When Hayley from ‘Hair by Hayley Beaumont’ first contacted me, she was looking for a sign.
Quite literally a sign; her logo applied to some acrylic, with stand-off fixings that she could attach to her gate which would direct clients to her pretty home salon nestled at the bottom of her garden.
It seemed that I was just going to be the middle woman here, so I suggested that she get in touch directly with the fabulous Spectrum Graphics UK (my go-to signage guys), as they would be more than happy to help.
It was only later in our conversation and when I asked if she had artwork to supply, it became apparent that perhaps her logo wouldn’t be suitable.
Now, don’t get me wrong, the logo was ok, but I could tell straight away that this had come from one of those free logo creating apps—which I have to be honest, I’m not a massive fan of for all the reasons I mentioned in my previous blog—and although it had done the job and helped identify Hayley’s business on Facebook and Instagram thus far, maybe it was time for a change.
So why wasn’t the logo suitable?
Well, firstly it wasn’t unique. The detailed flowers around the keyline and the swirly script font—we’ve seen it all before and I suspect many of those were also generated using one of ‘those’ apps … did I mention … not a fan?!
Secondly, it was a little fussy, meaning that when reduced in size the text wasn’t legible and the flowers would be hard to re-create if embroidered onto an apron that a hairdresser might wear, for example.
Lastly and probably most importantly, the logo was low resolution—fine for Facebook or Instagram or viewing on screen—but it wasn’t suitable to scale-up in order to create signage and the quality would certainly be lost when used for printed material. Never a good look if you want to appear professional.
Having explained all this to Hayley she understood immediately and jumped on board with the idea of a new logo and before we knew it we were planning business cards, gift and thankyou cards, price lists and of course the all-important sign, which was the reason she got in touch in the first place!
The brief
The brief was this; girly, vintage, pastel, flowery, in fact everything I am not.
A quick scan of Hayley’s photos on her Facebook business page, revealed the salon to have a feature wall of roses and flowers and a pretty upcycled cabinet, which had been painted pink—this was to be my inspiration and steer when it came to the design.
What did I do?
I always begin by sketching something out—even if it is really basic, in biro on a note pad. Then I take it to screen, starting in black and white. If it works in black and white, you can be sure that it will work in colour and be easy to re-create across all channels. A big tick when creating a logo.
I used a classic serif font for the initials HB, then drew simple shapes to create the roses that sit around the letters. By removing the cross bar of the H and replacing it with a curve to join the H and the B, I felt it gave the feeling of movement and that the roses had grown up organically around the initials.
The choice of pretty pastel colours in keeping with Hayley’s salon, contrast nicely with the dark blue of the HB icon and the wording, allowing these to be the main focal point, rather than the roses taking over. Adding the name in a signature font gave it a personal feel.
With the logo complete and agreed upon, I showed Hayley how she could continue to use the design within the rest of her marketing.
A faint repeated pattern of the roses used as a background, the individual elements from the logo used as a watermark on social media posts and the consistent use of the key pastel colours, re-enforce the identity in people's minds and are all subtle ways of continuing the theme and weaving it throughout the marketing and social media.
Hayley has more than just a logo, she now has a unique brand identity allowing ‘Hair by Hayley Beaumont’ to become instantly recognisable at just a glance.
"I am absolutely thrilled with everything Jo has done for me! It all feels so professional and I love that everything matches. The colours and design are just what I hoped for and really reflect my business."
I am so pleased that Hayley loves the end result, with a logo that will work for her as her business grows, and that she trusted me to run with it when she really only came in for a sign …
... which by the way, we also produced, thanks to Spectrum Graphics UK, and is now taking pride of place on Hayley’s gate, helping clients find their way to fabulous hair!
#graphicdesign #logodesign #brandidentity #signage #spectrumgraphics #hairbyhayleybeaumont #jobillingcreative #hairdresser
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