I adore designing logos! Sometimes I find it even more interesting and more creative than designing a website.
Recently I got a task to design a logotype for B. Sun Productions, Los Angeles company that specializes in motion picture and tape distribution. Its owner Jah Shams is a talented actor and producer, so I was pretty excited about this job. Before starting the designing process I studied carefully the design brief and made a small research about the client.
I am sure you know how important it is to understand what a logo is, what it must personify and how it actually should work. A logo is not just a graphic sign. A logo aims to reflect the commercial brand of the business and represent the nature of it with the help of shape, fonts, color and images.
I always combine the research stage with the next one, the sketching. Drawing fast page by page in my sketchbook I try to reproduce the basic idea and find the most perfect composition. When I finally find the sketch that I like I start drawing several variants of the logo in Adobe Illustrator. Then the process goes usual and the client is supposed to pick the sketch he likes the most.
Jah has decided that the filmstrip in a logo represents the direction of the company in the best way and marked colors he wanted to use. I refreshed the logos by the finishing details and voila! The main consept was chosen. Here it is.
Jah approved the concept. The only thing he hesitated about was the blue color of the letter “B”. So I tried the letter B in other colors, like at the image below. This dispelled all doubts about using blue color and the blue-variant was adopted as a final.
As you can see, I haven’t used something too complicated or overwhelming in this variant. Only slight blend & clear lines. Everything in moderation. That is probably one of the most significant rules about logos.
And the most important rule is: ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR CLIENT CAREFULLY! Take his or her ideas into consideration, even if they seem too bold at first. It's because he or she is the one who decides which logo should become a "face" of his or her company, what logo will get a life.
I was happy because Jah was delighted. It is true that there is nothing more pleasant than a client happy with your work :).
