Lambi-Nairn, the branding agency responsible for O2, Hotels.com and BBC2 promotions, to name a few, are responsible for the new branding on BBC News. For a cool £550.000, the agency has produced a new look which has caused little stir in the media apart from a half hearted attempt to criticise it for causing epileptic fits, unfounded apparently, the new design complies with guidelines and has passed tests for flashing images.

The BBC wanted to keep certain elements of their existing branding, including the logo, the font, the red and the use of the globe.

It’s easy to underestimate the amount of work involved in redesigning a logo, keeping certain characteristics does provide some boundaries for the logo designer but to actually create a fresh new logo design requires concentrated work and of course, imagination.

The Office of Government Commerce spent £14,000 on a new logo design. Simple circles for the letters OGC, looks striking and contemporary, but after the new logo was unveiled and various promotional office equipment emblazoned with the new design, employees were quick to see what the logo designer missed, the amusing double entendre when the logo is viewed on it’s side.

The criticism of the branding was brush aside by the OGC, a spokesman standing up the the bespoke logo design said ‘we concluded that the effect was generic to the particular combination of the letters’.

And as with the London Olympic logo, it is thought that any response is better than no response!

Easy-check, a referencing agency, came to us in December 2007 asking for a new company logo design. But as sometimes happens, setting up a new online business involves a lot of work and often takes longer than expected. We were more than happy to pick up where we left off with easy-check and complete the design process with them several months later.

The design brief from our client, requested ‘clean bold contemporary lines, eye catching and memorable colour (orange as main colour)’.

We hope to be working with easy-check on their new web site design, creating a web site that works well with their new branding.

Intro, a London Consultancy, have created a logo design for The British Council programme on climate change.

The logo ‘LOW CARBON FUTURES’ used a green arrow pointing down with the words stamped heavily on the arrow.

The new logo design will be used in multitude of ways including print and website.

Launched this week in London’s Selfridges, a Rosé Champagne by Bollinger. The graphic designer, Lewis Moberly, who has offices in Paris and London, and who created the original identity has chosen to use pink pearlised foil with a similar colour and effect on the box, with a classic and minimal use of text. Overall the look is conservative and there is always a danger when using those warm pink colours that a prosthesis will instantly spring to mind. Still who cares if your are enjoying a chilled glass of Champagne!

The YMCA are about to unveil banners designed for a brand new community centre in King’s Cross in London. Although in the heart of London, health and economic deprivation is high in the area. One KX is a community healthy living centre helping local people by offering friendly inspiration and education for health in mind and body.

The new banners are designed by YMCA’s in house graphic designer, Ketan Raval, who said, ‘The brief was to create a piece of work that represents the communities that use the facilities.’ They are rich in colour and movement and will inspire all ages and nationalities.

See them at http://www.ymca.co.uk/prread.php?id=51

Anyone who reads our blog, will be aware of how passionate we are about ‘green’ issues. Which is why we were very happy when Solar Simple came to us for their new logo design. They are installers of photovoltaic panels which are generally used on roof tops to absorb energy from the sun. Although our logo designer offered 6 different logo design concepts, our client already had a strong impression of what he wanted -

” …to have the LAR of SOLAR higher than the rest so it looks like a panel on a roof, also in different colours so that it also reads SO SIMPLE”

The final logo design was developed from that first initial idea.

Solar Simple signed up for our top package, business advantage. Business advantage includes bespoke logo design, stationery design for both desk top print and professional print. It also includes a Word document with your new letterhead design in place, also includes an email template so your logos will go out to all your clients and potential clients looking smart, with your new logo in place, plus your contact details with links.

BUSINESS ADVANTAGE LOGO - logo design & stationery design, plus print ready artwork

When considering a new logo design for their business, I am sure potential clients are interested in how to brief LogoPro logo designers. Our company blog is a useful way of discussing the various aspects of our service and we occasionally quote excerpts from our clients briefs to show how very brief or extensive our clients submissions forms can be.

Forgetful elephant came to LogoPro with just one requirement - ‘I would like a cartoon style elephant in the logo’. Inspiration for cartoon elephants is quite easy to come by, elephants are universally liked and feature often in cartoons and illustrations. Also photographic reference is easily sourced on the internet. We offered our client 6 unique designs to choose from and were very happy when they chose a stylish and simple logo design that incorporated a slice of bread in the design, a subtle link to the core business.

Our sandwich bar logo design can be seen at www.forgetfulelephant.net.

If you would like to comment on this article or on any aspect of our online logo design service, leave a message here or via our contact us page.

We have just completed a new logo design for a company called Krysalis - Occupational Therapy Consultancy & Rehabilitation Service. The company sent us an interesting brief explaining in detail their areas of expertise. Of course the name Krysalis immediately conjures up images of transformation and butterflies, but this was not something the client wanted. Looking for a more business like image, they suggested we look at the possible use of the brain, neurons or axons. Ah… the wonders of the internet, from a standing start our graphic designer became something of an authority on the workings of the brain, understanding is all important in any design work.

In a span of 10 to 15 years the way graphic designers work has changed dramatically. The drawing board, Rapidograph drawing pens and stock of Pantone paper and Letraset sit rotting in a dark and dusty storeroom. We often sketch a few ideas in the initial stages of our design work but mainly we sit at our computers, our brain bulging and backsides spreading as we absorb more and more ideas, information and misinformation from the world wide web. The speed at which ideas and designs can be put out is phenomenal compared to pre PC or Mac days. Young designers would find it difficult to comprehend an era where you ordered a few words from a typesetting house, an outside company, having already decided on the font and the exact size and spacing required. Waiting patiently for it to arrive the next day via courier, so you could paste it into your artwork!

Has graphic design and more specifically logo design improved because of new technology?

New logo design for Good Reason, an ebay trading company looking to improve their style. The design brief seemed a bit tricky to begin with, with no obvious images to identify the business -

“Our company primarily sells business, office and industrial goods. We could be selling absolutely anything.”

Being an online logo design company, we almost never meet our clients face to face. While this save on time consuming meetings, it means we have to look carefully at the brief provided and do our research via the internet or sometimes we resort to using our in house library!

We offered 6 bespoke logo design concepts to Good Reason, and working together developed ideas from 2 of the designs offered. The new goodreason.co.uk website home page is online but the rest of the site is still under construction.