Case study: Developing a logo

Posted Wednesday, 18 June 2014 by Amy

Here’s a quick insight into Wingfinger’s approach to logo design, demonstrating the process we go through to find the right visual representation for a client.

Brainstorming

We were asked to design branding and a website for an online directory of links and tips relating to climate change. The client was keen to use ‘amber’ as a visual reference, with its use as a warning light and as the ‘slow down’ part of a traffic light. They also wanted to denote a sense of networking and community, a central purpose for the website.
At Wingfinger we try to give our clients a broad range of initial takes for logos – even if we are given a very specific starting image. The solution that works most successfully is often an unexpected one!
Some of the initial ideas that came out of our brief

After brainstorm sessions around the amber idea, we experimented with several possibilities using the amber light image, groups of interlinking figures and ‘warning’ devices.

Working it up

The client then highlighted a couple of their preferred draft one designs, from which we developed draft two. Although we spent a long time gazing into traffic lights and experimenting with its graphic representations, the favourites were a simple but dynamic whirl and a more abstract circle of shapes suggestive of a refracting amber filter.

Honing the concept

For the final development stage, the geometric design became the favourite because of the interlocking shapes that supported the networking theme. We played around with a few different shapes that looked more ‘human’ (with some bizarre results) and settled on a simple arc and circle motif that still worked in the kaleidoscope arrangement.

We’re always aware that different clients have different requirements for their branding. It was crucial that the logo worked at screen resolution, as its primary use was on a website. A one-off version of the logo was created alongside the website header, and a general-purpose version with the chosen brand colour of purple used for regular branding and print.