If you're looking for a logo that reflects the essence of who you are and the business you're building, you're going to enjoy reading about my custom designed branding for Cadboro Constructions.
I'll be sharing the exact step-by-step process I lead my clients on, and how this project unfolded. It may inspire you to dig deeper into your own story and use that as inspiration for a business foundation you can be proud of.
Meeting My Client
I first met Matt (and his beautiful wife Gen) through Gen's sister (a dear friend of mine) in Sydney many years ago, with my bathers on and my snorkelling gear in hand. My friend invited me snorkelling with the adventurous trio and so I tagged along to see the underwater sights of Shelley Beach, Manly.
It would be the first of a few fun outings together, including a fabulous long weekend drinking our way around the Hunter Valley. I've always known Matt to be a fun person who loves good coffee and surfing.
Fast forward a few years and we're both living in Queensland. Matt is now living on the Gold Coast and is in need of a logo design, taking the leap to start his own construction business. He's a talented builder with many years (and many trades) under his belt. When we caught up for a coffee, Matt was still deciding on a name for his business.
Choosing A Name for Your Construction Business
If you're considering a logo design or branding of any kind, make sure you're happy with the business name first. It doesn't have to stop you from moving forward and taking on jobs in the beginning, but this decision is important - eventually this business name will be the basis for your website, email address, logo and branding, plus social media handles and of course the name your clients will know and refer you as.
If you'd prefer to be known personally, perhaps your personal name is the best choice. Perhaps consider how your business name can reflect your personality, your values, your business offerings or tell a story about you and why your business is important to you.
The name that my client Matt kept coming back to was Cadboro Constructions.
Cadboro was the name of the street he grew up in, as a Canadian growing up on Vancouver Island. It has a great ring to it with the alliteration of the 'CC'. It's a great length, easy to remember and it's fairly easy to say. The word Cadboro is perhaps not obvious to spell (but not difficult to spell either). Matt tried other variations but this was the one that resonated most.
Concept Logo Design for Cadboro Constructions on the Gold Coast
Once Matt settled on the name, we launched into the creative process for his branding. I knew instantly that I wanted to create a logo that captured the spirit of his Canadian origins on Vancouver Island.
Over a coffee, I listened to Matt describe his childhood, moving to Australia, meeting his wife and his extensive building and trade history. I already knew that one of his favourite hobbies is surfing - synonymous with the culture of Vancouver Island. Matt is incredibly passionate about sustainability too, and his eyes light up when discussing the clever use of design / materials to achieve energy efficient homes. Growing up in Canada where the weather is wilder and colder, he was incredibly knowledgeable about the subject.
'Cadboro' was the name of the street he grew up on, and Matt told me stories about his childhood there. We discussed the use of a tree in the logo to represent strength, sustainability and legacy - values that are important in Matt's work. There are many striking trees that are endemic to Vancouver Island, and I recall Matt's email saying:
“The tree that reminds me of home the most is actually the Arbutus. We had a big one in our back yard and they are always weird shapes and sizes and near the coast so I have a lot of memories just sitting on their branches.”
I spent some time researching the Arbutus, and a variety of other native Canadian trees. I presented this to him in a concept design moodboard as the first phase of the project.
It was the Douglas Fir we settled on for the logo, a striking pine often seen perched on rocky island outcrops, surrounded by the surf… my initial squiggles inspired me no end and I knew I could transform it into a stunning illustration for the logo. It seemed the perfect symbol of strength and sustainability for Matt’s bespoke construction business.
Hand Lettering and Font Selection
Matt's main idea for his logo centred around hand lettering for the word Cadboro, inspired by a word 'Driftwood' he’d seen in his online searches.
I couldn't find the original font of the word 'Driftwood', so I decided to create something similar using my own hand lettering. For the word 'constructions' I used a new sans serif font called 'New Zen' - its gentle curves complement the organic shapes of the hand lettering while still being bold enough to stand out at a smaller scale and tucked in under the hand lettering.
Logo Colour Palette
We worked together to choose a colour palette that reflects the ocean while still being reliable, classic and professional. The final result was a variety of logos that Matt can choose from on a variety of business and marketing assets, and a strong brand story that sets the foundation for his business and reputation.
This set of logos shows some of the colours we considered before selecting the final navy, black and white variations.
How To Get The Best Logo Design
Matt was a dream client - very open, collaborative and fun to work with. These traits are incredibly helpful to me as a designer - the more I learn about you, the easier I can create something meaningful and long lasting. As you grow and your business grows, your branding can evolve too, but a great starting point is to share your ideas, your values and what led you to where you are today.
I can’t wait to see Matt's logo LARGE on some scaffolding site fences in the future, and that is easy to achieve because his logo was created in Adobe Illustrator... a vector based image that can be enlarged to any size without losing quality or detail. Be sure to hire a logo designer that uses Adobe Illustrator as this is the best design software available to create a professional branding suite.
What is Business Branding?
A fantastic logo is just one part of the branding equation. Brand development is the holistic process of uncovering the visual, verbal, tactile and emotive expression of your business. Your business can be experienced in many ways and at different times - it's important to remember there are many touch points for your client interactions or along your customer journey.
For this project with Cadboro Constructions, we worked on the brand aesthetics, values, business logo and business card. It was the perfect starting point for a new business.
My Construction Knowledge and Unique Background
I've been a designer in the Australian construction industry for 20 years, working on local and international projects. I trained as a landscape architect, eventually moved into urban design, developed my skills as a graphic designer along the way, and worked in Design Manager roles before going full time in my own art and design studio, Tiny Giraffe.
Now I get to help other businesses stand out from the competition through custom design. I help business owners create striking, artful and elegant brands that last the test of time.
I know the importance of solid branding and strong, memorable logos to form the foundation of a business. I will help you create a high quality, memorable brand that you can use for many years to come. One that will elevate your reputation amongst the (many) trade based businesses that scrape a generic logo together. One that will allow you to command higher prices in alignment with your professional brand identity.
If you'd love some help in creating a memorable business logo and branding, and want to work with someone who understands exactly what you do, please reach out to have a chat or get a quote:
Kylie Harber - Founder of Tiny Giraffe
Email: hello@tinygiraffe.co