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 - CAPS Channel 6 - Community TV

Branding / Logo Mark Identity

CAPS TV6 is Ventura's Community TV station with studio and facilities on the VC College campus. For their launch several years ago I was hired to create a new logo identity. The images on the left describe the process of the logo design.

I presented within a week with the designs shown on the right. The first being to suggest the "caps" of a few of our community stars...firemen, football players, students and navy or seamen. Ventura's landmarks were considered also, the studio sits below the infamous "two trees" on the Ventura College Campus. At the time they weren't sure that they wanted to play up the number 6 as they were uncertain it would always be on channel 6 on different systems. Other "themes" included the "digital look" and it was suggested at the time that animation possibilities for those designs seemed logical. Also trending at the time, and to align with the college lifestyle I submitted designs with a "computer application" flavor. And lastly a simple design, kind of a catch all for an eye, the numeral 6, a "vortex/ power center/energy source design" was also provided. The latter was the near unanimous choice and the board of directors opted to go as simple as possible. The basic letterhead/stationary package is shown in the 5th slide show image. The logo has thus far withstood the test of time and is still being used today.