My designs tend towards the fine art – that’s my background and my sensibility. Should I always stick to that? This question brought me up short when I discussed a logo with a client for her new writing content and research company. She was looking for something using easily accessible imagery – like books and pens. She was looking for a style that was cheerful in primary, bright colors that popped off the page like a cheeky cartoon.

In the end, we both enjoyed the process. The client was excited about the inventiveness and smooth finish of my ideas and I enjoyed the venture into new waters. I came up with two versions of the logo, both of which she liked. It was hard to decide which to use – maybe one should be for the company and the other for the blog? These are always difficult questions when deciding on a logo. It was hard to decide which to use – maybe one should be for the company and the other for the blog? It represents your company, so should convey your businesslike approach – and what that means varies from industry to industry. Professional means something very different in pharmaceuticals than in education or film. So you do have to have an eye to professionalism, but at the same time your logo should show your spirit and your approach – people need to feel  drawn to you and connected to you personally.

I learned a lot working on this project. I won’t suddenly switch to a more pop design look, but it’s valuable to exercise new muscles – it helps with the overall picture. My designs will still be more fine arts orientated, but taking on challenges outside of my usual style helps me develop and give my designs more depth – and even breadth.