#1. The ability to illustrate and design in any style.

A good graphic design studio or firm should have the capability to design and illustrate in a wide range of styles because every client and every logo design should be unique to the brands marketplace situation. A diverse illustrative and design repertoire enables a good graphic design agency to generate ideas without limitations or boundaries. For example, if a graphic design studio can only execute simple clean design because they lack illustrative abilities then you can count on getting a limited range of ideas that only promote simple clean branding concepts. On the other hand, when a logo design studio has the ability to design simple and clean logos, figural logo design, complex and highly illustrative logo designs, typographic logos, funky hand drawn logo designs and conceptual logos then the ideas you get will explore all possibilities. The end result is that the client will be presented more options and from greater logo design options will come a better logo that will best brand your company, product or service. So don't look for a logo you like in a studio’s portfolio but rather look for a variety of well executed styles. Scroll down to see examples.

For Timberline Steakhouse and Grill we developed a hand drawn woodcut illustration and graphic design style to match the name and casual eating concept of the brand. Illustrating the typography made it possible to use large readable type for signage while giving the logo design an engaging character and style.

For the Hayes 25th anniversary logo design we created a three dimensional illusion of chrome, copper and other surfaces. To create these effects we used hand drawn elements, vector illustrations and layered combinations with a variety of Adobe Photoshop filters.

The Pulse Systems logo design has a conceptual graphic design style. Everything in the entire logo is based on a square even the typography.

The Ballet Wichita logo has a stylized figural illustration of a dancer entering the performance area. This design and illustration style uses flowing curves to create the image of a woman and the feeling of graceful movement.

The Floating Swimwear logo has an expressionistic and abstract illustration style of a wave.

The Freddy's Frozen Custard logo has a retro or old fashioned illustration style with graphic vintage ribbons.

The Spring Crossing Cattle Co. sells natural free range beef. The illustration style is simplified and stylized realism to capture the ideal image of the rancher in the open prairie and allow the brand image to be reproduced on small package labels.

The Waterbug brand logo for Floating Swimwear is illustrated in a cartoon style with bold stylized lines and shapes for excellent shelf projection and visibility at retail.

The Bighorn River Lodge brand image has a distressed realism to impart a sense of the rugged outdoors.

The GooGoo Wonderland branding is illustrated in a style that I can't quite categorize. It's eclectic, vibrant, and whimsical to convey a feeling of magic and fun.

The With A Twist brand logo has a funky hand drawn visual style to compliment the unique and natural product mix of the retail stores.

The brand name Anvil is a metaphor. An anvil is a tool used to create other tools. The business Anvil is a company created to create other businesses. The brand image to the left is one step in an infinite pattern. It's a circle of dots around the center dot. This is repeated at the red dot which could be repeated again and again indefinitely. This purely conceptual design style is ultra simple to emphasize the concept.

#1. The ability to illustrate and design in any style.
This is very important because if a graphic design agency or studio is limited in their ability to design and illustrate then the ideas they generate will be limited by their inability to design and illustrate the ideas. So don't look for a logo you like in a studio’s portfolio but rather look for a variety of well executed styles.
Click see examples.

#2. The ability to employ a variety of typographic solutions and the capability of creating a new type fon specifically for the logo design project at hand.  Font creation can be the key element that separates your logo from the crowd.
Click see examples.

#3. A great logo will work in black and white as well as color. This is a quick way to know if the logo will function well in any medium at any size.
Click see examples.

#4. Visually and conceptually interesting logo designs. What are the ideas and do they translate into visually exciting and relavent logo designs? A good logo design studio or agency will show you logo designs that have visual impact, are relevant to the company and consumer and are unique?
Click see examples.

Logo by Insight Design Communications

The Logo Design Concept.

GooGoo Wonderland is more than a selection of products and services that bring happiness and good will to Malaysian consumers. GooGoo Wonderland is a place in the mind, a place of surprise, wonder and magic that lives within all of us.

The logo design depicts a multi-ethnic palace where the only limitation is your imagination.

The GOOGOO logo type is constructed using circles while the color plays with the rhythm of the G and O letter forms alternate colors instead of making all the O’s and both G’s the same color. We wanted consumers to take a second look at the name.

Description of the Business.

GooGoo Wonderland is a concept store of Balloon Connexion Pte Ltd. in Singapore. GooGoo Wonderland will be located in the up scale suburb of Kuala Lumpur. GooGoo will provide outstanding balloon decoration and delivery service as their primary product in addition will carry specialty bulk and wrap candies, trendy party supplies and soft toys. They will provide a wide range of premium balloons from the USA and Japan – Balloon Pets, Million Stars, etc. Also, trendy party favors and accessories will be offered. GooGoo Wonderland will provide Children birthday party packages with theme characters like Pooh, Mickey, Spiderman, etc. decorations, party supplies and goody bags. They will also provide theme home parties, company event decoration like under the sea, jungle and tropical. Therefore, the logo is colorful and imaginative.

Delivery logo.

GooGoo Wonderland will also offer delivery service, on site decoration for home and corporate parties. They will take photos of their deliveries and email to the sender because they realize that nothing is more fun for our customers than to receive a photo of their friend receiving a beautiful balloon bouquet from GooGoo Wonderland delivered on their behalf. Balloons will no longer be a toy for children only, it is an art form that delivers a message of happiness, joy, love and friendship. The brand identity logo reflects this in it's concept and execution.

Target Markets.

There are two primary groups of customers.The main target audience will be the residence and businesses of Mont Kiara & Sri Hartmas. The retail customers can shop by phone, web or walk in.

The second group of customers are current balloon industry players. Since GooGoo Wonderland is a branch of Balloon Connexion in Singapore, it will be an "emergency" supplier to existing Balloon Connexion's Malaysia customers. GooGoo will cater to new wholesale customers, florists, party & event organizers, balloon decorators and twisters.

The Market for the Products and Services.

GooGooWonderland’

s major customer segments are people from Klang Valley, mainly residence and businesses of Mont Kiara & Sri Hartmas.This township consists of upper class Malaysian and the expatriate community, with over 30 nationalities gracing the streets of Mont Kiara, visitors and residents will immediately feel the world at their fingertips.Target customers age range from 10 to 50 for both genders with above average buying power.

The GooGoo Wonderland logo will be used on store front signs, fleet graphics, letterhead and business cards, web design and more.

Critique of Wesley Medical Center Logo.

The details in a logo design can make all the difference.

The Wesley Medical Center logo design is a good idea, the “W” is drawn to reference flames. The flames symbolize faith and the commission of the hospital to care for those in need. That’s good. The only problem with the logo design is the poor execution. Look at the white spaces between the three strokes and at the red strokes. The two white negative spaces between the three strokes are very different. They should be the same. The three strokes that make the “W” can’t be exactly the same and make the “W” but the inner and outer left curves should be the same. Also the tops are inconsistent. The top angle of the three strokes should follow the same visual line. The middle stroke breaks the implied line. Plus if you look closely the middle stroke of the “W” has a curve and the other two don’t. The text is ordinary and would be better if it related to the graphic image. Also, the thin strokes of the Wesley Medical Center logotype could be easier to read from a distance and at small sizes if it were replaced with a type style that had bolder strokes and maybe sans serif.

A Logo Design from a Different Perspective.

The Wichita Ballet logo design isn't about the dancers, it's about the audience. It's about how a live performance can change a persons outlook on life. It's about the audience: buying a ticket sometimes weeks or months in advance, waiting for the day of the performance, getting through the hustle and traffic and finally arriving at the theater, finding the correct seat, reading the program, waiting, anticipating. The lights dim. The excitement is palpable. Then, the first dancer bursts onto the stage. The crowd cheers. The Wichita Ballet logo design is about that moment. That moment from the fan's eyes and emotions. The entrance. The applause. The wow.

The Wichita Ballet logo design is used on letterhead, business cards, website designs, advertising and promotional material.