What’s in a logo? Unpacking the new CODE logo
Earlier this year we decided that we needed to refresh the CODE brand to be more in line with where the business is currently at. We wanted to energise the look and feel of our brand.
Seen above is the old logo which, while it served its purpose, was perhaps a bit one dimensional. We elected to work with brand specialists One Day Company on refreshing our brand identity, starting with the logo.
Together we identified the following deliverables for the logo, as briefed to the logo designer Brett Webb:
1. To reinforce the brand principles of collaborative design by breaking CODE down into its two key constituents
2. To differentiate the meaning from the word “code” – commonly associated with IT
3. To emphasis the design ethos of the brand
4. To align the design aesthetic of the identity with the brand ethos: forward-thinking, bold, design-driven, collaborative by nature
For inspiration we looked to various logos that we thought effectively capture the essence of a particular brand. Above is a collection of some of our favourites.
Concept
The overarching concept was to create a sense of design in the design of the logo to represent the design aesthetic of the brand.
Structurally the logo is very strong, which alludes to our work in architectural spaces as much as in design. The two colours work to provide balance and further separate the “collaborative” and the “design”, as was a key requirement in the initial brief.
The contemporary curves add a touch of elegance, without compromising the professionalism imbued by the logo or diminishing the all-important “design” of the design.
Standing tall over two lines, the hierarchy evident in the letters is another reference to our unwavering belief in the power of creative collaboration. The interlocking letters was the key outcome referencing collaboration.
Through this evolution the logo went from being a “stamp” to something more meaningful – something that embodies the brand value.
Evolution
From the collage above it is evident that the logo design really was an evolutionary process, with countless tweaks, moves, revisions and reconsiderations.
Through various iterations and revision we flipped the design, but never the concept.
Throughout the “logo journey” our commitment to the concept has remained steadfast, but we did allow ourselves to embrace the process of design – much like we encourage our clients to do – to let the process lead us to where it needed to go!
Creative leading the creative
A particularly interesting aspect of this process was working with fellow creatives. Typically we’re the creatives on a project, but this time we had to take a step back to allow other experts to take the lead on what they know best. It was a very insightful experience and certainly renewed our appreciation for the creative process and affirmed the value of collaboration for us yet again.
The vale of the design process is going through the motions to get to a solution that you didn’t even know you wanted or needed.
Long live the logo
Needless to say, we love the final logo. We’re excited about building value and equity into it to reflect the true value of our work. We look forward to seeing how the logo can impact our growth and inform our creative development.