New Company Logo Design

I just completed an exciting new logo and business card design project. The Phoenix Communications Group, LLC is a small company in development by a former Residence Hall Director of Southern Connecticut University. After many years with the university and working in various aspects of Residence Life, he decided to start his own business. He wanted to create a travelling speaking group, in which colleges and universities could bring him on campus to give presentations on a variety of relatable student topics. Subjects could range from tips on surviving dorm life to learning about sexual assault prevention. He would also provide the students with relevant materials and a web site where they can learn even more about given topics.

The process to arrive at the final logo design was a collaborative effort between myself and the client. Initially, we started off with a completely different name for the company. We actually explored two different options, IFA Productions and HMH Productions. The letters in each of the names represented the abstract concepts and ideals that the company would embody. IFA stood for inspiration, formulation and activation. HMH represented the hearts, minds and hands that would be involved in every presentation.

I developed some rough black and white logos for each of the concepts and we used this stage as a jumping off point for further discussion.

A few first round logo ideas

As we examined each idea, we realized that although it might be important to communicate the company’s prime ideals (like inspiration and activation) each logo design wasn’t working hard enough to get these concepts across. As a new venture, the average viewer might be easily confused by the acronyms and thereby lose interest with the idea before even exploring it.

We began to discuss if there were any other words or names for the company that would be an easier read and also convey the spirit of the company’s purpose. The client told me that when he first had the idea for this service he had thought of calling it Phoenix Rising Productions. He had always been interested in the mythology behind the bird that was reborn from it’s own ashes. It spoke to the nature of how all things have a beginning and an end, much like the transition that a young adult might take as he leaves high school and begins college life. This speaking company would offer training sessions, providing students with the tools they needed to thrive in the college environment. It seemed like a good fit.

After some research into what variations of names with the word “phoenix” in it that might be available, we settled on The Phoenix Communications Group, LLC. At this point, I created a new round of black and white logos, focusing on our new name.

I really liked how in the fourth logo, the LLC was separated from the words Communications Group with the curl that fell off the end of the x. It was a nice way to create space between the two without having to blatantly add a comma. We moved forward with that version to a color round, in which I enhanced the style and details of the phoenix that was perched above the x.

Final Logo

Detail of Phoenix Graphic

With the logo finished, we created two sets of business cards. The first was a generic card with just the company name, general phone number and web site. The client’s personal card was a little fancier. It displayed his name, title, phone and e-mail on the front. The back side of the card displayed a vibrant four color image of a phoenix along with the company’s web site.

In the end, I think we created a striking logo that will get his new company noticed and keep his brand top of mind for his potential clients. Best of Luck!

Wedding Invitations

As soon as my friend Andrea got engaged, I couldn’t wait to do their invitations. She and her fiance, Aaron, love being outdoors, so it was no surprise when they chose The Water’s Edge Resort and Spa for their ceremony and reception. Along the shore in Westbrook, Connecticut, it would be the perfect spot for their small affair of 65.

When we first talked about her design, Andrea sent me a sample she’d found with a die cut daisy on the front cover. She really liked the idea of using daisies in the design, but didn’t care for the yellow in this particular sample. Her favorite colors have always been among the blue and purple families, so I knew we could find some beautiful stock photos of daisies and colorize them for a unique look.


I started out with some basic sketches and a couple of white paper mock-ups that would help her see how each idea would work. I wanted to give her a decorative die cute idea, but also incorporate a large flower, similar to the one from her reference.


With such a small wedding, we only needed to create about 35 sets of invites. This small quantity made me feel more comfortable with the idea of doing some extra hand finishing to each piece. I found a decorative punch at The Great American Stamp Store, which could create a scalloped design along the edge of the paper.

Andrea chose the third sketch concept, a 7”w x 5”h folded invite card with a large bluish daisy on the front and their first names printed underneath. The front cover of the invite had a short fold where I would later finish the edge with the decorative punch. The short fold revealed a line of copy that was written on the inside of the card “Love is the most cherished flower in the garden of life.”

For the paper, I found a beautiful ivory colored stock from the Stardream family of papers. It had a pearlescent sparkle to the paper which reminded me of beach sand. I used the matching Stardream envelope to go with the response card. For the outer envelope, we chose a vellum transparent paper. The flowers on the invite card were so big and vibrant, it seemed a shame to hide them. The transparent envelope allowed the flower to show through on the back side along with the bride and groom’s names. The finished product was simple and elegant. A non-traditional feel that reflected the couple's laid back and easy going nature.

Invitation Assembly

For more information about invitation design for weddings or any special occasion, please post or email me at kathy@katandmousedesign.com.