PROJECT KICKOFF

With the primary application for the new brand being the plumbing truck design, we dove into the project to get started working on the logo. As we kicked off the project, we had our client walk through a creative questionnaire to provide us with pertinent information about his expectations for the branding project. Additionally, we wanted to gather his thoughts on competition, colors, and primary application for the new brand. Through this process, we confirmed that Stuart’s needed a bold brand to emblazon the vehicles that served as rolling advertisements for his company. We determined that we would start with the development of the new logo, and then move into the primary brand support, including the business card design and website design. From there, as an additional project, we would work on the plumbing truck design.

LOGO DESIGN BRAINSTORM

Based on the information we had garnered from the creative questionnaire and our conversations with our client, we understood that the desire was for the company to have a sharper, cleaner brand. Our team sat down with this info, as well as the other details from the questionnaire to come up with some logo concepts that would serve our client well for the next ten or so years.

With sketch books in hand, our logo designers started creating some concept drawings. Here, we determined that we wanted to show the name of the business in bold, modern type. However, we also wanted to include options that didn’t necessarily take the same approach as your typical plumbing company branding.

The resulting logo sketches included concepts that implemented plumbing pipes that shaped the letters of the company name, and others that utilized the concept of flowing water to illustrate the nature of the business. We kept the logos primarily typographic, however we introduced subtle nods to the plumbing industry throughout the options.

FINALIZATION OF CONCEPTUALIZATION

The logo design concepts were then presented to our senior branding experts for review. Here, our Creative Director and Director of Design review the concepts against the client’s ask, carefully ensuring that each of the concepts aligns with the overall brand direction and provides the longevity necessary to serve the business well.

In this case, our branding team determined that we would move forward with the digital development of the option created from all pipes, the option including the S comprised of pipes, and a third option that incorporated a spigot or faucet from the letter t at the end of the word Stuart’s.

LOGO DESIGN OPTIONS

The first option we created was comprised of a bold font for the word Stuart’s. The t’s in the name were created from pipes and were connected across the top of the entire name. This logo design conveyed a strength and power that aligned with the business offerings, however it also kept an approachable vibe that would keep it in line with what locals were looking for. A red and black color palette was utilized to convey professionalism and boldness and to differentiate the company from color palettes typically implemented in other contractor branding.

The second logo option was slightly more sleek, bringing in a bright and energetic color palette.  The type pairing here, put the modern and clean font at the forefront for the word Stuart’s, but implemented a bolder font for the tagline.

For the third option, we knew we wanted to use blue tones. Blue is indicative of water and the clean feeling we wanted to convey for Stuart’s Plumbing. Psychologically, blue also represents trustworthiness and honesty, which is something that the business truly embodies.

With the color palette set, we designed a clever take on a “T” shape in the word “Stuart’s” to create a faucet icon. The design pairs the professionalism and trustworthiness of Stuart’s Plumbing with a modern, cheeky design that would turn heads as they roll around town in their trucks.

The true icon for the business though is a custom-created “SP” design that incorporates darker blue initials paired with the lighter blue water droplet. The “SP” can stand alone to represent the brand, and it does throughout the collateral. The creations of this secondary icon was necessary, since as you can see, the t faucet wouldn’t be an adequate representation of business name.

PRESENTATION AND SELECTION

Upon presentation, our client selected the clever concept that incorporated the spigot for the letter t. Additionally, the SP icon would provide versatility within the brand that would work well in application on the plumbing truck design and throughout the other brand support. There were no required revisions on the selected logo, so we moved forward into finalization.

LOGO FINALIZATION

With the logo selected, it went back to our Director of Design for finalization. Here, she ensured that each of the elements was perfectly spaced and aligned. She also selected exact color codes for the logo. These included PMS colors, CMYK colors, RGB codes, and hex codes. Additionally, logo guidelines were created. The guidelines included the names of the logo fonts, the codes for the logo colors, and some basic information on what to do and not to do with the logo in order to keep it intact.

BUSINESS CARD

In our business branding package, we translate the resulting logo design onto a business card design that will make our clients and their services memorable. For Stuart’s Plumbing, we created a card that let the logo shine, while making sure that the key contact information flowed easily within the design.

Overall, we utilized a textured background on sections of the business card design to create dimension and a custom feel. The rest of the design brings the bold brand colors and new logo into focus, carrying contact information in brand fonts on the back of the card. The card were printed on a suede paper to provide people with a texture that matched the fluidity of the business.

STATIONERY PACKAGE DEVELOPMENT

To create a suite of stationery for Stuart’s Plumbing, we implemented the brand new logo and accompanying “SP” icon.  The “SP” icon was included on the stationery as a watermark to tie the printed collateral in with the rest of the brand. Now, not only does Stuart’s Plumbing have a logo that they can utilize to represent their company, but they also have a stand-alone icon that can do its part in making an impact. Since the company sends thank you notes out after each visit, the notecards were key in communicating with customers.

WEBSITE SITEMAP

Stuart’s Plumbing had an existing website that needed to be reworked. We set out to reorganize the site and update the branding to align with the new look and feel. Our client worked with an existing web development company that also hosted the website. The company managed ongoing SEO on the website, so we worked hand in hand to mitigate the adverse impact that the launch of the newly designed website could potentially have on search engine rankings. We determined that we would keep the sitemap mostly intact for this project.

WEBSITE HOSTING

As mentioned, the client’s existing website management company hosted the website. However, for most of our clients, we will continue to host and maintain their websites on an ongoing basis. Our hosting program allows us to take daily backups of the website, ensure fast page load speeds, and undertake monthly maintenance that includes manual updates of plugins and the WordPress platform.

WEBSITE WIREFRAME

With the sitemap in hand, we created a strategy for the wireframes that emphasized the benefits of working with Stuart’s Plumbing, and guided the viewer through the information, placing calls to action at every scroll. Additional information was made available on demand, and the user was urged again and again to take action. When the wireframes were complete, we moved into website design and implemented the bold blues and clean lines.

WEBSITE DESIGN

We utilized floods of color to break up the content and to guide the eye, and we developed copy that would align with the company’s new identity. Additionally, we implemented imagery and website copy that aligned with the brand direction and drew the user to key calls to action throughout the website. At this juncture in the project, things took an unexpected turn. Here, our client determined that they wanted to bring a warmth into the website design that we didn’t feel aligned with the brand. So, we ultimately determined to part ways here, and have the client complete the website design and development portion of the project with his existing website management firm.

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT

Since the website was being managed by a third party, we did not move forward with website development, as we typically would for our clients. However, if we would have built out the website, as we usually do for our clients, it would have been 100% responsive on mobile devices, and custom-coded from scratch. We don’t use website templates, instead our team develops websites from the ground up on the WordPress platform. This allows us to have the flexibility we need in design and user journey.

WEBSITE LAUNCH

For most clients, we will also launch the website if they are hosting with our program. However, in this case, we left the remainder of the design and website development up to our client.

PLUMBING TRUCK DESIGN

Finally, as we worked through the website design, we implemented the brand into a plumbing truck design that has been truly transformational for the plumbing company. The design includes a bold application of the logo and icon, as well as a custom-created brand pattern that floods the bottom part of the truck design. Additionally, color blocking was utilized to mirror that in the website design to create cohesion among the brand support, which would ultimately become recognizable in the community. When the plumbing truck design was complete, our team worked with the printer to ensure that the design was printed and installed correctly.

PROJECT CLOSEOUT

As the project came to a close, we provided our client with a complete set of logo files, including PDF, EPS, PNG, and JPEG. We sent over an all white, an all black, and a full color version of the logo, as well as the logo icon separately. We also provided the print-ready PDF files for the stationery package and the plumbing truck design. Often, we continue to be a resource to our business branding clients, as we’re able to provide printing services for stationery reorders, as well as promo product design and printing and attire design and supply.

LIKE THE WAY THIS PROJECT FLOWED?

If you’re looking for a business brand, and want to work with an agency that will provide you with a bold brand and accompanying brand support, it’s time to give us a call. We’d love to keep your brand from going down the drain.