This is the first part from a set of logo designs left after finishing a visual identity project for a posh spa. The brief described the brand as an elegant, modern urban retreat center located downtown and targeted at busy individuals mostly working in corporate environments and looking for a place to relax after a hard day’s work. It specifically asked for a very simple theme which would remind of organic ingredients, nature, incense, breeze, upscale city venues, luxury. The logo had to be easily ported to various marketing materials as well as used as an interior design element on various surfaces without a lot of changes.
As a result i decided to go for a bare bone approach, using just basic shapes and a two color combination, free of other unnecessary visual effects that would otherwise clutter the look. The main color combination relies on a feminine, bright shade of red next to a more understated, subdued and earthy tone that looks more masculine and inspires strength. You’ll also find enclosed a swatch palette consisting of four bright colors along with some pastel variants. As far as the symbols employed go, you’ll find a combination of motifs such as: incense and flames, silhouettes, crude pottery items and leaves.
As with any other visual identity project, good typography is essential in establishing a professional looking image. The easy way out would have been to go for a Neo-grotesque or Geometric typeface such as Helvetica, Univers or Futura. While these would have worked in establishing a modern, high scale urban attitude, it also meant straying too far away from nature by projecting a cold, mechanic symbolism. On the other hand, going for a script typeface or an overly cursive one, would have risked loosing part of the male demographic by going down a very feminine route. You can achieve a very good compromise by using typefaces such as Optima, Stone Sans and Legacy Sans because of their stroke contrast and subtle dynamics combined with the lack of serifs. If you’re looking for free fonts alternatives you could try Luxi Sans, Qlassik (works best for long names as it looks a bit condensed) and Andika Basic.
If you’re interested in using any of these ideas, please also check the licensing page on this blog. You’re allowed to use it as your own identity but it’s forbidden to register it as a trademark by either you or your clients. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it (either as part of derivative works or in whole) or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead.
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[...] spa or posh relaxation center. You’ll find more details about the brief of the project if you click here. Basically, it was for a brand new health center where active individuals, mostly corporate [...]