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!