The Process

Creating a logo is an exciting journey that combines creativity with strategic thinking. The steps I take help me to better understand the client and the brand they represent, allowing me to better fit their needs and insure the client gets the look they were going for. I explore various concepts, sketching ideas and experimenting with colors and shapes, then through collaboration and feedback, I refine the design until it perfectly encapsulates the essence of the brand.

The first thing I focus on is the mark, specifically making the fully silhouette in black and white. Once I figure out the shapes and formation I can then use the colors and font to further compliment.

This design specifically was made with two main goals. One was to implement a solid mark that could be easily seen on multiple kinds of material, and the other was to have the flexibility to communicate several ideas regardless of background. This is why I had chosen an abstract design, something simple and clean that can easily be repeated.

Once I had the shape I did some research to find a suitable font. Specially I wanted something that was simple and easy to read, hence the need to use san serif text for both the organization and branch location.

The use of such a bold font also plays into the solid block that holds the design together, helping to further unify and making it easy to graph out its needed placement.

With the color I wanted to have a warm and bright collection of colors that reflects the three main port cities within Thanet. I also wanted these colors to be interchangeable so they can easily be used no matter the place or medium.

I had to carefully strike a balance between being too bright and too soft, which when paired with the tints and shades help make a wide variety of colors to use. I've even made some examples on my standards guide to further showcase the versatility.

Once I've made those decisions I then have to put it all together. With the shape, text, and color now balanced you get a logo! Now it doesn't have to look exactly like this. As mentioned earlier the colors can be changed and rearranged. This is why I made a guide to clarify the rules involving this logo.

However this is typically the final arrangement that I've presented and used as examples, particularly because of its clear color contrast and the meanings behind the different colors.

Design Guide

A design guide for a logo serves as a crucial to ensure brand consistency and integrity. It outlines the proper usage of the logo, including size, color variations, and placement, helping to maintain a cohesive visual identity across all platforms. By adhering to these guidelines, businesses can effectively communicate their brand values and enhance recognition among their audience. A well-defined design guide ensures that anyone using the logo understands how to represent the brand accurately.

It also has to be legible and visually appealing on its own, constructed in an easy way for people to understand and follow. These needs combined with my previous notes on my design helped make this Standards Manual. The colors, text, and shapes to make the logo help to keep a level of unity both on screen and when printed.