We are hard at work redesigning the Roundpeg website. Since this is what we do for others, we wanted to be sure we put our best foot forward in every possible way with this new web design. Once we selected the theme, it was time to turn our attention to the brand elements: font and logo.
Re-evaluating your brand is something every company should do periodically. As companies change and mature, so should their brand. So we asked ourselves: Was it time to update the Roundpeg logo? Designed almost ten years ago, for a company with a very different mission, did it still fit? Should we update the logo or font?
The original design used two fonts Clarendon and Trebuchet. These two fonts were chosen for very specific reasons. Roundpeg has always been about simplicity (easy access to understandable information) with a creative twist.
Clarendon was chosen to represent the simple side: This is the font used in all the Dick and Jane Readers. An entire generation of Baby Boomers grew up with Dick and Jane, so unconsciously this font is immediately familiar. Our original target market was senior managers in large companies. Ten years ago most of our audience were Baby Boomers.
Trebuchet was chosen primarily for two letters: G & L. I had already decided I liked the feel of a lower case logo because it was more casual and more approachable. The challenge? In most lower case fonts, the “l” is nothing but a straight line.
With my name Lorraine ball, if the “l” didn’t have some design element to it, my name would look like a series of straight lines. As for the importance of the “G”, the company name ends with a “G”. To create a lasting impression, we looked for a font where the “g” had some character. Trebuchet filled the bill. At the time, it was a relatively new font. It was designed in 1996 by Microsoft, primarily for websites, so few print designers were using it.
In 2011 things have changed. Many of our clients are members of GenX, or even GenY. There were no Dick and Jane Readers in their classrooms, so Clarendon means nothing to them. And Trebuchet has fulfilled its destiny and become one of the dominant web fonts, so everywhere we look, we see Trebuchet. We had a number of lively debates and even experimented with some alternatives, but nothing looked right. In the end, we decided to keep the logo as it was originally designed.
After almost 10 years the unique combination of letters (with the d and p connected) has taken on a meaning of it’s own. In the Indianapolis business community, it has become extremely recognizable.
To update the feel, we decided to add a new display font. We had been using Complete in Him, a quirky handwritten font, which brought a playful feel to our designs. But Roundpeg is all grown up, and as we worked with the sleek Nova theme, we knew it was time for a shift. We fell in love with the sleek, strong feel of Chalet-Paris Nineteen Sixty, especially the “r”. True, the “l” has no shape, but Roundpeg is no longer just about me.
As you look at your logo, is it just a pretty design, or do the letters, fonts and graphic elements each serve a purpose, helping to convey your brand essence? If it is time for a brand redesign, or brand creation, give us a call. As an Indianapolis brand development firm, we would love to be a part of your branding process.