Shannon Halycz Brand Guide
November, 2022 | School Project - Wilfrid Laurier University
Project Type: Individual
Developing a brand identity & guide for Shannon Halycz
November, 2022 | School Project - Wilfrid Laurier University
Project Type: Individual
Developing a brand identity & guide for Shannon Halycz
This project aims to create a distinctive brand identity for myself through logo design, semi-comps exploration, final logo development, and stationary items (envelopes and business cards). A brand guide will also be created to ensure consistency and cohesion across all brand assets.
Before this project I had previously established a distinct brand identity for myself. However, I no longer felt that it represented who I was today. This project provided me with the opportunity to re-imagine what the objectives of my brand were and how I wanted to present myself. Before I began the initial sketches of my brands new logo, I reflected upon my previous brand guide to help me analyze what did and didn't end up working (colour schemes, typography, etc). By doing this, I was able to set some goals for my brands re-imagined identity.
Here are a few issues I identified:
Here is my previous logo:
Creating initial sketches is a crucial step in the logo design process. Sketching allows me to visually express and explore ideas to ensure a well-rounded and creative foundation for the final design. Going into this step, I already knew from the assessment of my pre-existing logo that I wanted to keep an "S" as the primary focus of this new design. I also realized that I no longer wanted to prioritize the inclusion of the "H" from my last name (Halycz) in it. Coming to this conclusion helped me when brainstorming different ideas.
For this specific step I drew a total of 90 different variations of the logo.
Here are a few of the sketches:
Only 4 sketches were selected for this stage of the project.
Here are the selected sketches:
Semi-comps of the selected sketches were created to provide a intermediate stage for refining and fine-tuning my concepts. This step ensured the alignment of the final logo with my brand's refined identity.
While developing the semi-comps, I experimented with various colours and concept to approach the logo design with an open mind. Doing so allowed me to break free from the limitations of my previous brand identity and explore new possibilities.
Here are some of my developed semi-comps:
Following this stage, I choose one of the semi-comps for further refinement and finalization of the logo. The criteria for this selection process was simple.
Once the final logo concept was developed, different variations were created to help ensure the designs versatility and adaptability. These variations include versions with and without text, grayscale, and black-and-white options. Each variation serves a specific purpose, allowing the logo to seamlessly fit into various contexts, from digital to print and different backgrounds. By taking this step, I can ensure that my brand stays consistent and is adaptable, which will help strengthen my logo's visual impact and recognition in various settings.
Here are a few of these variations:
One of the requirements for this project was the creation of 3 stationary items for my brand. These items included a business card, an envelope and a letter head. During the design process, I meticulously integrated the brand's established visual elements, including the logo, colour palette, and typography, into the layout of each item.
The primary objective of this project was to develop a comprehensive brand style guide that would serve as the foundation of my brand's visual identity. The brand guide would be used as a reference document that would encase instructions for logo usage, colour schemes, typography, and specific design elements of my brand. By establishing this guide, I can more efficiently ensure the consistency and cohesiveness in all brand assets.
As I had previously established a brand identity for myself, one of the biggest challenges I faced in completing this project was stepping away from my previous design for the logo. Many of my initial attempts at a reimagined logo still tried to encompass the first initials of my name (S and H). By continually sketching, I began to step away from the former concept.
The creation of my new brand identity has been a journey of innovation, creativity, and strategic thinking. My re-imagined logo, brand guide, and stationary items better represent who I am as a designer today and provide more adaptability for the future.