I’m sure you’ve seen some hokey looking realtor logos out there. You may not have thought that much about them and what they say about the realtor they represent.
When Jim Talbert asked me to design a logo and branding for him, he said he wanted a street style with a limited palette and subtle grit, but he also wanted his branding to reflect that he’s trustworthy, honest and knowledgeable. That was kind of a tall order since “street” and trustworthy are somewhat contradictions in style. But because his target market is millennials, GenX and GenY, it does make sense to have an edgier look and feel. So I was up for the challenge!
When crafting a mood board for this project, I struggled a bit with finding a trustworthy focus on a street style. Yet, as I thought more about it, I kept coming back to high fashion. Fashion designers have to push the envelope season after season. They need to entice their buyers with new and different. And when you think of design houses—like Gucci, Versace, Prada—you know they create quality, beautifully made clothes and at the same time are the pinnacle of edgy style. The mood board needed to strike that delicate balance. I think I nailed it!
With the mood board in place, I got to work with creating a simple, stunning and bold identity. I created four options and presented them to Jim. Here’s a little tip that has helped me with presenting concepts to clients. I always put my favorite option last and my second favorite option first. I think it’s important to start well and finish with a bang—it’s the designer equivalent of a hook, jab, jab and knock out.
When Jim had a look at the logo, he was in total agreement with my favorite and it was an instant winner!
Once the logo was settled on, I worked on rounding out the brand with submarks, textures, patterns, palette and fonts so that he would have lots of options for any situation that may come up.
realtor logo and branding • pomp creative • design studio • washington, dc • annapolis, maryland
