P&B Gaming Community
Logo Design Process
When i first met with the P&B community leaders they expresses the need for a logo. When designing a logo the first question i ask a client is what is the purpose of the logo? They expressed their idea of creating a logo to represent their Xbox Community. They stated that they had a discord group of around 100 players and they wish to take the brand to a new level.
Just from this one question i gathered so much information. I learned the following:
They are based off of community values
They wanted to setup into a professional light
The need for guidance to create a stronger brand that allows growth
I asked them a series of questions to better understand the purpose of their society and brand needs. They told me that they didn't know much about what branding means. It is important to understand where they want to go to understand what their logo needs to represent. Sometimes, when you need to design a logo, you may not be able to communicate exactly what they are looking for. This is why you always need to ask these questions:
What is the purpose of the logo that you want, and is there a problem that you are trying to provide a solution to?
How can you personify and describe your brand?
What kind of voice does your brand have? Is it funny? Casual or eloquent?
What values does your brand stand by?
Which value propositions set your brand apart from your competitors?
How would you like your customers to describe your brand to their friends and family?
The First Design Concept
The purpose of this logo is to showcase the community they have built. I started with the idea of the tree of life. The Tree of Life commonly represents the interconnectedness of everything in the universe. It symbolizes togetherness and serves as a reminder that you are never alone or isolated, but rather that you are connected to the world. in this case it means your always connected to the community. The roots of the Tree of Life dig deep and spread into the earth, thereby accepting nourishment from Mother Earth, and its branches reach up into the sky, accepting energy from the sun and moon. In this case the roots show the deep roots they have in the gaming community and the tree limbs are reaching to accept new members for their society. I added the people in the leafs to bring the idea of a strong community.
The First Revision
The clients loved the ideas behind my material and why i chose what i thought would best represent their brand. They did not like the font in which i explained it was more of a filler till i understood if they like the overall design concept before i went further into the design. One thing i never want to do is waste time on a design concept that is going in the wrong direction.
They did express that they wanted the P&B to be more of the focal point in the logo. They also wanted a more smooth typography that expressed quality. I took the time time to listen and understand the direction they wished to counitue in.
Second Logo Concept
This second logo concept was more about the arrangement of typography and placement of the items within the logo. I went with a Holimount type for the P&B and used Arial Black for the secondary font. The Holimount type is a sweet and charming handwritten font that’s perfect for adding a sweet flavor to this creative endeavor. Arial Black added intensity to the design but did not overpower the focal point of the P&B. I
put the community in between the tree and roots to express the connection and lace the values of the tree of life into the concept.
Second Revision
When i showed the design to the client they loved it. They loved the typography and the layout. They wasn't to big on the green. I explained the color theory behind my choices. They said the green on the tree was fine but the green on the community font was a bit much. I used the green on community and leafs to express the idea of a healthy community. They said it would be fine and was willing to move forward. At this point we was both satisfied with the logo. I told them i would send them the file and it seemed that we had completed out journey.
The First Mistake
An hour later i was still thinking about their logo and didn't feel like something was right. As a designer i feel it is my obligation to always explore every aspect of logos when working with clients. I want my client to get exactly what they want when we are finished. Even though they was satisfied with the green typography in community and i had proper color theory behind it... i knew I could do better. When i logged back into my file i realized i never checked the color contrast with the logo. It looked great on black but what happened when it was on white? I changed the background and instantly realized what i had not seen before. It looked faded and the green stood way to bright on the page. I connected with the client and showed them my mistake and offered to work the issue out even though we had settled our original agreement.
Third Revision With Options
Option 1
I took the gradient completely out and went to my favorite website to ensure my color choices meet perfect with color theory.
https://www.canva.com/colors/color-wheel/
I chose a Tetradic color scheme to ensure that my colors would contrast correctly in all shades and tints. This time i would put it on a white background and black background to showcase this contrast.
I changed the typography of "COMMUNITY" to blue instead to green and could still justify it with color theory. The blue would express trust and friendliness within the community. This also broke up the bright color scheme and would allow me to bring better contrast to the design.
Option 1
Option 2
This is the same exact design that i first presented but i took the gradients out. You got to remember i already sold them on this design once and didnt want to take it away directly even though now i knew it wasn't the perfect fit for the logo colors.
Option 3
I really liked the way the blue and green played off one another in reinforcing the feeling and theory of community, growth, trusting, and friendship. I'm sure by now you can see how these colors and placements of them in this logo express these values.
Final Revision
When i revisited with the client they were blown away with the quality and thought i put into the design process. They loved the new design concepts and was even surprised that i remembered they wasn't a fan of the green typography on the "COMMUNITY". I explained thee color theory behind the blue and they was set on it. I told them i wanted to make them some mock ups so they could see how the blue would look on different surfaces. this ensures the client gets a true visual identity of what they are receiving.
Mock Up 1
Mock Up 2
Mock Up 3
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed the creative challenges I faced during this entire process. I made some mistakes along the way but that is the importance of mistakes. Mistakes are an essential part of any transformation. Not only do they underscore the whole fallible humanity we're working with, but they bust open the entire process of transformation, helping us break through into deeper dimensions of commitment while redirecting us toward more constructive pathways. In the end i feel this logo is iconic and has the ability to be timeless for this brand.
Attributes
Mock up 1:
<a href="https://www.freepik.com/psd/mockup">Mockup psd created by riandra - www.freepik.com</a>
Mock up 2:
<a href="https://www.freepik.com/psd/mockup">Mockup psd created by CosmoStudio - www.freepik.com</a>
Mock up 3:
<a href="https://www.freepik.com/psd/logo">Logo psd created by riandra - www.freepik.com</a>
