design challenges
Trying to create a symbol that was sophisticated and evocative while also coming across as trustworhty, efficient and cost competitive was the real challenge.
The Client
An apparel sourcing start up specialising in the production and export of high-end apparel for some of the world’s leading fashion houses. The company was setup by two partners who had built their careers in the industry in Tiruppur, India’s textile manufacturing hub.
The new startup would provide a comprehensive solution for their customers, handling everything from new product development and manufacturing to quality assurance and shipping.
The Brief
The client wanted to create a Visual Identity that was sophisticated and evocative while at the same time coming across as reliable, efficient and cost competitive.
The logo mark also had to be highly functional and flexible so that it would be equally effectively on screen as well as on labels & paper.
Services Provided
- BRANDING
- NAMING STRATEGY
- LOGOMARK
- BRAND GUIDELINES
- STATIONERY DESIGN
the CHALLENGE
DIGITAL VS. PRINT
Trying to create a symbol with such opposing qualities was quite demanding. Moreover, from a functional perspective, we had to ensure that the logo mark would work equally well on print, clothing, labels and digital screens.
And if this wasn’t enough, it had to be memorable and relevant to the client’s business. This really was asking a lot from a visual symbol.
PROCESS - SIMULTANEOUSLY
CREATE BRAND NAME & LOGOMARK
After a few initial meetings, questionnaires and conversations we began to get a feel for what the client was trying to create.
We began by listing out the qualities we wanted our logomark to convey, brainstorming and sketching out several ideas on paper. We also simultaneously, worked on coming up with names for each concept.
Our Research
We began by first looking at the various players in the industry, categorising them into two main groups: similar sized companies & industry leaders.
Leaders
The first thing that caught our attention was the overwhelming industry wide trend towards Alphabetical names with simple typographical logo marks such as SNQS, PVH, VF, etc.
The remaining companies had a problem with names that lacked any cultural relevancy such as Asmara or Li & Fung. This would of course make it easier for our new identity to stand out from the crowd.
CONCEPT 1 - DRAPR
We began by creating a brush styled typographical based logo which was delightfully indulgent and artful while still appearing professional.
As for the name, we picked Drapr, from the old english term, ‘Draper’. Sometimes referred to as cloth merchants, Drapers were an important trade guild during the medieval period and operated cloth wholesale import export businesses.
This concept fit perfectly with the client’s business. And shortening the name to Drapr made it distinctive as well as making life easier when it came to securing a Domain name for their website.
CONCEPT 2 - ARCHER
While sketching out several generic shapes, I began to notice a visual similarity between clothes hangers and recurved bows used in archery.
By combining the shapes, I created a stylistic bow and arrow, replacing the arrow head with a hanger’s hook. Next, I modified the arrow’s fletching’s to hint at a stitching pattern at the bottom part of the logo.
For the typeface I selected Didot, a clean and efficient modernist serif created by frenchman, Firmin Didot in 1784. It is known for its hairline thin serifs and its high contrast giving it a Minimal, Efficient and Modern look.
CONCEPT 3 - WINDHM
During colonial times, the East Indiamen were the largest merchant ships used by the British to transport tea, spices and cloth.
One of the most notable of these was the East Indiaman - Windham (Windhm). It sailed 6 major voyages around the globe to India and China, was twice captured by the French and recaptured by the British. Defying the trend of those times, the ship was never sunk or wrecked and was eventually sold to the Chilean Government in 1818.
Sketching several versions of the ship, we realised the resulting graphics although pleasing to the eye, were too detailed for an effective logo. However, by using incomplete lines to create more of an impression enabled us to reduce the form to its bare essentials.
We also shortened the name to ‘Windhm’, combining the logomark with the classical Bodoni typeface, another semi-modern Serif font with similar stylistic elements as Didot.
concept-4
stitch & hue
Our ultimate goal with each logo mark is to visually capture the personality of our client’s business in a memorable way.
In this case, this start up’s two strengths were their manufacturing expertise and their extensive business network.
The design solution seemed obvious. We incorporated the cross stitch pattern from the Archr logomark concept, using it to connect two simple recognisable words ‘Stich & Hue’.
We then added a soft gradient to add some flamboyance and personality.
After trying out several typeface combinations, we finally settled on two type families.
The first one was Hipstelvetica, a quirky typeface created by José Filipe Gomes, based on the classic Helvetica type family.
The second alternative was Jaapokki, a modern minimal Sans Serif Typeface whose stroke weight matched the thickness of the strokes in our symbol. Moreover, the S arched gently to line up with the closest stroke. This ensured the two letters and the symbol worked together perfectly.
Project Outcome
Some projects tend to be more challenging than others. This was one of those. However, in the end the client loved the final concept and finalised the final S&H concept.
Some projects tend to be more challenging than others. This was one of those. However, in the end the client loved the final concept and finalised the final S&H concept.
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