Logo Design: The most integral element of your brand. Simplicity is key. A logo should convey as much information about the entity it represents with as few elements as possible. A well designed logo should read well in full color on a billboard or in a very small foil stamp on the side of a pen or pencil. You can pack a lot of perceived information into a logo design. Your logo should effectively define your brand with a glance, be memorable, establish color schemes and explain the dynamics of your product or company. It matters little if I'm designing a logo for a giant corporation or Joe the florist down the street, in order to create a successful mark the same process must take place. I often start with a pen and paper scribbling down the first things that come to mind. I ask myself many questions about the essence of the message for the product person or company that the logo will represent. I start as far outside the box as possible and work my way back in. The client will never see my drawings or even 90% of my ideas. I want to present the best 2 or three. A logo should be provided with a plan of protocol to ensure consistency including PMS ink colors and Process Color matches, size relativity to medium space. With more deluxe logo design packages I will also offer an animated version for web or TV.

CASE STUDY - NRG Racing Boats

Job Description: Entrepreneur Jim Crawford spends a good part of the year in a small town with a lake in Missouri. Jim was enamored with a sleek boat he saw cruising the lake. He asked around and found that the company that made the boat was right there in town...and they were struggling so rather than buy the boat he bought the whole damn business...that's how Jim rolls.

Jim came to me for branding and the images on the right follow that design process -

Branding / Logo Mark Identity
rough ONE-A

Concept: Custom racing culture “freehand striping” is the inspiration for this design. This iconic i.d. wlll include two versions for vertical and horizontal appointment. This also has the popular flavor of tattoo art.

The most logical usage being on the boat itself with the vertical version “A” for the top deck of the bow, center of the steering wheel, shift knobs, etc. and the horizontal version “B” for applications such as on the aft gunwale side of the boat, engine valve covers or places where a horizontal format is more appropriate.

Either version would be employed wherever it is most appropriate, for example website header or horizontal business card might employ the version “B” whereas a pocket folder cover, tie tack or beer cozy would employ version “A.”

I feel that this is elegant yet has a “custom race car/boat” appeal of the stylized scroll which them selves are a stylized representation of the shape of a cigarett boat and include the Bow up planing and rooster tail which I still feel are the most “iconic” features of this boat style.

Branding / Logo Mark Identity
rough TWO & THREE

Concept: My experience reminds me that the rooster tail generated by the powerful engine(s) as well as the boat’s propensity to plane on it’s tail are two of the most recognizable and desirable qualities of the cigarette racing boat design.

Concept: The swoosh - inspired by the Lexus body line being used in thier recent branding and also the Nike logo which is perhaps the most recognizabe logo icon of modern times.

Although Jim was drawn to the the "rooster tail" design he requested to also see a version with "nautical star" I complied but argued the any reference to "navigation" had nothing to do with racing...he eventually acquiesced. and development of the final NRG logo was completed.

Development of the final logo - Jim decided on the "rooster tail" design and I provided him with several variations on that theme and the last image in the series shows the final layout of NRG's business card.