Logo Design, a learning process

Logo Design is something of a creative challenge but an enjoyable challenge. Everyone has different tastes and style which translates into what they want in a logo. This entry is based off recent experience with designing a logo for Kimberly Farms Horse Camp.

Kimberly Farms needed an identity before we could begin building them a new website. After some discussion we set out to build some ideas and brainstorm, as any conscientious designer should do. Starting in the sketchbook some ideas percolated....

Ideas opened into sketches that blossomed into rough concepts, quite a few actually. With enough research and inspiration any idea can grow. We had things to consider also in regards to Kimberly Farms business. They cater to mostly children, girls ages 5 to 16 for the most part. Couldn't be too trendy, but interesting enough for kids and adults with a classic "horse stable" vibe. Ok, got that. After some work, the designs were vectorized and they looked pretty good.

We had an idea, lets let the fans of Kimberly Farms on Facebook get the first glances at the new logo and get some direct feedback from the people who know and love Kimberly Farms. This allowed us to gauge responses from kids who have gone to Kimberly Farms and get them involved and excited in going back the next year. The responses were great and everyone seemed to love getting an early glimpse of the logo, not to mention building more interest in Kimberly Farms itself.

They looked good, client and Facebook fans liked them but they were not quite there yet. There were a few problems, some the average non-farm folk may miss. In the first logo the horse pictured (left) is a Tennessee Stepping Horse, which is not the best choice as they are trained in ways that are frowned upon in some horse circles. The middle logo depicts only a part of the horse, which can be seen as almost disrespectful to the horse and was not exactly what the client was looking for, but close! The right side logo incorporated the horseshoe icon, which is something of a more mid-western tone, not as much north-east.

So with some new direction and a little education (which was a great learning experience) it was back to the drawing board. Concepts, sketchs, drafts all came and went with an end result of one revised initial logo and two fresh looks...

They were better, but not yet spot on. The left logo wasn't accurate enough to the atmosphere which makes sense. The logo in the middle, a bit too animated. The revised logo on the right though was so close! All it needed was a few more tweaks...

We have a winner! A new, more free horse silhouette, some changes in the banner lines and the addition of the stars was the right formula.

Having a solid design process and good communication with the client allowed us to create a logo that was suiting to the clients needs and gave the farm a new look. We learned a lot from this design and reinforced the value of having a good communication line to the client where constructive ideas better the project as a whole.

Hi, What's Your Name? I'm a Social Media Platform

What’s the big deal with social media?

Social media is an amplified form of word of mouth marketing where customers will market for you without even realizing it. Instead of selling, try connecting. Establish your brand. Build trust. Allow customers to know who you are and what you do while gaining knowledge on who exactly is buying your products or services. Personal connection helps customers develop genuine loyalty and interest in your brand.

What is social media?

Ever hear about Facebook? How about Twitter? Surely you’ve watched a video on YouTube. These are all social media platforms used for mass communication and connectivity with other Internet users, an integration of technology and social interaction. The most common platforms include blogs, photo and video posting websites, micromedia, social networking websites, and conversational news.

Why is it important?

In this day and age, customers want to feel a personal connection with companies, brands, and professional leaders. Websites are excellent informative monologues, but with today’s connection capabilities, customers want a dialogue. It is comforting to know that humans are running your business and are able to be contacted at any time. Online presence is crucial to a business, though it means nothing without interaction. Social media will improve your public relations, customer service, loyalty building, networking, leadership, and customer attainment.


Good customer service on Twitter and blogs leads to referrals through linking. Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Twitter, and blogs all help develop your brand’s personality with real updates and information. You will hear frequent, free, effective feedback on where your business exceeds, where it is weak, and what you can do to make your customers happy. Social media is not to be seen as a campaign, but a conversation. Listen, engage, and influence.

Easy ways to connect on social media platforms:

• Create a Facebook fan page for your business

• Gain followers with brief updates on Twitter

• Share your experiences with others through photos and videos on Flickr and YouTube

• Build your brand’s personality with a blog

• Add your company to LinkedIn and connect with co-workers and clients