Love to Home Design is a newly formed interior design consultancy. Set up by the talented Suzanne Lynam, it’s aesthetic is minimalist, gorgeous, interior design. Suzanne is my sister in law and her attention to detail on all her projects is something I have never seen before. She goes to quite extraordinary lengths to establish the design vision and standards she sets for her clients. So you can imagine, I was initially worried about whether or not my work would be good enough for her. But I’ll start at the beginning of the story. Firstly, I never, and I mean NEVER, work with family and friends. This was a decision I made a good 20 years ago on the back of a design project with a friend’s wife. The girl in question was quite happy with her final design but the journey there was difficult and made me feel awkward. So while it wasn’t the end of the world, it was a lesson I took early in my career. I know many marketing managers and brand managers socially and I avoid offering my services. This changed last year. At a family gathering (was there wine involved?), I got talking to Suzanne about her new business and her endeavours to get her logo designed. She was quite frustrated that she had engaged with a designer who just wasn’t delivering. Now, this is not a post bashing another graphic designer, not at all. In fact, I think that designer did absolutely what Suzanne wanted. She delivered on the visuals Suzanne supplied. The difference is knowing that sometimes what a client wants isn’t actually what a client wants! So I offered to have a look and offer some guidance. When I received the document, it was fine. Logos were delivered as per the brief and the graphic designer did a great job. But I could see it just wasn’t hitting the creative, it wasn’t showing Suzannes style or even making any suggestions for alternatives. I always suggest alternatives because a client may think they know what they want and it is our job as logo designers to take what they want to say and turn into into a visual. I absolutely had the upper hand because I knew Suzanne personally. But even if I didn’t, most of the influence for the final logo came from her Instagram style and colour preferences.
I sent back a document with 3 main points.
- The icon needed to connect more with the type by making it more contemporary & in line with her style
- The type needed to be modernised
- It needed to reflect the interiors business
She most certainly wanted an icon that combined a L and H but subtle and not the main focus of the logo. It had to be modern. So the following were the options I supplied. I am showing these because I think this story outlines the development, and the thought process that goes into designing a logo and fixing a logo! She felt a script would work well for the logo icon and I did think that would work too so gave her some samples.
This first one, what I said was:
It was important to keep concept of the L and H but I felt it needed to move away from it looking like a side profile so I added these style effects. These are drawn in a way so they reflect a style of drawing seen in traditional architecture drawings. ie lines and fill ins. In branding we use script fonts like this to add personality, especially in a personalised service so I feel this reflects more what you are trying to show. The business name font is modernised and emphasis is put on the word design. Emphasis on words and weight of type matters and this allows us to recognise that you are a design business. I feel this font is contemporary and the unusual g adds personality and separates you from The Crowd! I have right aligned the icon but it would work centered either.
The second option was this one and this is what I said:
Taking this to a further stage, I thought about interior design and how the logo icon could represent that. I felt I wanted to show your idea of the L and H but in a way that fabric or a ribbon might look. Like if we softened the logo or if it was made from fabric, how might we show this? This was the result. The shading gives space and depth to the logo. Once again I have broken the type down so it reads as a design service with Love to Home being the “hero text” but “Design” being prominent also. Keeping them centered adds strength and confidence in your marketplace. “Here I am, Front and Centre!”
For the 3rd option, I suggested the following:
The next item I wanted to do was find a script that looked like an L and H together. I found this script called Dalmatins. This is a gorgeous script. It adds so much personality but keeps it simple. I have combined it with an uppercase busines title which work together to bring harmony. It was just to see what we could do with a font rather than the icon.
You can use this font throughout your website for touches, for instance, as below:
I really thought she would go with that one but no, I supplied one more…
This was the something the client doesn’t want but might want moment! Here’s what I said:
When looking for a script, I found this font. The L/H here looks like a simplified chair and is an alternative to the softer script. It was just to give you another option because the concept you have works and I felt I just wanted to show you alternative options on it. Its minimalistic approach made me think it might be something you could like. It still looks like an L and H. I have right aligned this because the contemporary look of the L/H means it can hold a modern move like that.
And she loved that last design. We had a little chat and we “fixed” the last bit, the chair which was to make it separate so it wold still look like a chair and also an L and H. So here was the final design:
So thi story of working with family worked out and maybe I’m eating my words a little too. But what I’m trying to say is that designing a logo is a story in itself, its an absolute journey. I knew my client well enough to deliver…but to be honest, even if i didn’t it is totally my job as graphic designer and logo designer to figure out my clients style…to offer what they want and sometimes what they didn’t ask for but ultimately knowing your standard of design ability and standing over it.
If your logo isn’t doing what you had in mind and you want a similar story, get in touch. I fix logos and often create new sparkly ones!
Drop me a line!
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