If your clients have an idea of what they want for their logo, ask them for visuals before getting started. It will save you a lot of time to see exactly what they like and don’t like and what colors they lean towards …

When I begin a new relationship with a client who needs a logo, I like to start with a visual. I ask the client to text or email me some drawings or images that they like or that have particular colors they lean towards. It could be something they find on the internet or something they sketch out themselves. I’ve received everything from a sketch on a cocktail napkin, a photo they’ve taken or a group of 10 or more images they have found searching the net. Anything they send over is a help to me. The images can help with concept, as well as color. What is a soft blue to them may be a completely different shade to me. What is a simple figure of a tree might be much more realistic than I am imagining. 

Here are three examples of images given to me and the final logo. All three of these logos were recently completed and are now being used for marketing for the three businesses. The Palmetto Travel logo is currently on their Facebook page, The Charleston Cat Groomer logo will be used on her social media, the outside of her grooming vehicle and her business cards – and the Charleston Warehouse Boutique Sale is posted on Instagram, Facebook and marketing materials.

1) Palmetto Sun Travel sent a mock-up the client did in Word giving me exactly the kind of logo she was looking for and the color scheme.

2) The Charleston Cat Groomer sent a photo. She wanted this particular pose and took a photo of herself with her own cat. 

3) Charleston Warehouse Boutique Sale sent some images she grabbed from the internet to give me the theme and graphic look she was hoping for. 

It’s not always easy to get inside your client’s head and having them send any visuals they have or can find will often get you in the right direction … without spending too much time trying to figure out the style, color scheme and font choices that appeal to them.

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Knox Marine Surveyors & Consultants is one of America’s premiere marine survey firms. Specializing in damage survey and investigation, with clients ranging from regional insurers to the world’s largest marine insurance companies. 

New client, Knox Marine, hired me originally to design a coverage map.  With offices in Richmond VA, Norfolk VA, Charleston SC, and Miami FL, there are actually two businesses that make up Knox Marine. The first, Knox Marine Consultants (KMC) was started in 1987, offering litigation support for attorneys and insurance companies.  The second is Knox Marine Surveyors and Consultants (KMSC) – with a focus on adjusting claims on boats. The owner of KMSC works from the Charleston office and found me online looking for a Charleston based design company. 

The coverage map would be used on the website and in print ads and needed to convey the East coast area of offices, along with how to reach each office and associate. After creating several different layouts with numerous styles of map pins, map graphics, and map colors –  the client decided on the gold pins and the 3D map style with a primarily blue layout. His main concern was having the offices and their locations stand out. I asked him for vector version of their logo, which unfortunately he did not have, but was able to send me a higher resolution jpg.

After completing the coverage map, the two businesses decided to split the cost of a full page magazine ad that would promote both businesses. There was a lot of info about each business that they wanted to include, along with numerous photos. I created layouts showing a split page ad. I chose some of the best photos from their large collection, did some cropping and enhancing and decided only one large photo would have the most impact. After seeing the layouts, my two contacts – along with their team, decided there was just too much information for only the one page ad. The next step was creating individual full page ads for each business, incorporating eye-catching photos and clear information and bullet points on what each business does – along with the coverage map for Knox Marine Surveyors and Consultants.

New layouts were submitted and with a few small tweaks, the final ads were ready to send to the magazine. Are you a boat owner? If you have an need for the work of Knox Marine, click over to their website:

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