Branding and Logos

[Wahine]

edit...I think I’d like a different take on da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man for a bike fitters logo….most likely it’s been done though.

I actually played with this a lot. I tried to do it in a way to reflect different types of cycling postures to reinforce the idea that a bike fit can be a good thing for anyone regardless of what kind of riding they are doing. I just could not make it work. Everything I came up with was too complicated or cluttered. One simpler design I tried with an upright rider and time trial position rider kind of superimposed on each other came out looking very rated R.

That's when I gave up on that idea.

[shootingstar]

Hey cool, Wahine you are an ex-Albertan. (ex-Canadian). You would have to specify total number of academic credits in Canada (and U.S.??) for people to understand or more importantly the breadth of your physiotherapy experience in terms of different types of client problems. (Alberta has been a hard fit for me..coming from British Columbia.)

It almost sounds as if you could use a professional to design that logo..

I am thinking more of a smiling cyclist...totally interwoven with the bike geometry itself....the person and bike as 1 beautiful whole.

[Wahine]

Hey cool, Wahine you are an ex-Albertan. (ex-Canadian). You would have to specify total number of academic credits in Canada (and U.S.??) for people to understand or more importantly the breadth of your physiotherapy experience in terms of different types of client problems. (Alberta has been a hard fit for me..coming from British Columbia.)

I like to think of myself as a transplanted Canadian. I let my Canadian roots show every chance that I get.
I wouldn't specifically list credit hour details or anything like that. I'd just highlight my Canadian background a bit more. While I want to come across as experienced, I think that keeping the ego factor low is important for encouraging the approachability idea.

It almost sounds as if you could use a professional to design that logo..

I actually have an art background as well and I'm quite happy with the logo ideas I have come up with. It's choosing between my 2 favorites that is the struggle. Also, I need to keep costs down so I can save up for my Sizer Cycle.

[OakLeaf]

The second one sounds more appealing to me. Surely you know someone with a multifunction scanner?

[lph]

Personal is attractive, but professional is key. I'd have to see the logos, I find it hard to say what I find professional and not.

[Trek420]

Personal is attractive, but professional is key. I'd have to see the logos, I find it hard to say what I find professional and not.

I would have to see the art but understand that you can't release it and have to explain it. First impression is key.

It makes no difference if you're explaining "My logo conveys blah blah blah while this corporate id proposal reflects such and such etc". I often found if I had to explain a corporate identity it's a bit like explaining a joke, "well the reason this is so funny is ...". So we need to find your market and meet them where they are.

You can have a friendly approachable tone in a competitive cyclist market with materials, art, texture, words, placement, graphics or vice versa.

So are we gearing towards recreational/new cyclists who are learning the benefit and value of professional fit or are we preaching to the choir and competing with other local bike fit companies or offering a service they had to go far away for? Always remember your audience.

It's a logo. You can't please everyone but you can do a lot with a good one.

Sounds like you've narrowed it down to 2. If you haven't already done so I'd take them down to black and white. A lot of things we think of as "fuzzy, friendly and warm" like color, texture of paper or sign materials just won't be there. You can't control what people do with your logo on an ad, the back of a race jersey etc. So strip it bare bones to black and white, enlarge it, put it across the room and quick impression. What do you think? Play with it.

The most successful logos are either; square, triangular, or circular. Also once you pick it do the xerox test. Copy it, copy it again, fax that, copy it, fax it again .... and see if it holds up. That's your logo because that's what people will do to it.

Have fun and good luck! Trek - California College of Art, graphic design major, class of '83

Check out this feedback http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2014/...logo/#comments

[Wahine]

Thanks for all the feedback ladies, there's lots of good information here. Trek420 - thank you for such a detailed, informative response. It's very kind of you to so freely share your expertise.

It makes no difference if you're explaining "My logo conveys blah blah blah while this corporate id proposal reflects such and such etc". I often found if I had to explain a corporate identity it's a bit like explaining a joke, "well the reason this is so funny is ...". So we need to find your market and meet them where they are.

Exactly.

So are we gearing towards recreational/new cyclists who are learning the benefit and value of professional fit or are we preaching to the choir and competing with other local bike fit companies or offering a service they had to go far away for? Always remember your audience.

Well here's my thoughts on this. The more elite riders/racers will get their bike fit if they want it (I know several elites that wouldn't let anyone change anything about their riding position) and they'll either go to someone at the club shop if they have a fitter or they'll ask around. I have a very good reputation in town, so I'll get plenty of those types of riders if they're looking.

What I see that I would like to change is the average cyclist and especially recreational female cyclists that won't go for a fitting because they think that's something that just serious riders do or they are intimidated by the egos and attitudes at some of the ohter shops. This is the group I want to draw in, not just because it's a relatively untapped market here, but also because I feel like to could help these people a lot and the work would be very gratifying.

Sounds like you've narrowed it down to 2. If you haven't already done so I'd take them down to black and white. A lot of things we think of as "fuzzy, friendly and warm" like color, texture of paper or sign materials just won't be there. You can't control what people do with your logo on an ad, the back of a race jersey etc. So strip it bare bones to black and white, enlarge it, put it across the room and quick impression. What do you think? Play with it.

The most successful logos are either; square, triangular, or circular. Also once you pick it do the xerox test. Copy it, copy it again, fax that, copy it, fax it again .... and see if it holds up. That's your logo because that's what people will do to it.

Check. I'm actually my design choice is weighted heavily on this concept.

Thanks again.