Posted on April 16, 2018

Product Naming, Branding & Marketing For Portable Solar Generator

I have been working on a really interesting project over the last few weeks, the branding and marketing of a portable solar generator.

The project involved coming up with a name for their product, developing a brand image and a website.

Product Naming

Understanding the target audience and the unique attributes of the product were key parameters during the research of the name.

Small portable generator
Solar Powered
Water resistant box
Replaceable Batteries
Silent power
Rugged military style box

It was also important that a suitable domain name was available…no easy feat in this day and age where so many domain names are purchased and squat on. Product naming is fascinating and after a considerable groundwork I presented a list of possibilities to the client.

The one they selected was HELIOPACK Solar Generator. Helio originates from the Greek word for the sun – Helios, and pack has connotations of something that is portable and is outdoorsy. I think it fits the product perfectly!

Logo Design

The outdoorsy rugged look was also conveyed with the logo. A strong font was selected for the word HELIOPACK and a “power up” symbol incorporated with in it. The color choices reflect clean energy.

Decal Design

Website

The website was kept simple and bold and there are future plans to add e-commerce. Check it out at HELIOPACKgenerator.com

Posted on March 30, 2018

New logo for Lancaster PA Roofing Contractor

Yikes, I have not posted anything on this blog for ages! The reason is simple, I have been inundated with work and have not had time. It’s a good reason don’t you think? I will try and make some time to update with all the web, graphic design and internet marketing projects I have been working on soon.

I thought I’d break my blog dry spell with a short little post today and share with you a new logo I have designed for a Lancaster roofing contractor, Graystone Roofing & Siding. This project was the result of a company name change – previously Spicher Home Improvements. Business owner Brain Spicher decided to change the name of his business to reflect the core service he offers to Lancaster homeowners..namely roof replacement and siding installation.

Here the logo is on their web site which has undergone some redesign tweaks and a major SEO overhaul. A post for another day!

Posted on October 26, 2017

New Logo for York PA Based Dietitian

I have said it before, redesign projects are hugely satisfying, call it a weird graphic designer thing!

We were hired recently to update a logo for a York PA dietitian, Wholesome Nutrition 365. They wanted a fresh new look that encompassed a feeling of vitality, healing and change.

After going through our time tested design process, with plenty of opportunity for client collaboration we hit on the winning design.

and just as a little reflection here is their original logo

The new logo certainly imparts a feeling of vigor and gives an immediate impression of the nature of the business.

Posted on July 19, 2017

New Logo for Lincolnshire Academy of Dance

Celebrating 20 years in business is quite an achievement and this summer Lincolnshire Academy of Dance will be celebrating their 20th Anniversary season. They wanted a new logo with a little pizazz to mark the occasion. Here is what I created for them!
Despite the complexity of the glitter the logo was created as a vector which means it can be scaled up and down without any loss of detail and clarity.

Here it is on their web site.

Congratulation to Brenda Didier and her team for making it this far!

Posted on February 15, 2013

New Logo for Quadra

There is something very satisfying about redesign projects. We were contacted recently by Chicago based Quadra Applications & Technology, who were looking for a new logo design. They already had a new website in the works and felt the time was right for a revamp of their identity- their main request was something that looked more professional.

In redesigning a logo it is not uncommon to work from some element of the old logo, whether it be the color palette, style of font or icon. In the case of Quadra we adopted the cube of their original logo, reworking it to encompass a sphere and connective framework. Teamed with a modern open typeface the new logo is much more fitting for the IT market they serve.

and here is the logo on the new website www.quadra-ati.com

Interested in some other logos we have designed? Check out our Logo Portflio

Posted on December 14, 2012

12 months of the Chicago Web Designer

As 2012 rolls to a close I like to take a look back at some of the projects I’ve worked on over the year. It’s been a real mixed bag but I must have enjoyed myself as the year has flown by. I have created websites, logos, brochures, illustrations for a book, power point graphics, car magnets, lawn signs, business cards, mobile websites, e commerce sites, an icon for one of the largest banks in America and even the cover for a book. My clients have been located both here in Chicago and a little further further afield… St Louis, Louisville, Wentzville and further away still … Belgium. There are no geographical boundaries for the Chicago Web Designer – your creative partner.

So here is a little showcase of my 2012 web and graphic work

January: Powerpoint graphics for a large national bank

February: Web concept project for a St Louis bank

March: WordPress conversion project for Ruth Hasser

April: Identity design for Select Food Sales

May: Community Website for the Humble Catholic

June: New website and branding elements for Restore North Shore

July: Refresh of Lincolnshire Academy of Dance

August: Rework of The Rockwood

September: e commerce site- Zagros Robotics

October: Illustrations and cover design for book: Mr Bison’s Journal

November: Responsive web site design for Mr Bison

December: Identity deign for InDeBom

I am looking forward to another bag of design challenges in 2013!

Posted on December 10, 2012November 6, 2015

The Chicago Web Designer?

The name of this blog is “The Chicago Web Designer” but that doesn’t mean our clients are all based in Chicago or that we only offer web design.

Take this recent project for example; a logo and business card design for a company based in Belgium.

Web design makes up about 70% of the creative projects we undertake but in the last year alone we have seen projects ranging from icon creation for one of the biggest national banks in America to illustrating a self published book. We are more than happy to work with clients requiring traditional design skills, say for the design of a new logo, business card or brochure, but also never shy away from any creative project. Sometimes a client will call with a report or presentation that needs to look top notch and are looking for our creative input. No project is too small for the Chicago web designer.

View our complete logo portfolio

Posted on November 20, 2012

The Worlds Oldest Brand

I recently discovered Lyle’s Golden Syrup in my grocery store, no big deal you think, but if come from the UK and enjoy the odd bit of baking… as I do… it was like finding liquid gold.

So why is this tin of Golden Syrup being featured on a blog about web and graphic design?

Take a look at the logo.

It is a dead lion with bees buzzing around it. I think if I presented a client with a logo, featuring an animal carcass, to be used on a food product, in this day and age, I would get shot down in flames and become a laughing stock. But this particular logo has endured the test of time. Not only has it remained virtually unchanged for over 100 years it has been confirmed by The Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest brand.

The trademark was registered in 1904 by Lyle and the design is reference to a story in the Old Testament, in which Samson killed a lion, then saw that bees had formed a honeycomb in the lion’s carcass , “Out of the strong came forth sweetness”. Owner Abram Lyle was a highly religious man.

Long may they continue to use this amazing logo.

Posted on May 4, 2012

Need a logo in a hurry?

Working to a deadline can be a challenge especially in the design world. The last thing you want is for those creative juices to dry up and the dreaded “creative block” to descend. Fortunately I work really well in a time crunch and when a client called on Wednesday calling himself “Panic Man” saying he needed a logo and business cards for a new business venture by Friday, I assured him it was completely feasible.

He had a really good idea of what he wanted in terms of design and color. I created a range of logo design options and then fine tuned his favorite one.

And here is the finished logo and business card. I also created a stepped up page of business cards so they could be easily printed at somewhere like Kinko’s as a stop gap measure.

So if you are looking to get a logo designed in a hurry give me a call 847-607-8679.

Posted on March 3, 2011

Building a Brand Image

Full image branding is one of my favorite type of projects and I am delighted to be creating brand and marketing materials for a Chicago home remodeling company, Restore North Shore. The project is moving at quite a pace and there is nothing like a deadline to get things moving along. It is energizing.

The project started on Monday this week and by Tuesday at noon the client needed business cards to hand out at an open house. In that short space of time I designed the logo, established the color palette, selected a corporate typeface, designed a business card and got full client approval along the way via our online project progress system. Phew!

There was no time to get the business cards professionally printed so I took a pdf of the file to a Fedex Office (the one here in Lincolnshire IL is great) where they printed it on card stock using a laser printer and I cut the cards down in their store. While they are only temporary the quality was pretty good and plenty got passed out at a very successful open house in Wilmette.

I will be starting work on the web site tomorrow. It will feature lots of before and after photos showcasing the fabulous work of Restore North Shore. Prepare to be blown away.

Your Creative Partner

A Chicago web and graphic design company

Category: Logo Work