The new yacht is being built, or a used one has been purchased. She is being refitted and equipped, and people are already talking about her. She has a name, but not yet a face. Perhaps there are already some ideas about colour. But what expectations for a logos are common?
Once the big decisions have been made, it’s time for the details. The lettering, the logo, appears on the plan. The new owners want to see more than just a word. At some point along the way, I come into play.
When I am sure I understand the expectations, I start to work. And it is precisely this preparatory work that holds the real secret of a good logo.
Sometimes I feel like a good tailor who has to take measurements very precisely, who matches the fabric to the skin tone, who knows the occasion the dress will be worn for — and what everyone else will be wearing.
The stage is the water, the marinas and anchorages.
As a good tailor — or in my case, as a good designer — it matters to me to understand the expectations exactly. Because the logo has to fit like a dress. It must not be too tight, nor too inconspicuous. And of course it shouldn’t sparkle too much either (I have never heard that wish, at least).
It should look special, yet not too showy. It should, in a certain way, be cool, modern, stylish — and so on, and so on.
These expectations are basically always on my desk whenever I begin a new commission.
Alongside the fairly obvious ones, there are also the expectations that are rarely expressed openly.
Unlike in the communications industry, where I worked for many years, speed is rarely of the essence. If any of my clients from the financial sector had ever told me, „let’s take this slowly…“
Unspoken expectations
The most important unspoken expectation I know is the desire for perfection. No one wants to revisit the logo in five years‘ time and redo all the towels, shirts and every other branded item on board. Longevity combined with timelessness fulfils this expectation.
And there must be no compromise. An 80% result is not enough. We work on it until the logo delights the new owner one hundred percent — until he or she enjoys talking about why these colours were chosen, what the logo means, and (my hope) who developed and created it.
When the new owners happily walk around in their crew shirts, I am satisfied.
I have written about the expectations regarding technical perfection in many other posts. That goes without saying.
What do you expect from a logo? When is it perfect? I look forward to hearing your thoughts.