Creating a new identity for a brand that has been around for several years is much trickier than designing a fresh logo from scratch. Or is it? There are definite pros and cons to either project.

If the brand is already established, the designer has stronger options for research, before creating a new look. What should be considered at this stage?

1. What is the problem that needs to be solved with a new logo? Potentially, it could just be a facelift. The functionality could be intact but need a refreshing look to make it stand out once more.

2. Does the logo still convey what it did when it was first created? As markets grows, logos, just like companies must grow with them. As social norms change a strong logo may lose it's symbolism or meaning. The newer generations just may not "get it any more".

3. What does the logo say? More than an image, a logo must convey the differences between products or services. What sets this particular brand apart from the next? Without previous knowledge of the brand, what assumptions can be made based on the typography and graphics?

Recently, I had the opportunity to work on just such a project. An educational institution that offers 2 separate educational tracks. One, a traditional, on-campus experience. The second--a totally different educational path, taken through correspondence. Unlike most schools offering a correspondence option, these two tracks result in different degrees altogether.

Unfortunately, there is often confusion for the user as they try to determine which course of study is being advertised by the logo. What does it mean? What does it say?

Well, to solve this problem, I decided to do some new concepts. Rather than revising the current logo that has stood for nearly 15 years, I felt it was best in this case to start from scratch using the commonly known acronym, RCBS.

You can see the original and the fresh concepts belw. Vote for your favorite, but be sure to have a good reason to support it!

 

The Original Logo

 

 

 

The new/refreshed rough logo concepts. Still in the infancy stage until we get a new direction! Thoughts?