conceptual paths to
pursue.

In this case, photographic reference was essential to a few directions I had in
mind. I don’t know how to draw a termite or fly from memory, so I have to find
a few images that will serve as technical blueprints for my iconic renderings.
In this case, Google Image searches prove fruitful, as did perusing stock
photo sites.

In this phase, I have a pretty good idea of some of the main shapes and
subjects that I will be rendering for the first presentation. This time it included
shields, leaves, technicians, banners, cockroaches, and so on. I’ve drawn
many versions of these items in the past that I haven’t sold to clients, so to
speed my workflow, I gather them to use as starting points or for reference.

After gathering vector work, I begin sketching exploratory drawings in pencil
on tracing paper. I work very quickly here. The good ideas can be refined
after all ideas and concepts get expressed on paper.

CHAPTER 9 What the process can look like 87

After the pencils are finished, I begin rounding up typefaces that I feel are After the typography style has been chosen, I scan in all my pencil sketches
appropriate to the client. I use these for quick comps and then always try and begin building the art over the top of them.
to modify them slightly before we go to final to give the client a custom
logotype.

Sometimes I just use the sketch for basic reference and completely deviate
from the proportions or style I drew earlier. I try to stay loose, feeling free to
alter my course along the way if the art just feels wrong.

I usually present nine to twelve logo directions in an initial presentation.

88

Happily, the client chose one of my favorite directions to adopt as the When the client was presented with the first round of comps, the color palette
company’s new logo, without revisions. It’s bold, humorous, graphic, was the same in each logo. I do this so that the process of choosing a final
conceptual, and slightly retro, and can be reproduced very easily in all forms logo will be based on concept rather than some weird aversion to a particular
of media and printing. color that may be present in one of the solutions. I chose green as the most
logical palette, based on the initial brief and core values. In this case, the
client did ask to see a few more color options before going forward.

The client ended up choosing the initial green and black color palette, and we I was also asked to develop a truck wrap and uniform apparel. These were
were then commissioned to apply the logo to stationery materials and begin items that were never produced, but at least the client has a good idea
building the supporting visual language that would work to further define the of what sort of brand consistency they could have if they ever wanted to
brand and its message. proceed with the investment.

CHAPTER 9 What the process can look like 89

case study 4: “I start any project by sending the client a questionnaire that,
when completed, helps me understand who the client is now
davId aIrey and where they want to go in the future. If all they need is
a small tweak, I don’t want to hinder them by giving them
Intrigued with graphic design since the age of sixteen, David something completely new,” he explains. (You can learn
Airey has worked in the design profession in the United more about David’s work at www.davidairey.com.)
States and the United Kingdom for more than a decade.
Self-employed since 2005 and a very popular design blogger The name Feru comes from the founder and Uzbek design-
and author, David chose to specialize in brand identity design er’s name, Ferutdin Zakirov. With headquarters in Moscow,
because he loves the ability to work with clients in a wide the company has eleven outlets in Russia and Uzbekistan.
variety of professions. With identity design, in particular, the It’s a luxury brand that targets wealthy businessmen, politi-
project turnaround times are generally quite fast, lasting just cians, and others at the high end of society with bespoke-
a few months on average, so he has the opportunity to work like tailoring. The company wanted to portray themselves as
with many different people. family owned, offering handmade products crafted from the
finest materials. Their clothing products, while not trendy,
Here, David details his logo design work for Feru, a high-end were very traditional on the outside, but each also had a very
fashion brand most widely known in Russia and Uzbekistan. stylish element, like a very fashionable lining. The competi-
Although the client decided in the end to stick with its old tors’ identities focused more on their names, not on symbols.
identity, this project provides an excellent glimpse into David’s
process. This information allowed me to create a word map. Some-
times I’ll create a few for each project, other times just one. I
Feru previously used a handwritten signature style of logo begin with a word, like fashion, and then write down anything
but stopped using it a few years back because it didn’t easily else that comes into my head, like material, wool, and so on,
transfer onto embroidery. But without a symbol, the com- using a line to connect anything that is related.
pany felt the identity was lacking, and now wanted to reintro-
duce a symbol but in a more simplistic form. The new identity
would need to accommodate two subbrands: Feru blu (for
dresswear) and Feru sport (for casualwear).

90

The Uzbek seal had several such elements, an eight-pointed star as a symbol 91
of balance and harmony, and the bird with its wings outstretched, symbolizing
magnanimity, nobility, and service.
The best words from my word map are sketchable, like thread and fabric.

This is a great way to broaden design directions. The vast
majority of the things I write are useless, but it’s a good way
to turn every stone, and three or four words will end up steer-
ing the design.

I’ll normally map over the course of several days, with more
and more thoughts coming to me when I’m outside of work,
such as when I’m driving, or going to sleep, or whenever. It
actually helps to be doing something else while this process
is taking shape. A few telling words that emerged included
history, sharp angles, thread, pattern, and Uzbekistan.

Now I can begin sketching. Since this brand was centered on
one man, the owner, I wanted to focus on his background. He
is from Uzbekistan, so I started by looking at the Uzbekistan
seal. It is complex but has interesting details, and referencing
it would give the new design a strong sense of geographical
origin. I always look for these sorts of details as they can be
converted into strong design elements that cannot only be
part of the logo, but developed further into patterns and art
elements.

CHAPTER 9 What the process can look like

These visuals play out what I thought was the strongest direction, the eight-pointed star. The simplified shape tied to the designer/founder’s origins and it was very
flexible in terms of use. The sharp angles worked well with the men-only-brand product, and the lines cut through one another like scissors through material.

92

I also simplified the bird shape for another option. It worked well as an identifiable and unique symbol, but it could not be used for patterning, which lessened its
flexibility. It also related back to the founder’s origins and to service to the customer.

CHAPTER 9 What the process can look like 93

A third option, which was requested after the first two options were
presented, combines two simple symbols. The circle represents the client’s
ability to completely dress customers from head to toe. The crosshatch mark
symbolizes thread. Combined, they form a unique mark that can be used in
patterning, as framing elements, and more.

94

For the third option (opposite page), I selected Verlag Compressed Book and
Light, a clean option that suited the symbol and provided my client with a
different direction from before.
Due to internal consensus issues, none of these solutions was ultimately
implemented.

I selected two typefaces for use with the first two options. The serifed face
(top) is Paperwork, which I chose for its sense of distinction, quality, strength,
and trust. But it was necessary to customize it (below) for a cleaner baseline,
more consistent angles, smoother curves, and improved character spacing.

The sans serif is Neutra Text, (top) chosen to be a contemporary contrast to
the serifed wordmark. I reduced the cap height and fit the letters together
better (bottom).

CHAPTER 9 What the process can look like 95

case study 5: “When Gardner Design got involved with the project, we
learned that Melanie would carry about 12,000 titles to start
brIan mIller and would offer a coffee bar. She would be featuring monthly
rotating artist hangings and shows as well as occasional live
Detail is Brian Miller’s thing. A senior designer at Gardner music. Eventually, she wanted to bring in a little pastry shop.
Design, Brian came to logo design later in his career, but Her target audience is quite a broad spectrum of people,
after applying his love of detail to logo research and design, from kids to seniors, but especially people who believe in
and experiencing success, he was hooked. supporting the ‘buy local’ movement, the indie bookstore
idea, and who are looking to be turned on and engaged by
“When I design a logo that really does a nice job of pulling their bookstore experience.
together ideas and styles and techniques into as good a so-
lution as I could hope for, the feeling is a creative ‘high’ that “Her daughter wanted her to name the business Meadowlark
you can only experience by actually doing. The process of Books, but that felt very specific to Kansas (the meadowlark
creatively solving the problems of logo design is so incred- is the state bird). But the founder liked birds very much and
ibly rewarding to me that it’s been like a drug that I’m on a connected strongly to the lore of the ‘bluebird of happiness,’
twenty-year ‘high’ from, and I hope it never stops,” he says. and quickly landed on this wonderful twist on her daugh-
(Learn more about Brian’s work at www.gardnerdesign.com.) ter’s original idea. Bluebird Books sounded alternative, was
charming, and suggested many things—nesting, hatching,
A great example of Brian’s meticulous design process is branching out, letting one’s imagination soar, words flying off
Bluebird Books, which was founded by Melanie Green, in the page, and so on. The list of connective ideas associated
Hutchinson, Kansas. She decided to house her indie book- with bluebirds seemed perfectly endless.”
store in a quaint, corner, brick building, and, working with an
architect, she made its design a real recycling project that
reflects the personality of the store, which is eclectic, very
much about repurposing, artistically inspired, and maybe
somewhat akin to the inside of an Anthropologie store. There
are book drawers used as shelves, funky old signage let-
ters with books set inside their counters, carousel horses,
old armoirs raised up and mounted to walls to serve as book-
shelves, a treehouse-like loft for the children’s section, and a
spiral staircase that has become a spiral bookcase. On the
ceiling are ornate tin tiles, and on the walls old wallpaper is
torn back to expose different, even older layers.

Brian picks up the story.

I started by thinking about going on an ornamental path, like ornamental
end papers of a book, that would bring a sort of traditional charm related
directly to books, into the logo. Maybe the texture could be dropped into bold
shapes. Here you see I have drawn some roosters, which I don’t need, but I
will just free-associate and go with a sketch as it develops, maybe to get an
eyeball or the back of the neck shape. I never shy away from tangents. They
give me many happy accidents.

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Here, I am considering how the system could have a whole “kit of parts” I keep experimenting with patterning, repeating the open book shape,
that you could use as needed—pieces like textures, fills that could be used and texturing. (These are just two spreads from among many more in my
on signage or in a coffee area, little icons, and so on. As I am jotting down sketchbook.)
notes, the bird that eventually will be chosen magically appears on the lower
right—my subconscious doing its job out of the blue.

In this image I’m playing with substitution. Different parts of books from When a thought comes to me, I go with it. This page shows a “brain burst”
different angles, swapping them out for bird wings and ways of abstracting of typefaces that were starting to influence me. These are all faces I could
that might lead to good shapes to substitute. Substitution is always on my imagine working with on this project.
checklist during the logo design process.

CHAPTER 9 What the process can look like 97

BLUE bird BOOKS

berry nest binding
bell egg board
boy chick cloth
azul audubon page
print words
azure realism letters
cobalt engraving cover
sapphire filter bookmark
branch bookplate
leaf

While I’m sketching, I’m gathering references (most of which we can’t show
in this book because they are copyrighted), including photos of bluebirds,
grabs of other logos with birds in them, book shapes, type treatments, and
more. I am also building word lists that inform my design decisions.

I start refining ideas on tissue. I check out the bird from different angles and
in different layouts. Sometimes I need only the crudest doodle in order to
know what I will eventually be doing on the computer. If I can work out my
best ideas in some nasty, quick, little sketches, that may be all I need to know
in order to feel that it works, and it’s time to build it for real.

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When I’m not sure I am ready to start working on the art on-screen, I can dive right into the type to switch gears. I type
the whole client name once in all caps, once in all lowercase, and once in upper- and lowercase. Sometimes I will also
type the initials. Then I will create a text box and paste in all of that type and apply a typeface to it. I’ll repeat this over
and over with different faces, even with a script, which I know won’t work in all caps. But I might see the tail of one
letter and know that I can weld that onto something else. The point is to look at everything—leave no stone unturned,
find things others don’t take the time to find.

I work in Freehand MX (I know, I know…), which has a 40 × 40-foot (12 × 12 m) pasteboard, and I have filled it on many
occasions. That may seem tedious, but I will save the typefaces/boards and just substitute new client info, which saves
[me from] repeating much of the process with new clients.

I’ve jumped onto the computer to work on art. Here, I’m experimenting with the bird that is looking over its shoulder
and various leading contender typefaces. I’m loving the design at the far left, but sense that it might be too young for
our target audience.

At the bottom are some scans of specialty print items. I pull reference like this onto my pages to remind myself that we
could sacrifice color, for example, and use the savings for letterpressed business cards or something similar. Specialty
processes are becoming more important as cheap printing saturates our markets, and to stand apart these days, you
have to consider these processes more than ever before.

CHAPTER 9 What the process can look like 99

Here, I’m developing the flying bird further. I just work with shapes, focusing
on keeping things simple and welding together things I like.

A deviation from the idea of Victorian endpapers was to insert favorite quotes
inside the bird body. Plaid makes a reappearance here as well.

This is simple digital sketching, when I grab the pencil tool and sketch away. A well-designed mark is very often built on geometry. Here, I am combining
I’m playing with the bird’s body and wings, figuring out shapes. and overlapping curves, corners, and rectangles to build one of my final
designs. This same process is followed for all marks we will present for this
client.

One of the directions I was considering was a badge treatment, which you I didn’t want the badge to turn into a shape I had seen a million times before.
can see taking shape at the bottom of the screen. But other sketches are This close-up of my experiments might look confusing, but development is
coming to life at the same time, developing as they progress from left to right. going on.
This is how I perfect the curve on the bird’s neck, for example: I simply try
again and again, preserving everything.

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