AwRoa Logo Design
D
uring the summer after my freshman year at CMU, I contracted a freelance gig to design a branding kit for a female entrepreneurship bootcamp based in East Germany, owned by my roommate's mother. As quoted, the client said "your exploration is strong. It is playful and vibrant. The Calistoga type is aligned with the objectives, as you described. It is reminiscent of the Flower Power style brought to today's sensibilities."
Contribution: All Original Work (company name provided)
Timeline: 6 Weeks
Material: Digital, Adobe Creative Suite
Date Completed: Early Summer 2023
Association: Contracted Freelance Gig
Final approved logo presented to the client.
Client's Goal and My Solution
The client provided (1) Their name, "AwRoa" (2) Brand descriptors "awesome", "roar", "aurora (dawn of a new day)", "female lioness", and "female empowerment" (3) Requested colors seen above as neon pink and orange (4) A description of their business goals. I took this input and spent a week ideating a logo that (1) Combines the colorful, vibrant tones
the client suggested. (2) Uses symbolism of the aurora borealis atop a mountainous silhouette while simultaneously reading "AwRoa". (3) Separates the "Aw" of "awesome" and "Roa" of "roar" (I felt that a lion-like orange was appropriate for the "Roa" side) (4) Achieves a striking, recognizable image.
Design Process
Step 2 — Further experimentation of the letter geometry into a mountainous shape.
Step 3 — Further experimentation of the letter geometry into a mountainous shape. I liked the green-toned variation the most, and went on to develop that further!
Step 4 — After vectorizing the green variation seen below into Adobe Illustrator, I came up with a few options of aurora borealis graphics.
Step 6 — After receiving some input from the client to exclude the aurora borealis graphic as they thought it was a little too busy, I created more variations of the base letters, experimenting with contrast, geometry, and filling the letters vs. leaving them empty.
Step 7 — I sent this graphic and the below graphic to the client for their feedback. I enjoyed my 5th variant seen above the most, and recommended it for its ability to be read as a mountain range with a setting sun as well as the letters "AwRoa."
Step 8 — The client enjoyed my 5th variant seen below as well, but wanted to see some more options of color and fill vs. gap. This is what I sent to them for finalized feedback, and they agreed with me that my original 5th variant remained both of our favorites and they finalized it.
Final approved logo presented to the client.
Project Takeaways
I
always love a visual identity project because it allows so much unbridled creativity to emerge. Having never been hired in an official capacity to create a logo for a client, this was a unique challenge. I learned the value of feedback and active conversation with the client to refine my work, practiced my Adobe Creative Suite skills, and walked away supporting a company that aligns with my morals.
With any project—especially a "first" such as this—there will be room for improvement. I could have played around more with viewing the logo from up close and afar and at different angles to see if it still achieves the desired message. I wish I had asked even more friends and family to tell me what they logo conveyed to them. In summary, feedback, feedback, feedback!