Horsepower has been a part of automotive terminology since the beginning of the automobile era, therefore I find it surprising that only a handful of automotive manufacturers have chosen to use an image of a horse as a design element of their logo or emblem. Horses have long been viewed as a universal symbol of speed, strength, power and prestige… qualities that I assumed would be quite useful in the competitive automotive field. So while doing research for a few horse logos I have designed, I was extremely shocked to come across scarcely a half dozen examples of horse logos in the entire automobile manufacturing industry. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy the six examples of automotive horse logos I was able compile for your viewing pleasure… and if I left out a few please let me know!

1. Ferrari

The Ferrari emblem is probably one of the sexiest horse logos ever designed!

2. Porsche

The Porsche emblem is one of the most recognized horse logos in the auto industry!

3: Ford Mustang

The Mustang emblem is the most famous horse logo in Ford's history.

4. Ford Bronco

The Ford Bronco Sport was the first SUV to incorporate a horse into it's logo design.

5. Ford Maverick

This horse decal/emblem adorned select Ford Maverick cars in the early 1970s.

6. Ford Pinto

The Ford Pinto emblem is just one of many horse logos in the history of Ford Motor Company.

Which one is your favorite?

I know there are only a few to choose from, but let us know which one you consider the best automotive horse logo. Also, if you know of an automobile manufacturer that I may have left out, please let me know!

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Kelly Kapinos of Signs & Designs in Bozeman, about designing a vehicle wrap for one of his clients. I had been wanting to design a wrap for awhile, and knowing that Kelly and I have worked well together on a few other projects… I jumped at the opportunity.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with “wrapping”, it is the art of printing graphic design elements on high performance vinyl and then applying that vinyl to a chosen surface. In our case, the client wanted to wrap the back half of his truck to promote his taxidermy services.

One of the first steps of this project was taking precise measurements of the vehicle, this is also one of the most important parts of the project as it determines how much vinyl it will take to achieve the desired results. Kelly took down all the measurements and then handed them off to me, along with photographs of the vehicle, so I could begin the next step of the process… finding appropriate artwork.

Searching for artwork proved to be one of the most challenging parts of the entire wrap. Our client wanted a bear snarling, which is easy enough… but finding an image large enough to be nearly life sized was difficult to say the least. Luckily for me, I eventually found a perfect image from Canadian photographer John Pitcher, and by contacting John directly, we were able to settle on a fair price for the photo.

With the photo and measurements in hand, it finally time to get to the design phase. With the creative software on my hard working Macintosh, I was able to show the client how the image would look on his vehicle before the vinyl was even printed. This also allowed Kelly the opportunity to show the client how the lettering would look as well. This allowed for any tweaking to be done and for the client to be satisfied with the overall design prior to the actual application.

I should note here that half wraps can be somewhat difficult to pull off. The challenge lies in creating a design that effectively covers half of the vehicle, but yet is designed in way that makes the transition from the paint of the vehicle to the graphic elements of the vinyl pleasing to the eye. This is something I think the design I came up with does very well, and luckily for me the client agreed too.

With the green light on the design, I burned a DVD of the rather large image files to give to Kelly. He then took the files and printed them to vinyl on his large format printer at his custom shop in Four Corners. Hours later with the printing complete, it was finally time for the highly anticipated install. It took a full day and part of another for the complete install, but as usual, Kelly did a fantastic job… and I think the finished results speak for themselves!

During the installation I talked Kelly into letting me tag along and snap some photos of the process. Check out the install photos for an idea of the hard work involved in creating a wrap like this. After seeing it in person, my sincere congratulations go to Kelly and the team at Signs & Designs for a job very well done.

Well that’s it for now, but keep your eye out for this rolling billboard around the streets of Bozeman. I hope you get to see it in person, because the photos in this post really don’t do it justice. As always, please leave us your comments below.

I simply love logo design… it is a passion of mine, and with each new logo I create, I love it even more. Over the last several months I have created many logos for Montana businesses. Some of them are for actual customers, some of them are for friends/family, a few of them are just exercises in design and I also have a number of them available for sale as well. I wanted to post and share these designs for the sake of discussion, and to provide inspiration for myself and the valued readers of this blog.

This post is just a recent sampling of my professional logo design portfolio. You can view a great selection of logos I have designed by visiting the following sites:

LogoPond: http://logopond.com/members/profile/showcase/18675

Brandstack: http://brandstack.com/users/profile/SuperDave4eva

LogoGala: http://www.logogala.com/designer/details/david-howlett/

Creattica: http://creattica.com/creatives/david-howlett-manifest-creative/1598

As you read you will notice that several of these logos are available for purchase. If you are interested in purchasing one of these logos, please let me know and we’ll work something out. So without further ado, I happily present to you this latest batch of logos… enjoy!

Decipher Translation Services

This logo was made for a company that specializes in translating foreign languages. The mark was designed to be an interwoven ‘D’ that resembled a Celtic knot and specific attention was paid to the overall flow of the typeface.

CoreGroup (for sale)

I designed this logo after a similar concept got turned down, but I really liked how the ‘c’ and ‘g’ fit together… so I decided to stick with it. I’m glad I stuck with it too… because this is one of my most popular logos at LogoPond and Brandstack. This is a great general purpose logo, and could be used well for a number of different industries. This professional brand is currently for sale and if you’re interested in it, please mention you saw it on this blog… and I’ll be happy to knock a few bucks off of it.

TakeVacation.biz

This logo was designed for a friend of mine for his travel business. He needed a logo that instantly portrayed “tropical vacation”, and palm trees fit the bill perfectly. Check out the logo in use on his website, and while your at it plan a trip… a tropical vacation is just what you need!

One Step Up

I created this logo for a preschool that helps children with physical disabilities and/or other special needs adjust and integrate into the regular school system. This was a fun logo to design, and everyone involved was very happy with the finished result. You can see the logo in use at the One Step Up website.

RaceKart (for sale)

This is a mock-logo that I designed as a fun side project for an area of interest that I have… go kart racing. This logo is currently for sale, and would be perfect for a racing kart manufacturer, race track, racing club or a myriad of other uses in the go kart racing scene.

Chasin’ Tail

This logo is proudly displayed on a fishing boat and was designed as a gift for a good friend of mine. This is a custom vector illustration of a fly fishing lure that ended up looking amazingly realistic. It looks great on the back of his boat, and he gets a lot of comments from his friends and fishing buddies!

Tight Line Adventures

Speaking of fishing, check out this custom logo that I created for a professional guide and outfitter based in Dillon, Montana. This logo is one of my personal favorites, and features a bunch of custom designed illustrative elements. The client actually gave me one of the best testimonials I have ever received – “The logo looks really great, and everyone I show it too just raves about it. I love it and after looking at tons of other fishing logos…this one kicks the crap out of all of them. You did an excellent job and I’m very excited to market my business with this logo!” – Justin Hartman

Fire Bird

This is another logo that I designed on a whim. Ok, I’ll admit it… I have a thing for tribal flames. One day I was wondering how the phoenix would look all done in tribal flames, so I went to work and this is the result. I think it looks pretty cool as a logo, and my friends think the illustration would make for a bad-ass tattoo!

Common Ground

A friend of ours runs a landscaping and grounds maintenance company and wanted some tweaking done to his original logo that my business partner Philip created for him years ago. We came up with this simple brand that was very close to the original, but more elegant and refined to help reflect how his company has grown and matured.

Super 8 Hotel

As a logo designer, sometimes you simply have to have a little fun… that was my motivation for designing this logo. I think this really puts the “Super” into this logo for a well known chain of hotels. I had a lot of fun designing this, and who knows… maybe someday a head honcho at Super 8 will see it and chuckle!

Snow (for sale)

On a particularly snowy day in Bozeman, I got the inspiration for this playful logo. I really like the use of snow to create the white space that makes this logo work. This “cool” logo is for sale, and could work well for a number of different industries… especially here in Montana.

Suncrave (for sale)

Well you can’t have a logo featuring snow, without also designing one for summer… so here you go! This is a mock logo that would be great for a clothing company specializing in beach wear! Admittedly, this one could use some work and probably seems a bit unfinished… something I’ll work next time I’m feeling sunny!

Red Rise (for sale)

Here is another logo featuring the sun, but in this instance it happens to be the rising sun of Japan. This logo is very modern and precise, perfect for a technology company or an entertainment studio. It is also up for grabs and awaiting a buyer.

JR’s Truck Repair

JR is a great local mechanic who needed a nice logo to help grow his new business. Although he has some of the best rates in town (call him at 406-595-0415), he needed a logo that had a very professional appearance and also depicted his mechanical ability. He loved the results!

Dance of Love (for sale)

This is a fine example of how a simple idea can turn into a really cool illustration. I wanted to make a heart out of the negative space between two dancers, something I think I executed very well. I do have some beef with this logo though… as it has been for sale for quite a while now!

Green Tree Service (for sale)

Here is another logo designed just for the fun of it. I love the way the leaves are made from the negative space in the lettering. The typeface was also completely custom created for a look you won’t find anywhere else. This one is also for sale, and ready just in time for the summer season!

Which logo is your favorite?

Well that is all I have for now. Please leave me your comments below and be sure to share these logos with your friends if you enjoyed them. Also if you are in the market for award-winning graphic design, please contact me so we can get to work setting up your FREE consultation.

Thanks for looking, and I hope you enjoyed the post!

Cheers!

A few months go I was contacted by Justin Hartman of Tight Line Adventures, in Dillon MT who was interested in a new logo design. While communicating with Justin, it became very clear that Justin had put considerable thought into what he wanted for his brand identity. Below is an excerpt from one of his early messages:

“…I think the name and meaning of the business needs to be depicted in the logo somehow. ‘Tight Line’ in fishing terms means keeping a tight line connection between the rod and the fish…hence “Tight Line”. I was thinking that it may look good placed in the lettering somehow. A rod with a tight line? Lettering with a tight line? Something like that. Be creative with it and play around with the ideas. But I think it is necessary to play along with the “Tight Line” language.”

Justin also was hoping for a logo that had illustrative elements that could stand alone during his marketing efforts. It wasn’t long before I had come up with a rough logo design based on Justin’s input, along with a fair amount of creative tweaking of my own accord. The final logo design was essentially three custom graphic elements, (1) a drift boat with guide and fisherman, (2) a distinctive typeface, and (3) a trout stylized in the shape of an ‘e’.

Here is the finished logo design:

With the logo finalized, Justin was very eager to put it into use, so we got right to work designing the core elements of his identity – this included business cards, letterhead, and envelopes. By separating a few of the the graphic design elements of the logo, we were able to design an identity package that had great continuity and really emphasized the brand.

Justin’s finished identity package:

Soon after Justin’s identity package was finished, we also began designing his website and advertising brochure. These items both used the interchanging elements from the logo and identity to keep the look and feel of the marketing materials consistent. You can check out the Tight Line Adventures website at http://www.tightlinemontana.com, and you can have a look at his photo-filled brochure below:

At this point Tight Line Adventures had a very professional and well rounded marketing and branding platform, but Justin still had other plans. As a Montana outfitter and guide, Justin was well aware that his clientele often would purchase apparel (hats, shirts, jackets, etc.) as part of their Montana fly fishing experience. Knowing this, Justin choose to have his logo embroidered and screen printed on various clothing items to sell to customers, and to provide to his guides for further promotion.

Talk about branding power, these photos say it all!

Big fish and even bigger smiles!

Justin Hartman holding Jessica's freshly caught fish.

Another big trout with the angler wearing some Tight Line Adventures swag!

Not one to miss an advertising opportunity, Justin also had us design his logo and information into vinyl decals that he had installed on his vehicle’s rear window. When taking clients on drift boat trips down the river, Justin’s truck often sits at fishing access sites for hours at a time. Having the Tight Line Adventures logo on his truck allows him to advertise to the very customers he would like to attract, at areas they are already frequenting. It also looks sharp where ever he chooses to travel, and is a rolling advertisement for his services.

Window decals can be a great way to advertise your business.

Tight Line Adventures is a fine example of what to do when it comes to identity and branding. I think any business can take a page from Justin’s playbook – use your identity and branding when ever and where ever possible. Look for advertising and marketing opportunities and capitalize on them, only then will you realize the true value and potential that branding can have on your business.

If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends. Also, if you have any questions about logo design, identity, branding, advertising or common sense marketing, please give Manifest Creative a call at 406-585-9406. We would to hear from you, and discuss how we can help your business as well!

From time to time, I help my Twitter friends out by designing a custom background for their Twitter page. While this is mostly a hobby, I do enjoy it as a creative exercise. If you’re interested in having us design your background, start by checking out a few Twitter profiles we’ve branded (see below), then contact me via Twitter or give us a call!

If you have a smidgen of Photoshop experience, and a basic knowledge of monitor resolutions, you can design your branded Twitter page yourself. To help you along the way, I’m posting the Twitter Photoshop template that we begin with. Here’s a small, JPEG preview to give you the general idea. You can download the ZIP file below!

This Photoshop template defines the header area, the safest areas for your content, and swatches to help you further customize your profile. Guides and different resolutions will help you to visualize how your background will look on the Twitter.com website.

Download the Photoshop Twitter background template

Download Twitter Photoshop Template (ZIP file, 0.80 MB)

Twitter profiles that Manifest Creative has designed

If you’re interested in having Manifest Creative design your custom branded Twitter profile, give us a call, or follow @manifestphil on Twitter!

• @MontanaBusiness
• @MichelleMontana
• @DomainScript
• @BSTC
• @jmangan
• @BigSkyMont
• @BozemanMT

More Twitter Design Resources

• Twitter Background Design How-To and Best Practices
• How to design perfect Twitter background
• 13 Tutorials & Resources for a Perfect Twitter Background
• Twitter Backgrounds Gallery
• 100+ Remarkably Beautiful Twitter Icons And Buttons
• Stock.Xchang – Good resource for free stock images

Did you find this template helpful?

Consider Tweeting this post, or bookmarking on your favorite social website!

Twitter background design questions?

Leave us a comment below and we’ll do our best to help out in a timely manner.

THE ESPERANZA CENTER, a community-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides SW Montana youth and their families with equine-facilitated education and therapy, announces that its new logo, designed by David Howlett of Bozeman’s Manifest Creative, has been awarded the Logo Of The Day award for February 6, 2009 by the internationally-recognized logo-design website www.logooftheday.com. Manifest Creative, a Bozeman graphic design and web development company, has generously donated its services to help share The Esperanza Center’s alternative education and therapy vision with the community. The Esperanza Center gratefully thanks Manifest Creative and congratulates David Howlett for the well-deserved, professional award.

The community is invited to view, comment, and vote for the new logo design on www.logooftheday.com. For more information about The Esperanza Center visit www.theesperanzacenter.com or call 406.600-4022. Contact Manifest Creative at www.manifestbozeman.com or by calling 406.585.9406.

You can view the logo in use at the Esperanza Center’s temporary website:

http://www.theesperanzacenter.com

You can also view a cool animated progression of the logo development:

http://manifestbozeman.com/blog/2008/12/19/cool-animation-of-the-progression-of-a-logo/

And if you you still want more info, you can read the full story behind the logo progression:

http://manifestbozeman.com/blog/2008/12/17/logo-progression-local-non-profit-gets-a-new-look/

Thanks for stopping by the Manifest Creative marketing blog! Please be sure to vote for the Esperanza Center logo and as always, we would love to hear your comments!

Since I’ve been blogging a fair amount about logo design lately, I figured I had better post a few examples. Please note that I think some of these logos are truly great, but admittedly there are a few in this batch that I wish I could re-design. Either way, here they are for your review with some brief explanations of each. I hope you enjoy…

1. The Esperanza Center

This has to be the best logo I have designed so far. The idea for the illustration came to me almost instantly after meeting the client. This logo started as a great idea, and with a little refinement it turned out extraordinary!

2. Full Circle Indoor Kart Racing

Apart from being some of the coolest logos I have worked on, the company and it’s owner are a few of my favorites as well! I can’t take all the credit for this one though, as the sweet go kart illustration was created by a talented artist and great friend of mine Steve Downer. As you can see, this client wanted several looks to his identity to accomplish varying goals. I think the results speak for themselves!

3. RainDrain Seamless Gutters

The interesting part of this logo is the the rain droplets that are used to dot the “i”s were simply taken out the “R” and “a”s used in the word RainDrain and rotated. It is so subtle that it is almost sublime, but I think it finishes this logo perfectly.

4. SpeedZone

I was stoked at the chance to design this logo for a company that sells performance bike parts. The coolest thing is that this company is a mobile operation that actually travels to BMX racing facilities for at the track accessibility! This logo features a custom illustration that I designed to capture the excitement of BMX racing.

5. Equine Design

As you can see this logo incorporates a horse as part of the letter “Q” in equine. I plan on using this this logo to help market graphic design for the equine industry.

6. Parris Racing Concepts

One of the most recent logos I’ve designed also is becoming one of my personal favorites. This company is trying to revolutionize the two stroke industry with their custom crankshaft modification. They needed a bold and exciting logo that could aide them in building their brand, and help establish a strong footing in the two stroke racing community. I think this logo does the trick!

7. McAllister Contracting

This is one of the first logos that I designed after Phil and I decided to start Manifest Creative a few years ago. I still really enjoy this logo and it looks great on the McAllister company vehicles!

8. Mental Health Providers Association of Idaho

With a name like Mental Health Providers Association of Idaho, this organization needed a logo that could be quickly recognized. The client really enjoys this logo, and it works well for their branding needs.

9. Tombstone Choppers

I actually created this logo for a friend of mine, and it really came together smoothly. I like the way the wheels and tires of the motorcycle make up the “o”s in the word Tombstone. Now if I could just get my friend to send me the sweatshirt they had made with this logo on it, I would be a real happy guy!

10. AllPhase

I designed this logo for my little brother’s company. The logo worked great, until his business partner skipped town with the money and left a great many jobs undone. Unfortunately my brother was left high and dry trying to satisfy disgruntled customers and clean up the aftermath.

11. Pops’s & Son Garage

I came up with this logo while designing a t-shirt for a friend of mine. He really got a kick out of it, and the shirts (which also incorporated a custom illustrated rock-crawling Jeep) ended up looking pretty cool.

12. AdventureFriends.net

This logo was designed for a social website that never quite got off the ground… I still like the logo though.

13. Montana Golden Retrievers

Golden Retrievers sure make great dogs, so I wanted this logo for a local dog breeder to look fun and stand out from other breeders in the area. The funky typeface and custom illustration of this logo help it get right to the point!

14. Alternative Flooring

I really like the idea behind this logo. That being said, I would welcome the opportunity to redesign it, as I feel it could have been executed much better. This is one that I wish I hadn’t shown the client, because I feel that some of the other logo designs we originally came up with were far more powerful.

15. Alternative Waterscapes

After designing the Alternative Flooring logo, the client wanted a similar logo for their other business as well. This is another logo that I feel could benefit from better overall execution, but I still like the water ripples around the “p”.

Closing Remarks

Although I am extremely fond of some of the above logos, I’ll admit that there are a few in here that I don’t think portray my best work. All in all, each of these logos has provided me with a learning experience that I am grateful for. I love designing logos and I can’t wait until my next opportunity to create one.

That brings me to the point that I even posted all these logos to begin with… I want new work! So if you or anyone you know of are in need of a new logo, or graphic design work of any kind for that matter,  please do not hesitate to call and hire me. I would be happy to take on the project and with any luck add a few more logos to the list!

Perfomance Company Required a Logo that Performs

Parris Racing Concepts, Inc. of Bozeman, Montana is an exciting new entry into the world of motor sports. Owners Steve and John Parris believe that their patented crankshaft modifications are set to revolutionize the two stroke industry. With that in mind they contacted Manifest Creative to come up with a bold and exciting logo that could aide them in building their brand, and help them establish a strong footing in the two stroke racing community. To achieve those goals they needed a logo that shouts “race, performance and speed”. It also had to be a logo that would work great as decal on a snowmobile, motorcycle, or any other high performance two stroke machine.

About Parris Racing Concepts Inc.

The company’s owners are Steve and John Parris of Bozeman, MT. Their patented crankshaft modification works by cutting veins into the crank halves of the crankshaft. Further details of their product can be found at their soon to be re-designed website www.parrisracingconcepts.com. The amazing part is that machines utilizing their modified crankshafts have seen horsepower gains of up to 24%… that is news to makes any two stroke enthusiast’s ears perk up!

Highlights of the New Logo

The logo was designed to work well either alone by itself or in a group of other logos on a sponsored racing machine. Right away you will notice two symbols prevalent in the racing world. The first is “RR” which stands for “race ready”. The second is a star used as the dot for the “i” in Parris. The “RR” and “star” colors were designed to change based on the manufacturer of which ever racing machine the crankshafts are installed in (eg: green for Arctic Cat and Kawasaki, red for Honda ect.). In turn, this logo packs a lot of branding potential and looks great when applied as a decal onto any high performance two stroke machine.

Looking to the Future

While the modiefied crankshafts are still going to require further research and development, the results so far have been fantastic. Parris Racing Concepts are in negotiations with several racing teams in the snowmobile and motocross scenes, and their test machines are performing at or above projected levels. So I advise keeping your eyes on PRC as they continue to grow. Up next on the radar for the company are updated promotional materials and a powerful new website which are being created by Manifest Creative. So as we see it, the future looks mighty bright…

Here is a quick post with an interesting animation of the progression of a logo. This animation is part of a logo design for the Esperanza Center in Bozeman, Montana. This non profit organization has been the beneficiary of some engaging pro bono graphic design and web development by Manifest Creative. If you want to learn more about this logo, please see the full article.

A couple months ago my business partner Philip and I had the pleasure of sitting down with Leif Hallberg of the Esperanza Center to discuss the possible revisions of the organization’s identity. Leif is a former horse trainer turned mental health professional, and she is also the Esperanza Center’s founder and director. The Esperanza Center itself is a 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization that provides alternative education and therapeutic experiences inspired by the natural world and horse-human interactions.

During the conversation Phil and I agreed to take on the Esperanza Center as a non-profit client and began formulating a plan for a much needed updating of the marketing materials and identity. The plan would include a new logo, business cards, informational brochure and other related items including a simple website.

Retiring the original logo

As any good designer knows, one of the first things you must iron out when working on any business’s  identity is the logo. As the Esperanza Center’s logo will be the key element in designing all the rest of the organization’s promotional materials, we decided to take a peek at the old logo. Here is what the original logo looked like:

My main concern with the original logo was that I felt it was very plain. I was also not a big fan of the fonts that were used or that the entire text of the logo was in all caps. It wasn’t a terrible logo either though, and I did like that the original logo had a few shapes going on that stuck out to me. Can you see the horse, the mountain and the tree?

After our review of the original logo, we collectively decided that the Esperanza Center would need a new logo to help better brand the organization. Even as we simply spoke about the concept of a new logo, my mind started to chew away on some ideas. As the meeting drew to a close Leif, Phil and I loosely organized a plan of attack and there was a buzz of excitement in the air

An epiphany of inspiration

Once the meeting was over and we had parted ways for the afternoon, it was time to head for the office and get to work. That is when it happened… on the way out to the car an idea for the new logo hit me, and I scrambled for a piece of paper to jot it down. I obsessed about it during the entire ride home, and by the time we made it back to the studio I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted.

That evening I eagerly dove right into Illustrator CS2 and rather quickly came up with a rough illustration. Being as the Esperanza Center specializes in the interactions between horses and humans for therapeutic healing, I wanted to make that aspect very apparent in the design of the logo. My intent was for a Yin and Yang feel between a horse and a human, and in doing so I opted for a circular design.

Once I had the general concept designed I ran the idea by my business partner. Philip really liked the concept, but he felt that the overall design was a little too abstract. He also mentioned that although the shape of the horse jumped right out at him, the human form was not very easy to discern.

Some quick edits

Still very encouraged, I decided to make another attempt at it before calling it quits for the evening. I should note that at this point I did not feel that the text of the logo was nearly as important of a factor as the illustration itself, so I opted to leave it out. With some quick editing I was satisfied with a “muppet-like” revised version before shutting the G5 off for the night.

The next day I decided to show the logo to some friends to get their valuable input. Again I was informed that they too found the human form a bit abstract in comparison to the horse, so I finally gave in that it was time to go back to the drawing board.

First series of major revisions

This time I wanted to make the logo dramatically more life like, so I worked on the hands, the head and the shoulder of the human form. By doing so, the logo really started being more than a simple illustration and more of a piece of artwork. Suddenly the illustration took on a sense of emotion all it’s own, and it began to really evoke feelings in the people that I was showing it to.

The hard part about doing pro bono work is finding the time to fit work on it between paying gigs. Since it had already been about a week and a half since our initial meeting, I decided that the time was right to show Lief the progress of the logo. So I arranged a meeting, and a few days later I was headed to the Bozeman Public Library with my laptop in tow for a mini-review.

While I waited at the library for Leif to arrive I was somewhat nervous, even though I was very curious to get her response about the proposed idea. This nervousness was due largely because Philip had recently spoke with her and through his description of the logo, she had not seemed very interested. So I did what I generally in do in those situations… I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best!

Once Leif arrived I was able to breathe a sigh of relief because the first review of the logo ended up being relative success. I showed Leif all three of the designs I had come up with so far, and she loved the concept. I opted to leave her with some prints of the designs, and told her to show the logo to some of her friends and also share it with the volunteers at the Esperanza Center. As we parted ways that afternoon I felt confident that we were on the right track, and I was very relieved to have passed the initial review.

Some constructive criticism

The holidays were sneaking up on us fast, and as Thanksgiving weekend came and went, I was out of touch with the Esperanza Center for a little over a week. Not too long after the holiday I got an email from Leif detailing her thoughts on version three of the logo. She gave me some great news by explaining that people were really connecting with the illustration at an emotional level, and that most people agreed that it was very “powerful”.

With the good news came a little bad too, because at the same time the illustration was receiving praise, it was also creating some general concerns. For one, people found it too hard to tell which way the human was facing – most people thought the human was facing towards the viewer, not towards the horse. This made the human form’s neck and shoulder look a bit funny, and in turn made the logo seem “distorted”, “uncomfortable” or just plain “weird”.

It wasn’t just the human form in the illustration taking criticism though, Leif was also told that the horse looked “scary” or “aggressive”, and some people actually suggested that the horse “resembled a dragon”! By taking these comments into consideration, it was now clearly obvious that further revisions were in order.

Getting better all the time

With the redesign in version four I changed the horse’s mane to look more like hair, and I gave the animal a more friendly eye too. I also changed the shoulder of the human form and added an elbow.

At this point I was feeling quite inspired, so I opted to play with some coloring as well. I really felt that we were getting the logo dialed in, so I also mocked up the logo text to go along with everything else.

I then sent the logo over to Leif for review with a good sense of optimism… I was confident that we were close to getting the logo finalized.

The next day brought a fresh email from Leif with additional suggestions and further praise. She wrote that people were remarking the logo as both “powerful and inviting”, and they agreed that we had “really came across something” with it’s elegant design.

That being said, they also commented that in proportion the human form was too big, and the horse seemed entirely too small. It was also stated that the human form still looked distorted, and people felt that the left arm of the figure was in a physically impossible position. The general suggestion was to make the human look more comfortable, smaller, and with more definition regarding what it’s body was doing.

Encouraged by the critiques

At this stage I engaged into further revisions with with renewed fervor. I made the human smaller, and revised the arms, shoulder, and hands considerably. I also tilted the head upwards. These changes again made dramatic improvements and it started taking on some very realistic qualities. Needless to say, I was very pleased as to what direction the logo was taking.

Feeling fairly satisfied with the entire logo, I sent an email of the revised illustration to Leif. To me it was really beginning to feel like a piece of art, and that brings a sense of pride that rarely comes from designing something as simple as a logo.

Leif called me back that very day, and gave me perhaps the best compliment on the logo that I had received thus far. She said that someone had told her the “the logo perfectly embodied the therapeutic bond between humans and horses.” This was exactly what we were trying for, and I was very flattered at the least.

Putting flattery aside, the conversation wasn’t all good news… it turned out that people who really knew horses still felt the left arm of the human form was at an uncomfortable/nearly impossible angle. This was a real sticking point, and I think both the Esperanza Center and myself were starting to feel some frustration. We weren’t about to give up on the concept though, because as Leif put it, “It’s just such a great design, we have to be able to make it work!”

Going to the source

The good news was that both the client and I were committed to getting the logo finished, but the bad news was that time was starting to run short. At this point Phil and I decided to head for one of our favorite coffee shops to meet with Leif and go over where things were at. As we sipped our hot drinks, we devised a plan to actually go out to the horse pasture with Lief for a photo shoot… thus ensuring I could get the dimensions spot on. Why I had not done this simple step to begin with is beyond me, and looking back I probably could have saved myself some valuable time.

A few days later Phil and I found ourselves out at the Esperanza Center, and snapped some photos of Leif hugging her horse. This made all the difference, and as soon as we got back to the studio it didn’t take long for me to knock out three more versions of the illustration.

I then showed the revised versions of logos to Philip and a few of my other friends and colleagues. After a short debate we all decided on the last version to produce for Leif and the Esperanza Center. I added the logo text to it and sent it off for another review.

Success!

“YES YES YES WE LOVE IT – GREAT GREAT WORK!!!!!!!” was the excited response from the Esperanza Center just a short while later. They said they couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out, and honestly neither could I. We are amazed by the response to the new logo, as it seems to really strike a chord in people who view it. I would dare to say that is one of the strongest logos I have produced in a quite some time.

Although we still have to decide what color the logo will be, the grey scale version is completely finished. The logo’s first use will be on this season’s holiday card which should be printed any day now. I can’t wait to see how it looks in print and I look forward to using it as we design the rest of the Esperanza Center’s materials.

An animation of logo progression

As a special treat, I offer a simple logo progression animation for the readers of this post. I think it is a great example of the tweaks that go into producing a great logo.

Well that is all for now, but keep checking in on us regularly as we will be keeping the blog updated with all kinds of informational and useful posts in the near future. In closing I hope that you all enjoyed this post and I beg you to please leave a comment on what this logo speaks to you personally.

Additional Info

For more information on the Esperanza Center and the services they can provide, please call Leif Hallberg at 406-600-4022. Some exciting news is that Leif has recently published a new book. If you are interested,  I invite you to check it out at http://www.walkingthewayofthehorse.com for more information.