SYMBOL, LOGO & WORDMARK PROCESS

Through strategic positioning exercises and competitive analysis, a Creative Strategy Document is developed. This document becomes the blueprint from which all creative executions flow. Countless rough concepts are explored using marker and sketchpad. From there, they are honed to a minimum of 15 symbol/wordmark concepts then refined on the computer. They are rated using systems that overlay the creative with key points in the creative strategy document and industry category trends. Once the client approves a symbol, the identity is refined and applied to stationary, website, signage and/or other marketing materials.

Above: Shortlist of symbols for the HR Division of the Public Service Commission. The colour coding system measures the effectiveness of the symbol to portray brand personality in the appropriate tone and manner.

NAME DEVELOPMENT

Context plays an important role in defining a word with a broader, unspoken meaning. Context can be the font in which it appears, the symbol with which it is associated, the accompanying visual and of course, the words that surround it.

The list is shortened to three names. These names are set in a simple wordmark, sometimes accompanied by a rudimentary symbol. A photograph, typical of the industry sector, is placed in the background of the name/wordmark/symbol. This shows the impact of execution and context on a name’s meaning. It helps everyone see the name as a potential brand.

Above: Name explorations for a Geoscience company requiring an international trademark aimed at global markets.

Above: The ESTEEM Team is a national Goal-Setting Program based in Ottawa. It has three objectives. 1) To inspire young people to pursue what they want in life. 2) To educate them in the processes that lead to success. 3) To activate them for life. All programs use sport as a vehicle. All are youth centered. All involve education + development. All inspire passion + purpose.

The Esteem Team Association hired Melon to develop a new name for the organization and a subsequent brand that would resonate with young people across Canada. The explorations above show how names can easily take on a tone + manner beyond their immediate definition. The names chosen for further design exploration were by no means the only names worthy of exploration. They were applications and explorations of contemporary design styles meant to demonstrate the potential for the name to appear as a brand.