I was asked to come up with a visual to portray a corporate bank’s image. This was one of the largest banks in the world, one that prided itself on coming up with intelligent solutions and, whilst it wanted to evoke reliability and gravity, it also wanted to be known as innovative.
The tag line for the campaign had already been decided upon: “Expert in ideas”. Great, I thought, my mind clouded with Photoshop filters and Illustrator effects. I got to work…
Half way through I got bored of the extravagant imagery and vibrant colours and I suddenly realised that I had got something really good! I also realised that what I had served as a metaphor for my experiencein design and marketing which could be distilled down to two rules.
- Keep it simple! Easy to say, not so easy to convince people to do.
- Give them something they need to take a second look at. For example, a neat typographical trick like the one above; “expert in” is in “ideas”. Get it?
In the marketing realm, capturing attention is an art and science. A clever visual or typographical twist can make a message unforgettable, compelling the audience to pause and engage. This is particularly crucial in the website design industry, where first impressions are everything. A well-designed website not only draws visitors in but also conveys the brand’s expertise and creativity, making it stand out in a crowded digital landscape.
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I wish I could use this as a tag line for my business. This is what I should be – an expert in ideas – if I want to be successful in this field.
I am a huge fan of simple and elegant typography, and this logo/slogan is really nice. Your post mentioned that a logo like that would force visitors to take a second look, and I definitely took a second and a third and a fourth before I even read your post. The image is very clean and simple, but powerful. Really good job!
Thank you, Exhibit Booths, for your comment. That was exactly the reaction I’d hoped for and it is so encouraging receiving messages such as yours. Thanks again!
Very cool—I like the “blunt” serifs in the font you’ve chosen (what font is that, btw?). Unfortunately, many folks (who aren’t designers) aren’t brave enough to brand their companies with such simple, thoughtful designs (Hehe, it’s a pity we can’t send our customers to design school—we get taught to simplify and deconstruct, but we spend our careers slapping on extra bells and whistles). Although, I think cultural issues have a lot to do with it—I know a German guy whose logo is a circle, with a smaller circle inside it (kind of like a reversed bulls-eye); that kind of logo would probably never fly with a US company, for example (then again, it might if it’s red, white & blue—with a drop shadow… LOL)
Thank you for your input, ND. The font is Aachen bold – my favourite slab serif. You’re very right that people (myself included) get caught in the trap of wanting to add and add and add when sometimes simplicity really sells.
I really like what you did. I have never seen anything like this before. Took some creativity that is for sure. Sounds like you have a good design business if banks are contacting you. Is it because of this blog?
-Paul
Thanks, Paul. This particular job wasn’t as a result of this website. But I have many fantastic, high-end and valued clients that are!
I must say that this post made good impression on me. Fantastic work and it’s well deserved that banks hire you! This surely is an idea how to construct graphics.
Thank you very much for those kind words, Motivation maniac! 🙂
I like the immediate visual impact that has. Also, the vertical words help drive home the important term “ideas.â€
Thank you, seo technology. 🙂
At the moment the “experts in” part is visible pretty good. However if it should be used as a logo in a document and scaled down, how does it look then?
I feel at some point people stop reading the vertical part. But I might be wrong as well…
You’re absolutely right, Hong Kong. This was intended to be the cover of a brochure. It would not be good scaled down to small logo size. Thanks for the comment!
If we shall look at most popular company’s graphics, it is amazing, almost all of them have very simple and clean graphics with fonts and nothing else. I think this is the best choice for companies to be simple and attractive.
You’re right, Fredrick, a lot can be done with typography alone! Thanks for commenting!
I love the concept, especially how the “expert in” is actually within “ideas” – simple, crisp and clean. well done!
Thank you for your encouraging comment!