BRANDING

logo design | color palette | typography | photography | photo editing | design guidelines | interviews | revisions | competitive research | copyediting

Some background…

  • Two friends turned partners founding a new business.

  • A search fund, also known as entrepreneurship through acquisition. In a search fund, the operating partners raise capital from investors to fund a one to two year search for an existing business to buy, which they subsequently operate.

  • In an initial intake interview, the clients shared their desired impression for the brand.

    Youthful, to highlight the energy these partners would bring to this venture, yet steady and established… Something that investors and fellow searchers would take seriously, and the businesses they were approaching could trust. Masculine to gender neutral.

  • In our initial interview session, I brought examples of what I thought were successful and less-successful logos for search funds. Through this discussion, the clients and I further aligned on their brand’s direction. We also discussed “trustworthy” brands, and how I could emulate their design choices.

  • A full suite of brand materials - logo, colors, fonts, patterns- as well as a guidebook on design systems best practices.

Building the Brand

  • The title page of the brand’s process book, featuring the final logo on a full repeat pattern background.

  • A selection of initial sketches- anything goes at this stage!

  • Logo options, several shown vertically and horizontally. At this junction, the clients relayed their preference for a serif font, as they felt it evoked an established, trusted brand. They also wanted the word “Partners” to stand out more, as their relationship was a foundational part of their strength and what they felt they could bring to the table.

  • Additional logo mark designs. The clients appreciated the leaf/tree symbolism of options A-E - new growth, established trunk- but felt that option G was most in-line with their key words of an “established, trusted, heritage” firm.

  • Font pairing selections, options 1 and 2. The clients decided on option 2: Lato Black, Lato Bold Italic, and Iowan Old Style Roman.

  • Font pairing selections, options 3 and 4.

  • Font pairing selections, options 5 and 6.

  • As part of our round one interview, the clients and I discussed color palettes. They mentioned the word “natural” several times, and I was in agreement. The colors I selected are all found in nature as well as the clients’ wardrobes. In the “building the brand” document, I described the meaning behind each color choice, and visually represented their use hierarchy.

  • The brand palette with CMYK, RGB, and HEX color codes.

  • I developed full pattern repeats for each of the two final logotypes. Patterns add visual interest and differentiate a brand. I proposed that the clients could use them in PowerPoint decks or printed materials (business card backs, envelope liners, etc).

  • The final options in full color and single color in multiple use cases.

A brand comes to life

This is where the real fun begins!