thoughts on identity design + logo design for AIMbaby

I am in the middle of a project of designing the identity for a new business for a client of mine {I refrain from sharing what that business is just yet, but will in the future}.

I love projects like these because I love crafting brand identities; working closely with my client to marry business and creativity through the creation of brand identities and logos. My passion for collaborating and creating identities that communicate the authentic identity of a company, what it does, and its values are at the core of this type of design work.

Crafting an identity starts with research - research about the business, its goals, its values, its products/services, and its customers (target audience). This research includes interviews with my client, as well as my own independent research on the company and its industry and competition. Clients are always a little surprised how much attention goes into the first part of the process, and are often anxious to get to the design stage. They understand the design phase and see the value in paying for the time I spend designing; the design stage produces tangible results. The research phase, however, sometimes requires explanation to help my clients understand why it is just as important as the design stage, and why my time conducting research is just as valuable.

The ultimate goal is to not only create an identity that is well done from a design perspective, but to also have that identity be relevant, timeless, memorable, and relatable. A successful identity needs to be these things to the target audience most of all, but in a general sense to some degree as well.

There are so many pieces that make up a brand identity; the logo, business cards and other marketing collateral, web design, other graphic materials, etc. In addition to designing all of these pieces that make up the brand identity, creating an identity also includes defining and setting guidelines for that identity to ensure that it is represented and implemented with consistency in every instance. This consistency is key to creating brand awareness and brand recognition, which will hopefully lead to brand loyalty as well.

Typically the first element that is created in the design process is the logo, as it carries over to most if not all other pieces of the identity. And, it is the primary communicative element of the identity. I hesitate to call it the most important, because all the pieces must work together to create a cohesive identity, but it is certainly the most seen piece of the identity, maybe it is appropriate to call it the centerpiece of the identity.

This week, I just finished the logo for the identity I mentioned in the beginning of this post. Like I have done in the past (here and here), I will start by sharing a glimpse at the design process that got us to our final logo. Here are some of the concept ideas that I designed for this identity:

This glimpse fails to show the whole process which included initial concepts in black and white, some revisions, discussions on color, color studies for the "finalists", etc. but in the end my client has chosen the final logo to be:

From here we will work on the other pieces that will make up the identity ... marketing collateral, elements that make up the product packaging, the graphics for its web presence, etc.

I cannot wait to share more about the company behind this logo, including the meaning behind the name, its products (which I have a design-hand in), and ultimately the reveal of its web/e-commerce presence. I will reveal more as the timing is right.