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18 Aug

Insider’s Guide to Logos: Timeless vs. Trendy

Insider's Guide

Oh, the age-old question… Timeless or Trendy and which one (if either) is right for your brand? When working with clients, one of the very first questions we get asked is “What do you have in mind for us in the logo department?” We all know that first impressions are extremely important and logos can play a huge role in them. So for this edition of Insider’s Guide to Logos we wanted to take a closer look at two styles, battle of the bands edition.

There are so many visual choices when creating a logo: flat or dimensional? Colorful or monochromatic? Typographic or illustrated? Let’s examine one of the greatest design debates: Timeless or Trendy?

To illustrate this quandary we’re using a real-life example. Towson Hot Bagels, affectionately known as THB, has been around for almost two-decades serving delicious “hot bagels” to students, faculty, and community members alike. They make their bagels from scratch, and bake them fresh all day long. Not only does THB do an amazing job filling our bellies, they also frequently give back to the community. The company is a staple in the Baltimore, MD area, a part of its backbone and rich history.

So how would you communicate their identity: Timeless or Trendy?

Here are examples of both to help you decide.

Timeless	Trendy

Image Source: Eleven Peppers Studios	Image Source: Towson Hot Bagels

Okay, so you could call us a little biased for going with our own redesign (the Timeless), but that isn’t why we chose it. We believe that THB is an institution that doesn’t need any fancy flourishes or funky colors. Nope, they don’t need to look edgy, or contemporary – those are not their characteristics.

Towson Hot Bagels is a well-established, enduring, delicious bagel outfit that deserves a timeless, classic logo to match.

In all honestly, we’d probably choose Timeless with a twist, like a good martini; maybe something like this version below.

Image Source: Eleven Peppers Studios

Let us know what you think, would you pick a Timeless or Trendy logo for THB? Also, let us know which of the logos above is your favorite. Like or Comment @elevenpeppers on Instagram and Facebook.

07 Apr

Mastering the Art of Logos: The Islands of the Bahamas

Mastering the Art of Logos

One of our founder’s favorite logo redesigns of all time is The Islands of the Bahamas, and we can see why. Shout out to Duffy & Partners who reimagined and expertly captured the true nature of the islands.

Did you know that The Bahamas is comprised of 700 individual islands? That means 700 different spots to call your personal oasis on your next vacation… it’s a lot for a logo to have to live up to.

And… we don’t believe that the previous logo hit the mark. The muted colors paired with the swaying palm tree, even the font, promotes a very “Tommy Bahama” feel (i.e. laid-back and relaxed). You are immediately transported to a hammock rocking gently under the shade of that same palm tree, possibly sipping a ice-cold, tropical drink with a little umbrella in it. Now let us say up front, there is nothing wrong with that… at all. There are definitely people who travel to the islands to get away from the daily grind, who just want to “shut-off.” The combination just seems a bit limiting for all that the 700 islands (we know, we can’t get over it either) boasts.

Image Source: The Islands of the Bahamas (left: old logo), Duffy & Partners (right: new logo)

We are 100% on-board with their redesigned logo; it better symbolizes what the islands really are about – diversity. Diversity of activities, food, people… you name it, they have it. The islands are for every type of traveler. The updated color palette evokes that never-ending variety of fun in the sun and really opens the brand up to a broader audience. The kaleidoscope of colors also epitomizes the strikingly beautiful backdrop on which all of these experiences are set.

We also like that they pulled a “The” Ohio State University and added “The” in front of “Islands of the Bahamas.” It lends itself to the assertion that there is no other place like The Islands of the Bahamas. It is unique, special, unforgettable — all qualities vacations seekers look for in a destination.

The logo strikes the perfect balance between attainability and an out of this world experience.

11 Mar

Insider’s Guide to Logos: Quick Color Refresh

Insider's Guide

When designing logos for our clients we often turn to their established brand, rather than doing a complete overhaul. In some cases, a little boost in the color department is all that is necessary to reveal the true image of the brand and make a lasting impression on new and returning customers.

Take Health Unlimited’s (HU) current logo, the blues evoke the feel of water, which is important to the overall brand as an aquatic center. What gets lost is the energy and friendliness of this full-service family fitness and aquatic center. Sometimes when less saturated or darker colors are used, the vibrancy of a brand also fades. We believe that the life-and-soul behind the HU brand should be reflected with a brighter/fresher take on the existing color palette.

Source: Health Unlimited

Source: Eleven Peppers Studios

For our “quick refresh” we incorporated livelier hues that pay homage to the original color-scheme. We integrated a vivacious green that reflects the vitality of the fitness center and pumped-up the blue, which now reminds us of the crystal clear water in the Caribbean… and who wouldn’t want to swim in that? These electric colors are also on par with current gym wear trends, attracting a more diverse audience while remaining genuine to the overall brand.

Everything about this Quick Color Refresh just screams, “Come on in folks and let’s get healthy together!”

03 Feb

Mastering the Art of Logos: Pandora

Mastering the Art of Logos

Before there was Apple Music, Tidal and Spotify, there was Pandora. Pandora has become one of music’s leading streaming services that works like a radio, but provides stations based on listeners preferences. With the company’s launch of Pandora Plus, they also unveiled a new logo:

“Music is a personal experience for everyone, from the artists creating it all the way to the fans listening to it. And as Pandora continues to evolve the most personal music experience, our new look embraces the dynamic range of sound and color, visualizing the energy and emotion that artists pour into the creation of music, and that we feel as listeners. Our dynamic brand is composed of form, color and pattern, which we implemented into the new P icon and serves as your portal into the unique and diverse range of music you love.” – Pandora Blog Post

Image Source: Pandora (Left: old wordmark, Right: new wordmark)

Are we missing something? We totally get that Pandora wanted to move away from their old wordmark, which was classy but a little dated. But the new wordmark– quite frankly– is just bland. We can appreciate that the letters are proportional and attempt to weave in a subtle curve, but overall, we can’t get past the complete lack of personality, which seems counter to what Pandora said they wanted. In contrast, the Monogram appears to have sucked all the visual interest from the wordmark and hoarded it, leaving the wordmark to serve, we suppose, as an empty “portal” into the “unique and diverse” Monogram? The Monogram is great, we can 100% see the potential of where it is heading, we just can’t see how the wordmark could ever stand alone.

Image Source: Pandora (new Monogram)

On that same thread, we’d like to point out that it is just confusing as anything to have the Pandora and PayPal apps next to each other on your phone; they are so similar!! Why does PayPal all of a sudden care about our musical interests? Oh wait, we just clicked on the Pandora app by mistake. Our bad… or is it?

(Second from the Right: PayPal app, Right: Pandora app. Shown on an iPhone7)

Don’t get us wrong, we love that Pandora wants to keep things fresh, to evolve and grow with their audience’s tastes but we think they need to keep experimenting with this one.

Insider’s Guide to Logos: Timeless vs. Trendy

Insider’s Guide to Logos: Timeless vs. Trendy

Timeless

Trendy

Image Source: Eleven Peppers Studios

Image Source: Towson Hot Bagels

Image Source: Eleven Peppers Studios

Mastering the Art of Logos: The Islands of the Bahamas

Insider’s Guide to Logos: Quick Color Refresh

Mastering the Art of Logos: Pandora

Image Source: Pandora (Left: old wordmark, Right: new wordmark)

Image Source: Pandora (new Monogram)

(Second from the Right: PayPal app, Right: Pandora app. Shown on an iPhone7)

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