MNGD Rebranded!

Wow! What a whirlwind of an October for MNGD! So many great new connections are being made and I'm loving getting to interact with new clients and projects! I have also spent much of October traveling and trying to rest a bit to gear up for November projects and fun.

So onto the topic at hand: The inspiration and thought process of rebranding MNGD.

It's true that designing for yourself is one of the hardest things you can do. I am my own worst critic, however, I also know myself well enough to make good design decisions based on my set goals. This logo and branding have been a labor of love, but a much needed update as well.

BREAK IT DOWN

I wanted my new logo to better represent the designer I am today; precise, clean, modern, passionate about each design I take on. Choosing to design a logotype was a bit of a challenge, but I wanted to tackle it in 2016. I have developed a love of typography over the years and really wanted to explore that as it would pertain to my personal brand.

THE LOGO

Below you can see my old logo...yowza. I practically spent zero time creating it for a school project and it somehow stuck for years (probably because I was intimidated by the daunting task of rebranding :P). I wanted to bring some of my existing brand into my new logo, but give it a modern twist. I chose to keep:

- the bright yellow which is one of my favorite colors and exudes energy and joy.

- the linear logotype form which worked well for my long name.

- the stacked wording which has elements of structure and strength.

The rounded typeface worked well with a circular logo, but I wanted to up my game with geometric patterns and angles. I created the MN using a grid and loved the result! It shows the two sides of my design self: The M - stable, precise, solid. The N - a little quirky, explorative, looking for a new angle. Both, I feel, accurately represents the approach I take when designing and work in harmony to create a successful piece.

THE FONT

I wanted to keep the bold, clean, and modern style of san serif fonts for my main typographic elements and incorporate a secondary font with a little bit more flair. After exploring an exhaustive amount typefaces (which I loved doing), I settled on Avenir and Nexa - both of which gave me the modern look I wanted, sat nicely together, and gave me some creative freedom to expand those elements into other design pieces. These fonts, again, reiterate my precise and passionate sides.

THE PATTERN

I love patterns and the way they can bring energy to a piece. This was not something I had intended to incorporate, but once I began designing, I knew I wanted a fun pattern! For my most prominent pattern, I chose the square repeat, which I have used on this website and my business elements. It had the same square structure, bold flair, and kinetic energy as the new logo. A match made in heaven! I took the original pattern and turned it 90 degrees so the angles would be diamond shaped (but still square) to add a little variety and infuse it a bit more energy.

So there you have it! My experience and thought process for rebranding MNGD. A few words of advice for you that I learned while rebranding:

- Search yourself and brainstorm like crazy! You never know what you might come up with!

- Outline your goals on paper. You will get a more complete vision of what you should accomplish with your logo.

- Have fun with the process! Life is so much more enjoyable when you do!

I hope this post inspires you to muster up the courage to explore yourself and tackle that rebrand! You can do it! If you have questions or would like to chat, contact me! I would love to hear from you!

May the design odds ever be in your favour,

Meredith N.