KJA Mind Finds

The parade of logo designs continues this week.

There’s no format or template for a strong logo. Well-designed logos emerge after solid research, piles of tossed aside sketches and more than likely, some sweat and tears. So while the end result may look simple (the Nike swoosh) or even “duh?” (Target) – there’s no “easy” button.

Is there a logo out there you just love or connect with? For instance, does the bite out of the Apple logo really make you smile? Or do you prefer the signature-like fun Disney’s maintained through the years? As ever, the comment section belongs to you.

City of Alexandria
After two decades, the city of Alexandria found itself with a new and energized administration. They wanted to build on the existing brand, modifying it to feel more progressive and forward-thinking. We worked with city leadership to develop the mark they felt best communicated these values. The single star remains from the previous logo. The bold, red swoop conveys movement and progress. The strong, solid “A” of course stands in for Alexandria, and at the same time creates an arrow up, indicating growth. The color palette also shifted to brighter, more energetic hues of the original blue and red.

Southern Farm Bureau Insurance
In 1987 KJA convinced 11 states to pull their individual branding efforts together and adopt a single mark to facilitate brand recognition and cohesion. More than two decades later, this recognizable badge stands the test of time.

Parc England, Bistro on the Bayou
Bistro on the Bayou is nestled inside the Parc England Boutique Hotel. Their management requested separate, but complimentary marks to be used together in marketing materials. Consistent font treatments and color pallets provide the foundation. An elegant accent scroll graphic, used in both logos, creates an additional link and furthers the co-branding. The final logo designs work together, but are also entirely capable of standing alone.

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When we refer to a logo – we’re actually shortening the word logotype. But “logo” actually originates from the ancient Greek for “word”. That’s much more interesting when you consider just how many words a well crafted logo represents.

Once again we open the vault to share more KJA logo designs. As ever – we welcome your comments.

Renaissance Home for Youth
The Renaissance Home provides juvenile support services to the Rapides Parish justice system. Young people in need of protection and direction participate in programs designed to prepare them for the future and teach them responsibility. We wanted to illustrate the transition from troubled and fragmented to prepared and complete. Ultimately, the KJA team felt a simple home symbol was the best way to communicate this shift. The contents within the house shape transition from out of control to a state of order and cooperation.

Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance
This organization works with multiple entities in 11 central LA parishes to accelerate the region’s economic growth and employment opportunities. Because the proper name is a mouth-full, members referred to the organization as CLEDA (klee-dah). This made for a logical approach from an identity standpoint. Using the acronym, KJA developed a logo reflecting the push forward the organization strives to make. The motion in the type and illustration provide a sense of forward momentum. Interaction between the letters reinforces the necessary alliance shared by CLEDA participants.

Alexandria Multicultural Festival
The city looked to KJA to find just the right blend of elements they felt best represented the first ever Alexandria Multicultural Festival. This final solution – featuring abstracted figures celebrating in varying hues – evokes the feeling of connectedness. One figure completed by another, graphically representing the ways that different cultures brush against, and often shape, one another. The type treatment provides some unexpected shifts in the letterforms, in much the same way a festival of this type can offer visitors unanticipated experiences.

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A logo inspires trust, recognition and admiration for a company or product. As designers, we must create a logo that does its job.

Below you’ll find some more of the logos KJA’s developed over the years. As always, we welcome your thoughts.

City of Pineville
The city’s very name establishes the visual theme for this mark: pine trees – which offer a symbol of towering strength. The final design is a clean and fresh typographical treatment with appropriate pine needle and cone accents. The design carefully preserves the deeply traditional mindset of this small southern city, but still reflects their progressive, growth-based leadership.

LSU Alexandria
In terms of identity, the school’s only consistent logo was their official seal. As they prepared to make the public transition from a 2-year to a 4-year university, an easily recognizable graphic identity was needed. This simple mark notes their tie to the larger Louisiana State University system but reinforces their “Alexandria” individuality.

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