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Defining the Problem
Mini’s Mark is a non-profit organization that aims to prevent childhood obesity through speaking engagements, an interactive website and a series of chidren’s books called Mini and Me. Mini and Me follows the adventures of an overweight dog named Mini and his owner, Madison as they learn about being active and eating right. Mini’s Mark partners with schools, day-care centers, libraries, hospitals and parents to promote a healthly lifestyle and positive body image for children. Since Mini’s Mark is a start-up organization it was important to create a visual identity that would be flexible enough to not only withstand the company’s growth but be flexible enough for future, unseen applications. It was important to the owners that Mini’s image would be represented as a prominent part of the logo design, especially since the Mini and Me books were such a success prior to the launch of the non-profit.
Early in the research process, I realized just how broad of an appeal the logo needed to have. The logo needed to be buttoned down and serious enough for investors and grant committees, while also appealing to parents and children who interact with the brand.
Exploring the Solutions
I began by creating a word mindmap of the key characteristics of Mini’s Mark — health, youth, education and dogs.
Then I explored a visual mindmap by sketching 100 logos, evaluating the rough ideas and honing in on a few concepts to develop into black and white comps.
Ideas to explore further
Creating the Form
After several rounds of refining the sketches, I presented a first look at four concepts in black & white.
Version 1 incorporates the logo mark of Mini into the overall shape of a logo reminiscent of the Caldecotte Medal associated with award winning children’s story books in addition to creating an emblem that is easily recognizable for future publications. The two points of healthy living are represented by the ball and apple.
Version 2 is a much more corporate feel while still incorporating the fun personality of Mini. The custom type mirrors the rounded shape of the dog with the arm of the “k” doubling as the tail.
Version 3 provides a solid corporate feel that appeals to the more conservative nature of grant committees and investors while allowing the monogram to be a bold stamp to everything the brand touches. Mini is much more stylized in this version with his body forming the monogram. The custom type mirror’s the shape of the dog monogram.
Version 4 is another version of the Mini monogram approach with the two m’s creating the shape of a sitting dog while framing the shape of a heart to represent the health of the brand’s core message. The custom type is round and playful like Mini. Overall the logo speaks to corporate sensibility with a separate mark and type treatment while the playfulness of the shapes appeal to the core audience of kids and parents.
Mixing the Color Palette
The client fell in love version 1 that featured Mini large while incorporating the health icons. After a few minor explorations of type, we began exploring color. Early in the development process the client mentioned that Mini needed to be brown to relate back to the book. I presented 3 options that pulled color predominantly from the book while exploring a couple of variations of brown for Mini.
Finalizing the Solution
The pink and chocolate color scheme won in the end, and it provided a great base for the full brand color palette which includes yellow, blue and green.
Applying the Identity
The logo style guide provides a glimpse into how the logo and brand color palette can be used.
To find out more information about Mini’s Mark or purchase a copy of Mini and Me please visit miniandme.com.
For more examples of logo and visual identity design work check out the Creative Squall site.
Shortening or abbreviating your brand name has become a growing trend over the last few years. While it may seem like an excellent way to add a fresh take on your branding, it may not necessarily make sense from a strategic perspective.
What’s in a name?
While it’s not unheard of for a company to change its name, it is rare that its for the right reason. Your target market is much more tolerant of visual identity, messaging and even product focus changes. A name change however is often a game changer, and not the kind you’re anticipating.
Initial Reactions
The biggest trend over the last couple of years has been the need to abbreviate or use initials for brand names. This can be attributed to the rise of social media platforms like twitter with character length caps, and the continued popularity of texting and messaging shorthand. O.co, JCP, and even KFC are all recent examples of companies making the switch. KFC tapped into a nickname the market was already using while allowing them to de-emphasize the “Fried” aspect of their name. On the other hand, Overstock.com learned that you can’t nickname yourself without backlash when they tried to adopt the O.co moniker last year. In fact, months after pushing out the name with new marketing materials, including the naming of O.co Coliseum, the company backed off of the name stating that the market just wasn’t ready for the change. Without careful research into your audience’s attitude about the name, you may end up losing them all together. Just like parents adopting the same vernacular as their teens, you’ll sound like a poseur.
Short Shelf Life
Times and markets change. It’s inevitable, and you may very well find yourself in a position that makes your name seem obsolete. The truth is, if your brand has had success over the years, your name no longer has a literal meaning, so why change it. It represents a feeling, or ideally a lifestyle. Founded in 1921, Radio Shack originally sold equipment for ham radio, and the name is the term for a small, wooden structure that housed a ship’s radio equipment. Realizing that they sell electronics, and not so much radio equipment, in 2009 they began marketing themselves as The Shack. The market reacted negatively, and The Shack quickly became Radio Shack once again.
Similarly in 2009, Pizza Hut briefly changed its name to The Hut to reflect the new focus on pasta offerings. While the marketing of the new name came and went, there is still a store front with “The Hut” sign near my office that demonstrates the confidence they had in making that move. Have confidence in your original name, even if it is representative of what you do or sell, and remember that your name is just a label for the feelings your market associates with your brand.
The hard truth about your name is that your audience controls it. They will pronounce it as they see fit, and more importantly, they will create nicknames for your company. Forcing a new name on your customers won’t bring you any more success than cramming bad products down their throats.
To learn more about common mistakes in naming, be sure to check out “That’s My Name. Don’t Wear It Out.”
Like this:
Defining the Problem
The print division of Premier Election Solutions was planning to spin off as an independent printer with a focus on variable data and mail automation. At the start of the project, the department handled ballot printing for the election systems sold by Premier, and had a strong presence in handling variable data within the small niche. The stakeholders named the new company Spectrum Printing, and I was approached to develop a logo, stationery system and basic logo usage guide. Spectrum is one of the most common names for a printing company which I discovered during the research phase. Changing the name wasn’t an option. Developing a logo and visual identity system that differentiated them from the spectrum of Spectrums became my focus.
Exploring the Solutions
I began by sketching 100 logos, evaluating the rough ideas and honing in on a few concepts to develop tighter sketches and type studies.
Ideas to explore further
Tight pencil concepts to be cleaned up
Creating the Form
After several rounds of refining the sketches, I presented a first look at three concepts in black & white.
Version 1 references a printed halftone pattern with a sleek, digital mark that doubles as a monogram for Spectrum. The connectivity of the individual dots and the hexagonal shape imply precision and science. The logo mark could become an icon used as a design element, pattern or even a photographic mask across the brand portfolio.
Version 2 is a nod to the old world craftsmanship associated with offset and even letterpress printing. The crest shape mimics shop signs of years past while the custom type adds a modern, digital edge to the overall feel. A printer’s loop placed on a halftone pattern within the crest references the attention to detail of Spectrum Printing.
Version 3 plays directly off the name Spectrum in that the shapes at the bottom merge to create the whole shape of the monogram. In addition, the monogram pays tribute to the rollers of traditional printing.
Mixing the Color Palette
The client zeroed in on the craftsmanship approach of version 2, and we took an opportunity to modify the crest shape to take on the appearance of an open envelope, allowing the logo to touch on both print and mail automation. The color studies focus on playing up the name Spectrum while grounding the color palette in the printing space. I presented a few options to push the palette outside of the expected cyan, magenta, yellow and black.
Finalizing the Solution
Ultimately, it was determined that keeping the CMYK reference outweighed the chance to own a unique palette in the space, though I was able to shift the colors slightly from the expected use, particularly with the yellow.
Applying the Identity
The stationery application brings the whole brand to life with the mark creating a nice patterned element, and business cards in four separate color schemes to keep the stationery fresh.
For more examples of logo and visual identity design work check out the Creative Squall site.
It’s estimated that the human eye can distinguish roughly 10 million colors. With all of these options, how can you know if you’ve picked the right colors for your brand? Here are some general rules to keep in mind when selecting a color palette—and to expand your personal repertoire of “colorful” language and thoughts.
Black will always be the new black.
No matter what the fashionistas tell you, green will never be the new black. Black is a constant, classic color—and no other color will ever replace its power and emotion. It partners perfectly with nearly every other color in the spectrum, while providing an elegant backdrop or making a distinctive statement all its own. Yes, it’s important to know the latest trends, but you don’t have to follow them blindly. Your brand needs to live beyond the next season or even next year. While deep plum might be the hottest lipstick color today, tomorrow dusty rose could be all the rage. Build your palette on feelings not fads—and you’ll have a much longer shelf life.
Colors, much like Barbie’s Ken, don’t have a gender.
Consumers are complex, and your color palette should reflect this knowledge. While your target might be female, there’s a big difference in color preferences between 20-somethings and 40-somethings. And when you bring factors like gender, ethnicity, education, social status, and other demographics into play—the rules become much less clear-cut. A basic rule is to keep an open mind and remember that most men and women over the age of five probably don’t need their world color-coded in blue and pink. Although, Ken may need a little more help than most of us.
Red isn’t always “red.”
Every color has an array of varying tints, shades, and mixes. Allowing yourself to see colors in a more multifaceted light can keep you from making the assumption, “I can’t use red, because our biggest competitor uses red.” A great thing about colors is that they change appearance based on the colors around them. Case in point: Coke and Pepsi both use a warm, orangey red in their brand palettes. However, the addition of white or blue completely changes the perception of this red.
Black and white are colors too.
You don’t have to choose every color of the rainbow, so don’t be afraid to use blacks and whites as your predominant colors. Black plays well with almost every other color—and it can be sophisticated, luxurious, or even powerful. White, like black, blends well with other colors—and can create a clean, friendly, or optimistic feeling. Test yourself—open one of those big boxes of crayons, and you’ll see there’s also black and white inside.
Colors also have feelings.
When developing your color palette, try to think of colors in terms of the emotions you want them to convey. Don’t get too wrapped up in stereotypes—and remember that everyone sees color differently. What some people see as a yellow school bus, others see as orange. Often, an individual’s perception of what a color is called or means has been developed and reinforced over their entire life. In the end, it’s best to target an emotional response based on color combinations and your target’s profile. After all, I’ve been told that yellow is the color of optimism by many color theory books, yet I still find it to be very irritating. However, my copywriter loves it.
Orange doesn’t like you either.
Once again, we find ourselves back at the old mantra, “Who’s your target?” Always keep your audience in mind when developing a color palette for your brand. The fact that you really like green because it was one of your college colors doesn’t hold any weight with the first-time mothers you’re trying to reach. Just as you feel strongly about some colors, your target will too. When you choose a color palette that means something to both you and your target—your customers will feel like you’re talking directly to them. And, in fact, you actually will be. Just ask a certain shipping company with an affinity for brown.
The bottom line is that the best color palette is one that speaks directly to your target market on a meaningful and compelling level—without relying on the latest gimmicks or trends. Remember, your brand needs to outlive the fads and that colors come in more than just the primary and secondary colors we all know so well. Label your colors with emotional tags that meet your target’s needs, and you’ll develop a palette as memorable as the products and services you sell.
Like what you see feel free to email me at tad@creativesquall.com and don’t forget to become a fan on Facebook.
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