Focusing on What's Important: Creating a Brand Identity that Stands Out
June 2023
The world of sports can be fast-paced and moments are fleeting, but memories are lasting. A well-designed logo for this sports photography company can encapsulate the essence of these moments, conveying the passion for the game and the skill behind the lens. Focus on Sports is a company in Exeter Pennsylvania I work very closely with not in just designing their branding material, but also as a photographer and whatever else they need help with. In this blog post, I'll take you through the creative journey of designing a logo that helps this saturated field of high volume sports photography stand out.
1. Knowing the Audience
When I was approached to start this project, I knew I needed to get a better understanding of this special niche of sports photography. Focus on Sports began exclusively taking action shots of young athletes, later getting more involved with team and individual portraits. Now, it is a combination of both, and knowing this information helped me design a logo concept that aligned with their clientele.
2. Drawing Inspiration from Sports
The sports market and photography market are currently very saturated fields to get involved with. Combining those 2 fields is even more so. Creating something that stands out from other sports photographers was quite the challenge, especially today. I took a long look at modern sports graphics, as well as timeless photography logos, and drew inspiration from the Olympics and the camera shutter. Focus on Sports wanted to evolve their company from what it used to be, to a more modern, technically advanced photography organization. Their old logo was a word mark that had a camera icon as the "O" in "on."
3. Color Palette and Typography MATTERS
I'm sure you've heard that colors play a significant role in logo design. I needed to consider the emotions I wanted to evoke through this logo. Bright and energetic colors like red, blue, or yellow can symbolize the excitement of sports, while more subdued hues like black and white can convey professionalism and elegance. I chose different shades of blue as well as a bold black to make it pop, while also evoking a more trusting kind of emotion. Typography is just as crucial as color in logo design. Sports photography logos often benefit from bold, sans-serif fonts that exude strength and modernity. For this logo, I chose a rounded sans-serif font that was legible and flowed nicely with the rest of the logo.
4. Testing the Balance of Simplicity and Detail
A good logo should be memorable and easily recognizable. While adding intricate details can be tempting, simplicity often wins the day, especially in this minimalistic era society is currently in. I ensured that the logo remained clear and versatile at various sizes. It needs to look great on a business card, website, or social media profile. Once this concept was sent, Focus on Sports sent it to as many friends and family as they could possibly think of to get as much feedback as possible before officially launching the new design. This design got an overwhelming amount of praise and I quickly exported as many variants as possible so they could launch it as soon as possible.
5. Finalizing the Launch and Market of the New Logo
Once everything was finalized and approved, I helped Focus on Sports launch their new and improved logo all over. From plastering it on their website, making it suitable to print on banners and business cards, as well as exporting file types for apparel companies so their employees could show up to jobs looking professional.
Conclusion
A well-designed logo is more than a symbol; it's a representation of this sports photography company's identity and a statement of their commitment to capturing the essence of sports. By understanding the niche, seeking inspiration from sports, choosing a fitting color palette, and typography, a logo can be created that resonates with both athletes and sports enthusiasts. Remember, capturing the perfect logo is like capturing the perfect shot – it takes creativity, precision, and passion. If you ever want an action event covered, or want high quality portraits taken, check out Focus on Sports here for more information.
"Looks great Chelsea!"
- Pattie Guarino, Owner
