James Hole, a London-based photographer, was looking for a logo for his rapidly evolving business. He didn’t yet have a visual identity for his business, so I didn’t have much to go on for a logo design. However, I took the challenge and set out on a mission to create a variety of options that could represent his crisp, high-contrast photographs.
One of the core functions of a logo is to be distinctive but not distract from all the great work a company displays. With this in mind, I initially created six geometric and minimalistic logos that incorporated James’ name and some photography symbols, such as a shutter, lens, and viewfinder.
When I showed these designs to James, he realized he wanted something more in line with his personal style. He suggested using his first tattoo—a nautical star—as a focal point in the logo. We went down a rabbit hole talking about his work photographing a new local brewery and how he enjoyed the rustic art that was appearing in the emerging craft beer scene. We got carried away with the prospect of turning his logo into promotional materials, like paper coasters and beer bottle labels.
With these things in mind, I went back to the drawing board and designed this circular logo that reflects a traditional tattoo style and features his star tattoo. I hand-lettered James’ business name to resemble a vintage hand-painted pub sign.
The resulting logo gave James Hole Photography a visual identity that summarizes his unique value and style while providing enough contrast that his work could still take center stage and shine.
I am proud of this design. The image would look great on a coaster, label, or shirt. However, I got so excited by the project that I let the design get away from me. I realize now that I should have given the client more artistic direction and steered him toward a more scalable logo. I guess you could say I couldn’t see the forest for the trees.