While working on this set of free logos I tried to incorporate visual elements that remind you of the sea, the sun and palm leaves. The idea was to make it work for a large range of situations related to the summer vacations at the seaside. With that in mind, you could use the designs for anything ranging from a beach stand, small bar or cafe to a surfing equipment rental shop or even a travel agency specializing in tropical destinations.

Since it’s always easier to add things rather then remove unnecessary visual effects, I’ve kept them simple, without any gradients, relying solely on the shapes and hues in order to make them easy to spot and remember. The colors chosen this time reflect the water, vegetation and warmth of a summer day.

As far as suggested typography goes, depending on your main target, you’re most likely to lean towards a novelty or display typeface rather than the usual sans serif corporate ones you see everywhere these days. The font should help convey ideas such as freedom, relaxation, fun, youth, friendliness and so on.

Some examples of typefaces i’d try are:

• commercial faces – Linotype Spitz Light or Book, MVB Calliope Regular, Mano Regular or Clever Duke BTN;
• free faces – Yanone Kaffeesatz, Banksia, SeasideResortNF, Worstveld Sling;

If you’re interested in using any of these ideas, please also check the licensing page on this blog. You’re allowed to use then as your own identity but it’s forbidden to register them as trademarks by either you or your clients. While, you shouldn’t redistribute them (either as part of derivative works or in whole) or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead.

To download the archive click here.

This set of free logo design samples for roofing companies and other roof related services or products is an update of several designs that didn’t get picked up. To this day, i still think that they are significantly better than the one which was eventually chosen. Yet, that’s a choice the client will have to live with until their next rebranding. In the meantime, i thought someone might actually make good use of these ideas. They’re mainly targeted at professionals specializing in modern residential roofing.  Still, given the nature of the business and the inherent visual conditioning, you might use them for any related business, as they’re easily recognizable concepts.

Just like with most of my previous work, I’ve kept them free from any unnecessary visual effects, relying solely on sharp shapes and bold colors, meant to ensure clarity. If you want to made them more “Web 2.0 friendly” or “make them pop” you can easily apply such effects without having to worry about degrading them when used for print.

As far as suggested typography goes, depending on your main target, you could choose between a mainstream serif or sans serif typeface, as novelty and odd looking faces won’t work well in this case. To some extents you might even go down the slab serif route as a mix between these two, often suggesting a more solid, grounded or mechanical look but also reminiscing about the Industrial Revolution. Based on your primary product line-up you should pay attention specifically to certain elements (legs, crossbars etc) in letters such as R or T. You might want to avoid tapered strokes and instead go for a geometric design if you’re specializing in futuristic or modern designs with plenty of sharp, minimalist shapes. Just the same way you could go for a transitional serif face to suggest the roundness or ceramic tiles.

Some examples of typefaces i’d try are:

• sans serif – Modus Extra Bold, DIN 1451 Mittelschrift, Futura Bold and why not Helvetica Neue 65 Medium;
• serif or slab serif – ITC Mendoza Roman Bold, Glypha 65 Bold, Koloss Regular;
• free faces – League Gothic, Titillium Text 800, Mido;

If you’re interested in using any of these ideas, please also check the licensing page on this blog. You’re allowed to use then as your own identity but it’s forbidden to register them as  trademarks by either you or your clients. While, you shouldn’t redistribute them (either as part of derivative works or in whole) or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead.

To download the archive click here.

This is the sequel to a previous post containing a series of logo designs for an urban 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 go-getters with hectic schedules would spend some of their spare time, relaxing after a stressful day at the job. The main requirement was to keep it simple in order to be easily applied on a wide variety of marketing materials.

Just like before,  this batch employs a bare bone approach, using just basic shapes and a two color combination, without any unnecessary effects. While the two main colors are the same, the symbols are now a little different. Besides the fire and incense visuals, you’ll also find a stylized human figure along with a bowl, crude lotus flower design and water drop.

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.

To download the archive click here.

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.

To download the archive click here.