- Jun 11, 2018
- 2 min read

Creative Process: 4 The Life of M.E.

I often showcase client success stories, but this time, I wanted to start a new category and include 4 The Life Of M.E. as my first in the new Creative Process series.

Creating the perfect logo for your business or organization can take several weeks or even months. This is the one service we offer with the least return, because of the time spent on each logo can stretch out so far. However, it is one of our favorite services to offer and it's important to keep it affordable for small businesses, because a logo is so important.

Meeting with Ashley virtually, I learned about her plan for her business (a fashion blog), her goals, and where her intended logo would be showcased. I also was lucky enough to receive a detailed Power Point with mood boards (similar to Pinterest, showcasing preferred colors, fonts, and styles) in order to gather a sense of style she preferred.

4 The Life Of M.E. is not a name you hear everyday. I wanted to understand why M.E. in particular was an acronym. Ashley explained that it stood for "My Everything," and her intended blog would be based on fashion, but have a religious twist as she is a Christian. How does this translate to design? It would be particularly challenging because Ashley also decided she wanted a text-only logo, so no symbols would be used (so there goes the idea of incorporating a cross!). Sometimes, a text-only logo makes for an even stronger brand, and I believe in Ashley's case this was true. By avoiding icons and imagery, the logo can be more versatile as a watermark, and not take away from any fashion images she uses on her blog. I imagined a wholesome logo with a slight fashion flare and began sketching.

Though the finished first set of proofs is cleaner, this is how the entire art board looks while working on a project. Client's inspiration, font testing and color options are all included in one space while sketches are made.

Colors pulled from Ashley's mood boards.

Though dozens of logos are sketched, the final 4-8 concepts are chosen to show the client. Giving too many options can make the decisions more difficult, so we find using the best 4-8 is the perfect range.

After showing the first draft of logos, Ashley immediately took to two options. We experimented with multiple color options for each logo, until she settled on her final choice. I happened to agree with her final choice, though that doesn't always happen. Sometimes our favorites are not what's best for the business, and we must learn to let go as designers. Fortunately, I didn't have to let go this time! The best logo was a clear winner.