Project Info

Duration: Jun 2018

Client: Squire’s

Role: Logo Designer

Mediums: Pencil, Adobe Illustrator

I was approached to create a new logo for a bar that had been bought by new owners in La Habra, California. The existing branding was not to be used as inspiration, as the name was undergoing a slight adjustment, as well as the bar offerings.

Before and after rebranding

We had a 30-minute kick-off call to discuss inspiration, technical details, budget and use cases. The new branding needed to launch as soon as possible so the owners could announce the grand re-opening with seamless marketing.

Research

The mood board the owners had used to convey their inspiration for the main logo, was a medieval crest or shield look/ feel with old English/gothic fonts. The owners looked to local schools, and businesses for further inspiration in the La Habra area. Direction for the color palette was to be in darker earth tones, golds, black, and white.

Pinterest mood board from the client

Sketching

As this was a quick-turn-around ask, I was thrilled when the owners had sketched out some of their own ideas. I was able to simplify and expand upon the designs.

Client provided sketches

Feedback

There was close client collaboration along the way to minimize revisions and and maximize results. With the design-ask being relatively straight forward, I was able to create a clean and quick brand guide for the owners in a short amount of time. The multi-use nature of the designs across various pieces of collateral and mediums were well received.

Final Deliverables

The Squire’s rebrand has brought in a fresh new look to the existing bar, and am happy to have had a small hand in the overall success of this grand re-opening.  Below are some of the original designed pieces.

Lessons Learned

There is not a perfect equation on how to create a logo, but there are some elements of design that can steer you in the right direction. There were many pieces in this set of deliverables and I focused on alignment, hierarchy, balance, white space and variety to ensure the individual pieces worked together in a cohesive suite.