Context
The client, a boat captain with a Detroit-based hospitality company, was starting her own business offering private water taxi services and guided tours. She approached me about developing a logo and visual identity to attract to new customers, with the potential to become a unique, recognizable presence on the river.
The Problem
The captain had several ideas for potential branding. She included rough sketches for logo designs with her initial inquiry, along with dozens of additional images to serve as a mood board. It was apparent from the start that my job was to take the essence of these various ideas and refine them into a distinct, reproducible brand identity.
The Process
From the mood board, a few themes emerged: motorboats, waterfowl, compasses, and the Detroit skyline. Based on these, I sketched up some drafts for the client.
I presented three ideas:
1). The outline of a boat as seen from above, forming a badge shape.
2). A cormorant perched atop a channel marker.
3). An origami boat (requested by the client) framed by a nautical compass.
While the captain liked all three ideas, we weren’t closer to narrowing down the themes. However, she now had three colors in mind, each with its own significance: blue (for water), magenta (for the compass rose used in US nautical charts), and yellow (associated with taxicabs). I returned to the drawing board to refine all three designs based on client feedback.
Incorporating client feedback:
1). Depictions of the client’s boat, styled to look like a Checker cab.
2). Silhouette of a cormorant poised for flight.
3). Variations on the compass theme.
After the second round, we both agreed the compass wasn’t working. This narrowed down the options slightly.
Throughout the development process, I sensed that the client was more drawn to the cormorant design, but was hesitant to let go of the more literal boat and skyline image. I suggested using the bird for the official logo and developing the latter image as art for promotional materials. This turned out to be the perfect solution!
At the time of this project, the Hudson’s Detroit building was so new to the skyline that I needed to take a field trip to gather my own photo references. Several Detroiters noticed and appreciated the addition.
Results
The captain was pleased with the resulting logo and image and reports positive reviews from customers and colleagues alike. She has since called upon me to design and produce various marketing materials (web design, printed collateral, apparel, digital ads, and more) where I have used both images separately and together in numerous combinations.
