I pulled together a few logos that I have worked on over the years in a simple grid below. I am building out case studies for some, like The Climb, created for the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado Denver Business School.
I love doing logos, but I’m doing them less and less. There are so many great resources available online that a relentless focus on brand strategy and clarifying your message is needed now more than ever.
The truth is, nobody really cares about your logo anymore. A good design is more or less expected; what your customers care about is what’s behind the logo. That’s your brand—the people, products, integrity, service, and value you deliver—not the sticker on the side of the van.
The last image in the gallery, for Sam’s Bar-B-Que, was the first “real” logo I ever designed. During my last year at KCAI, I was invited to intern with one of my teachers at Willoughby & Co in Kansas City. Sam was a KCMO police officer who passed our offices every day patrolling Westport and usually stopped in for a cup of coffee. His dream was to retire and make his mobile BBQ pit a full time gig. I had the privilege of creating the logo, hand drawn, no Adobe, with Ann Willoughby providing her phenomenal insight and support. Sam’s brisket is still one of the best I've ever tasted.
