Creating custom logos for local businesses

April 16, 2020

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An update on current and completed projects.

Since COVID-19, things changed. I was working in my office one afternoon when a call came in. I picked up the phone, and a familiar voice with a nervousness spoke out. "Cesar, how are you?" I know this person very well, and nothing ever makes them nervous. We ended up talking for a while. I knew right then that things were about to change. I am sorry for the lack of details in my story, but I would like to get to the positive in my life.

One thing that crossed my mind was, "How is my business going to get affected." Millions of people are currently thinking the same thing. I didn't know how or when we were going to be impacted in the days to come. I also started to think about how our clients were going to be affected. As an agency that depends on the success of our clients, we felt scared—scared because we love our clients. Afraid because we make it our goal to help in any way possible to help our clients succeed.

A few days have passed. And just before things changes, we finished five logos and a few websites, sprinkled with some design projects. I want to let you in on the finished items because they show hope. It tells you that people will always fight for their dream, no matter how tough things get.

Join me on my design journey.

This customer has been a friend of mine for a while. He came into my office with a smile on his face. He told me that he wanted to open up a small restaurant and bar in Woodland, CA. We dove into the design process and discussed the name. He has so much passion as he spoke. And I learned so much about his heritage, which ultimately was going to be part of his new business. The design for his logo is a representation of the YAQUIS people. We wanted to capture the true nature of history while giving it a modern twist.

figure 1

When we started the process, we started off designing a version that looked like the YAUIS culture. (seen below)

We ended up going through some different versions. Ultimately we ended up with the final logo as shown in (figure 1). We love the way this logo came out. It captures the true essence of the story and the vision of the owner.

figure 2

This is Cache Canyon River Trips.

We also know this lovely couple. We both grew up in the same town and went to the same school. This logo started like any other. We created some designs at; first that were big on elements that represented the business(see figure 3). We wanted to capture the surrounding landscape that framed Cache Creek. We also created some unique versions that were very modern. It is our goal to try to do our best to design a logo that resonates with our customers.

After a few more samples. And a few more meetings. We needed to start from scratch. A clean slate. As I stared at the paper in front of me and all the versions of sketches and company name. Bam!!! I saw it!!! Cache Canyon, this is the key. The word "Canyon" was sitting above the word "Trips." I noticed that the Y and T were connecting. The "T" looked like a person holding up a paddle. And the "Y" looked like the Canyon. We knew then and there that this was it. We created a logo that took shape as the Canyon but could also be part of the name when placed inline (figure 2). The customer was in Love. 

figures 3

Honor Electric

We have a client that we have created a logo before this one. When we talked, they said, "I need a logo for my new company." I asked what the name and some details were. They ended up saying. "Just design it; we love your work and trust you." Now talk about pressure. So just like every other logo, we start with some rough sketches. We knew we wanted the letters "H and E" also with some patriotic feel to it. We sketched a flag and wouldn't you know it; it came out fantastic. Some designs take days, weeks, months, and some will take 1-2 hours. We love designing!

Shauna Fox

I love it when new businesses open up in our community. Shauna contacted us via Instagram. After our initial consultation, we got to learn about the vision she had for your business. We had some initial designs that we had created. We created some sample Monogram Logos. We also created a logo with elements of a face that focuses on the brow area. After further meetings. And reviewing the style of the owner. We come to find some details in the location that could be part of the design. One specific item that stood out was the chandelier. We wanted to find a way that we could create a chandelier design without making it busy.

We laid out the design by picking the right font for the name. Then we started by adding arches below to make sure we could get the right balance. Each arc, we had to make sure we had it spaced out evenly. We noticed from the original chandelier also had some hanging elements. We completed the design by adding the top arches that would follow the flow of the arches below the name. We ended up finishing the logo by combining the sub-name "Permanent Cosmetics" to round out the design. We enjoyed the process. We know that every client is unique that's why we make sure we listen. Creating a logo that captures our clients is what makes our job so enjoyable.

Our local chamber asked us to help them create a new logo. As a local business owner in our community, it was a great honor to being considered. 

Our approach was simple. Find elements from our city that we could highlight without making it busy. These essential elements are what make our area unique. But our challenge is how to really combine all these items together and still stand out. After a few versions and getting the right positioning it came out fantastic. The logo stood out in positive or negative formats. A fun experience and a great logo.

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