As I write this, the Dell machine in my University office is droning incessantly, its fan sounding like an irritated refrigerator that can’t or won’t keep up to the sweltering summer temperatures. She’s old, my Dell, and bloated and can’t quite focus on the task at hand. Her processor clicks at me through the speakers when I Adobe my way through a design project, complying, slowly, yet protesting all the while. Binary complaints.

Fortunately, at home, I work with something less Rosanne Barr, more Monica Bellucci.

Recently, I was contacted by Ron Mitchell, President of MTec Systems, for a logo redesign. MTec Systems is a turn-key organization, leveraging hardware, software, network communications, and Internet development. Ron requested that I nudge their branding a bit, modernize it. The new logo should be:

• Flexible, allowing for multiple media outlets (t-shirts, print collateral, web media, etc.).
• Present a platform from which the company can springboard to build its new brand.
• As always, work well in either color or black/white (meaning we will not be exploring 3-dimensional logo options like Xerox or AT&T’s new logos, respectively).

Nothing new here, really. The above guidelines should apply to all logo design work.

After looking at some of MTec’s promotional material and Web site, I scribbled down a number of metaphors (in my trusty Moleskine) to explore with the logo mark.

• Web development
• Firewalls
• Wireless Connectivity
• Networking
• Integration

All of those seemed like worthwhile approaches, but after a number of sketches and conversations with myself, to myself, in the company of others, I chose to explore the concept of INTEGRATION. It’s the raw, bloody heart of any networked computer system, it has an exceptionally marketable, positive message, and allows for a flexible approach.

I view this part of the design process very much like finding the borders of a thousand piece jigsaw puzzle. To solve the puzzle, you need a framework to operate within. Once that framework is established, decisions may come very quickly, but finding the heart of your approach is key to any successful design project.

Context is king.

Exploring typographic options tend to take the most of my time once the context of the logo mark is discovered. I whittle away the hours of the evening at Hoefler & Frere-Jones, looking for that typeface that properly communicates the context for which I’m searching.

In this instance, the choices came fairly quickly, but the decision took a bit of work. I wanted a generally approachable sans-serif typeface – friendly and light weight yet corporate. Caslon was in the running, as was Futura. Ultimately, I chose to work with Gill Sans. I felt the cut of the stem of the lowercase ‘t’ was particularly interesting and worked well with my theme of integration. Unfortunately, the ‘m’ didn’t want to play well in context.

Hence, artistic license. I cut the stem of the ‘m’ to complement the ‘t’ and create a manner of consistency between the two letterforms.

The next step in my design process is creating form from the previous foundation work. Having established my context from company research, chosen the iconography of my typefaces (and whatever variations to that typeface required to complement the context), I pursue the word mark, the icon, that will further complement the logo design. All letterforms, shapes, and spaces are game in this step of my process.

Exploring the context of INTEGRATION, I‘ve uploaded the important steps of this process to my Flickr account to better embellish on the flexibility, the malleability of this step. While the sketches do not clearly indicate my type choice (a conscious decision on my part to avoid restraint beyond the context I am working within), they should clearly denote my progression from one topic to another as I try to hone in on the mark.

Integration, yet simplicity. Networking. A number of computer components working in tandem, fluidly, to provide an information rich environment. One point connecting to another connecting to another.

A perfect circle colliding with the letterforms. No, not colliding. Integrating with the letterforms, yet not so much as to obscure the readability of the letterforms.

Color is the next step in my design process. There’s not much I can add here that hasn’t been stated or re-stated in one form or another on countless other design web logs. I keep color solutions simple to ensure cross media needs (clothing, print, web, etc.).

After offering a number of options to the client, exploring several approaches, we landed on squarely on blue. Cool blue with a hint of red. PMS 288.

And that’s my process. Structured, but flexible, allowing for special considerations with those picky clients. In this case, however, Ron was very satisfied with the final logo design.

To better supplement this post, I’ve included a few links below of various other logo design techniques and approaches you may want to explore when you have a moment. While I don’t necessarily agree with their respective approaches, it’s worth exploring to be informed. Finding your own rhythm is the beauty of communication design.

• How to Design a Logo from Just Creative
• How to Design a Logo from Concept to Completion from Spoon Graphics
• Find Your Identity from Peachpit

That’s a wrap. My Dell’s reluctantly silent now. I’m going to defragment her this weekend to see if this adjusts her attitude. Who knows? Maybe she’s just churning for retirement.