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 greatfull 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!

by David Howlett of Manifest Creative

It Must Be An Ego Thang

I believe that I am already one of the top logo designers and graphic artists in Montana. That might be hard to swallow for some people, but I think when you are a graphic designer you have to have a bit of an ego… you have to believe that your designs are the best. With that in mind, I honestly believe that when it comes to designing a logo, I’m one of the best identity and brand designers in Montana.

As I see it, having the desire to be the top graphic designer ultimately makes you strive that much harder to be the best graphic artist you can possibly be. That being said, I want to be the best logo designer in all of Montana. No wait… actually now that I think about it, I want to someday become one of the most iconic logo designers in the whole world. Yeah… now that’s more like it!

I know… I know… pretty lofty goals right? You’re probably left thinking, “Wow… this guy sure has a big head… what an egotistical maniac!” I can assure you that that is not the case, and for example as I write this I am experiencing one of the lowest financial points of my entire working life. In fact, it is that very hardship that is putting things in a new perspective for me. My new logic is something like this… I am a highly talented logo designer, and I should be doing a whole lot more of what I’m good at.

A Life-Long Love Affair with Logos

OK it’s true, I have a deep and meaningful love affair with logos… I can’t help it! I enjoy looking at them, researching them, writing about them, voting and commenting on them, but most of all I love the challenge of designing them. After all, logos are what made me want to get in the graphic design business to begin with, and that is a desire that began taking shape many years ago.

Although I have been drawing and sketching as long as I can remember, looking back, I think I produced what could actually be construed as my first logo way back in seventh grade. I’ve come a long way since then, and throughout my professional life as a graphic design artist I have created hundreds of various logos designs. A great many of those logos were simply playing around though, and I’m also counting designs that were not chosen or were never even shown to my clients. If I had to guess at the number of logos that are actually in use by various entities and companies, I’d have to put the total somewhere between twenty and thirty so far.

If you would like a deeper look into my history in graphic design please stay tuned and check out my next post, it will give you a fairly good overview.

The Truth Sometimes Hurts

I think being a great designer is being able to admit that I’m not always going to be the right fit as a designer for some businesses, sometimes that is just how this business goes. This has been the case several times over the course of my career, and although I hate to admit failure, it simply is part of the job every now and then. Through it all though, I always have maintained a respect for my customers, and I will always stand by my work.

The Challenge… Hire Me

I’ve already established that I think I’m one of the best logo designers in Montana. If you don’t believe me, than I advise you to take my challenge. If you need a logo designed or know of anyone that does, contact me to schedule a FREE consultation to assess your needs, and together we’ll get the process going right away.

How it Works

During your FREE initial consultation we will figure out what you would like your new logo to convey, I will provide you with a very competitive estimate for the design time involved in the process. I think you will find my rates and terms very comfortable. If you find the details of the estimate acceptable, you pay half of the project up front, and then I get right to work on your new identity.

Based on the time frame in the estimate, I will provide you with no less than the required amount of design comps that we agree on. Along with those comps, I will give you you the reasoning and strategy behind each one to help you make your choice. If you are not completely satisfied with the results at any time, my designs will go back to the studio with me and I’ll refund your deposit… you pay nothing.

Only Two Questions Remain:

Pick up the phone…  dial 406-585-9406 and ask for Dave. What have you got to lose?

I’m one of the best logo designers in Montana, so why not hire me now while I’m still affordable?