Explore your possibilities: designing a logo that works as a marketing tool The solution: designing a logo that works - it's a process Linda's thoughts on working with A Blue Moon Arts
Linda Cummings is a Life Coach who believes that especially in this economy that our dreams/goals/visions are possible to achieve. She needed a logo that communicates the rare blend of optimism and practicality that she offers her clients in her personal coaching practice, Is Possible Now. What Linda's company offers is less tangible than others' products or services - for instance, the widgets produced by a manufacturer. So how do we express something visually that you can't reach out and touch? The solution: designing a logo that works - it's a process Although Linda was new to working with designers, she had already started to consider creating a character or figure of some kind. She realized that this could add humanity and appeal to her logo and give it meaning in a way that just spelling out her company name in a font couldn't. She shared these clip art images with me as a starting point:
We agreed that the figure should have personality, but not look specifically old or young, male or female. After researching logos used by other personal coaches, and asking Linda some questions about her business and goals, I got out the markers and pencils and covered several big sheets of paper with concepts. Some finalists emerged from this process:
Then I translated these seven images from scribbles on paper to shapes and text on the monitor using Adobe Illustrator. Typically I start with black-and-white images to create a strong design that doesn't have to rely on color alone to get its point across.
In this stage of the process, variations always suggest themselves, and it becomes clearer which concepts will communicate clearly, and which ones just don't hold up. I chose the strongest three from this group, continued to modify them, and began to focus more on color palettes. This resulted in the first draft, ready for the client's review:
Since we were working long-distance (I'm in Tulsa, and Linda is in Minnesota) I created a simple custom page with the three options and emailed the link to Linda. Linda found possibilities in each of the three designs, but the third one emerged as a favorite. Also, her business uses two different taglines. Her input led to these variations:
After one additional round of revisions, we arrived at this final logo.
And here's Linda's business card incorporating the logo (front and back):
Linda's business is a start-up. So it will take some time for her marketing efforts to bring results. The market is crowded with people calling themselves either "personal coaches" or "life coaches". What sets Linda apart is her experience, training and commitment to the field of coaching. As she continues to use her logo prominently and consistently, on her business card and in other formats, it will work the way a marketing tool should: to set her company apart in a positive way, and get the attention of her most desirable clients. Linda's thoughts on working with A Blue Moon Arts "Kathy was quick, efficient, and responsive in understanding what I wanted and creating a logo that went beyond what I thought was possible. This process was simply delightful." I have no doubt that Linda will succeed as a coach, and I enjoyed the process of working with her, too. If you need help in discovering the possibilities in your own life or relationships, contact Linda at CoachLindaCummings@gmail.com, http://ispossiblenow.coachesconsole.com or phone 651-353-6674. Readers, how about you? Does your organization's logo do its job as a marketing tool? Is it helping you get the results you need, or working against the rest of your marketing messages? If you're thinking about improving your graphic identity, or any other part of your marketing toolbox, contact me.
Would you like to use this content for your company's web site, blog or other publication? It's free as long as you give A Blue Moon Arts a byline, and as long as you don't make changes to it. Click here to download this as a PDF, or Please contact Kathy Piersall if you're interested.
|
