Logos, Brand Identities, and Websites of Influence
Belief-driven Design.
At Pen and Lens Design, we maintain that images shape culture—we make the complex clear, the old new, the formless real, and the aesthetic prevalent. Through strategic thinking, sophisticated form-making, and critical engagement, our transverse approach of both physical and digital methods enables us to create successful visual and brand identities, books and editorials, environmental and wayfinding graphics, and communication programs.
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Payment Direct Brand Identity Design
How do hotels, restaurants, and the service industry distribute tips when it's all digital? Payment Direct turns digital tips back into liquid assets for employees who need the payday while being seamlessly integrated into management software.
As the first product that is consumer-facing, Evention LLC wanted a professional brand identity that would sell to both HR managers and customers who would be using their software.
Pen and Lens developed a brand identity that is both modern and approachable. The friendly tone of voice speaks to customers, while its professional heir makes it a sound decision for HR managers looking to entice better employees with more flexible payment methods.
Elite International Soccer Training Brand Identity
Elite International Soccer Training wanted to put down roots and establish itself as a premier soccer training facility for kids of all ages. They were looking for a professional graphic design system that their kids would be excited to wear and participate in at all ages. Having been a budding idea for years in the making, Elite International Soccer Training wanted to put their ideas into a strong logo and brand identity system that could adapt to their environmental needs and their social media presence, as well as all of their apparel and other collateral needs.
As with any brand identity, we started by designing a strong logo, upon which to base the rest of the identity. The logo is constructed out of two custom-drawn “E”s that, when flipped and mirrored towards one another, create a perfect square and some beautiful negative space. The beautiful negative space creates a capital “I”. From that, we pull the dot out of the top to represent the soccer ball used in the sport that they're training.
In this gestalt mark, we have an “E” for Elite, “I” for international, and a soccer ball there at the top, which also gets used in the type design. In the logotype, for example, anywhere there would be a dotted “I” or period in the abbreviation “intl.” we pull the dot out of the letterform to match the logo mark. The type also matches a general tone of strength and stability, which Elite want to present and push forward as they are experts when it comes to soccer training
It's quite a simple solution. But as elite international soccer training has proliferated their brand through apparel, social media, video, and other media, it's become stronger and easily recognizable in the Treasure Valley. This logo format and brand identity strategy helps to establish it in the community and will grow with Elite as they continue to produce phenomenal athletes.
Reliable Waste Service Brand Identity
Reliable Waste Service was an idea that had been brewing for years. Believing that waste management is a pillar civil service of a community, founder Aaron Hamstra reached out to Pen and Lens Design to create a visual identity that would communicate an approachable, yet humble brand.
Solution
‘Reliable Waste Service’ is a mouthful—though important meaning hinges on every word. The circle, semi-circle, and slice emulate the auditory rhythm of the brand name while also functioning to draw in the viewer’s attention. Most often people don’t want to know what happens to their garbage, they just know they want it gone. The bold, yellow circle reminds the audience who will achieve that best.
Paired with the simple shapes is an approachable typeface that reflects the hopes of the company. In a world bent on automation, Reliable Waste Service intends to continue to use manual labor as a way to employ its community as well as connect with those it serves.
View the Full Project Here: https://www.penandlens.com/design-projects/reliable-waste-service-brand-identity
Bootsma Bookstore Cafe Rebrand
After a large donation and push to update the physical appearance of the Bootsma Bookstore Cafe, Pen and Lens Design was asked to design a new brand identity with the help of student designers to accompany the renovation. The identity needed to breathe new life into the space, encourage student engagement and tie into the campuses growing suite of brands.
With help from student designers Gabrielle, Alexis, and Raeann, Pen and Lens worked to more fully understand the environment, offerings, and happenings of the Bootsma Bookstore Cafe. As part a college cafe, they found that the location functions slightly different than traditional coffee shops. The BBC is home to not only coffee, yes, but also meal swipes, various campus events, bookstore, spirit shop, and more.
To encompass this breadth of content, we developed a modular system of icons paired with simple type. The icons represent everything that goes on in, around, and through the BBC and can be paired, rotated, and fit together in any number of combinations in order to adapt and evolve with the BBC.
Central Wisconsin Christian Brand Interview Video
View the entire project here: https://www.penandlens.com/design-projects/central-wisconsin-christian-school-identity
Central Wisconsin Christian Schools Rebrand
Project Brief
Central Wisconsin Christian School reached out to Pen and Lens to develop a new brand identity in order to build pride in the school system and span its widening audience. As a K–12 school system, this project brought with it a particularly wide range of end viewers and users, from kindergarteners to high-school seniors, to faculty and staff, parents and donors. CWC needed a brand that could withstand an athletic department, remain lively through 13 years of schooling, draw in new parents and students, and be adored by kids of all ages.
Solution
Important to the Central Wisconsin Christian School brand is keeping in mind not only those it seeks to draw in, but also those whom the brand identifies. With such a wide range of personnel the brand needed to function on multiple platforms.
Pen and Lens developed a simple crest. The shield shape and arch through the middle serve to allude to a knight’s armor—a nod to the school’s mascot, a Crusader. Unlike other school brands, however, this logo serves to identify both academic and athletic branches of the school system. The crest then succinctly marries the crusader elements with a prominent ‘W’, and a cross at the center after the school motto, “Where Christ is Central.”
Each time a user views the mark, they gain something different which aids in the longevity of a K–12 timeline of identification. The logo is simple enough that a child can understand, adapt, and integrate with it while also being smart enough for an older student or staff member to adorn it. This logo paired with a typeface that balances modern fonts and a need to speak to children, plus a bright, bold color palette, come together to make a powerful, memorable brand identity.
View Full Project here: https://www.penandlens.com/design-projects/central-wisconsin-christian-school-identity
Masks by Amanda Brand Identity Design
Masks by Amanda started in a basement at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. With her husband working in a home for the elderly, Founder and namesake Amanda saw the need for cheerful, hand-crafted masks.
What started as a small hobby to enrich a few lives soon exploded into an enterprise. To adapt and evolve with natural growth, Masks by Amanda needed an identity that matched the care in the product while also opening the brand up for growth.
Solution
As a personalized brand based around a seamstress and a few employees, a monogram made sense. The ‘ma’ monogram was custom-drawn to fuse the letters together in a modern grotesk typeface. This paired with the soft-corner details mirrored the care and affection put into each custom and hand-made mask.
View the full project here: https://www.penandlens.com/design-projects/masks-by-amanda-brand-identity-design
Reviews
the project
Branding for Waste Management Company
"There’s never a point where I have to reach out to them because their communication is always open and consistent."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the owner of Reliable Waste Service. We do weekly residential curbside trash pickup, hauling, and property cleanup.
What challenge were you trying to address with Pen and Lens Design?
This business started from nothing, so we’re fighting for market share against some well-established companies. We needed my brand identity to be broad so that it wouldn’t alienate anybody, but distinct enough to stand out.
What was the scope of their involvement?
For the marketing aspect of the project, Pen and Lens has been providing me with their branding services, including business cards we can send out to folks in the communities we’re serving. They’ve also done some logo design, making the font type and colors stand out from the local competition.
Apart from that, they also gave me a video breakdown of the how and why of their branding work.
What is the team composition?
As far as I know, I’ve only been working with Kaleb (Designer).
How did you come to work with Pen and Lens Design?
I believe Kaleb and I went to the same college, so I knew I could trust him. I’ve already used their services a couple of years back when we started a health food company — they crushed it back then and they were very easy to work with. I didn’t want to waste time looking for somebody else, so I went with Pen and Lens because I already know they could absolutely knock the project out of the park.
How much have you invested with them?
I believe we’ve spent about $1,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The ongoing partnership started in September 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Our company started from nothing and had zero customers. Now, I serve over 100 homes and small businesses, and every single one of my customers has seen the brand identity that Pen and Lens provide for me. I’ve had multiple customers and prospects come up to me to say that they really like the look of our marketing materials.
How did Pen and Lens Design perform from a project management standpoint?
They’re very receptive to concerns and issues. There were a couple of things that we needed them to tweak for the final package, which they successfully implemented. There’s never a point where I have to reach out to them because their communication is always open and consistent.
I would also like to say that 90% of our interaction is done via email.
What did you find most impressive about them?
We really like that it feels as though they’re a part of my team. They’re always excited to do some work for Reliable Waste to accomplish the bigger picture. They really integrate themselves into what I’m trying to do, and go the extra mile to make sure that everything we need is being taken care of.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I really can’t think of anything they could improve on, because Pen and Lens really set the standard for branding and design.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
What I would say is the more ideas you provide for them, the easier it’ll be for Pen and Lens to do their job. Make sure to communicate with them and trust them with the decisions for your brand identity — they’re professionals, so try not to interject with your ideas every step along the way.
the project
Logo Design & Branding Services for Optometrist Clinic
“Pens and Lens puts a lot of thought into their work”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the administrator of Visions Eye Health Center, an optometrist clinic. I run the backend of our marketing efforts.
What challenge were you trying to address with Pens and Lens Design?
A few years ago, we had a website that we used through a buying group, who allowed us to use their platform. However, when we no longer used that buying group, we needed to develop a new website and marketing strategy. We also needed a fresh look for our branding. As a result, we hired Pens and Lens to work for us.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Pens and Lens has presented us with several options for updating our logo. Then, they’ve sent examples of how the logos would look like on different materials. That way, we could visualize what our new branding, logo, and color schemes would look like before we decided which one to use.
What is the team composition?
I mainly work with Kaleb (Co-Founder).
How did you come to work with Pens and Lens Design?
We were familiar with Pens and Lens, and we liked the way they communicated and sent us samples. Visualization was an important thing for us; we needed to see how things would look, and they were great at sending that information to us. Overall, we chose them because of the way they worked with us.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent around $6,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with Pens and Lens around August 2018, and the engagement is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Pens and Lens has put us on a more professional level. As an optometric business, we don’t do a lot of advertising, and 85% of our business comes from referrals. As a result, our success metric is to look a bit more elegant and be elevated from a professional cutesy branding to a more sophisticated one — Pens and Lens has done a great job at that. They’ve changed the way our business comes across professionally. We’ve also received plenty of comments on how good our logo is.
How did Pens and Lens Design perform from a project management standpoint?
We typically communicate through emails and texts. I can pick up the phone and ask them what something will look like. Then, they’ll create mock-ups quickly.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The way Pens and Lens develops a product differentiates them from other providers. Others simply give us logos, but Pens and Lens puts a lot of thought into their work. Kaleb looks into the business and figures out how to define it. Even if I don’t like it at first, the way he explains the design gives it more background. Overall, he thinks more about the company and our market instead of just throwing the logo at us.
Are there any areas they could improve?
It would be nice to meet them in person a little bit more. We did meet in person before but it was hard to do it since they were far away.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be highly specific in what you’re asking and give Pens and Lens a bit of background in your business. On top of that, let Kaleb do his thing; he’s way more educated than most executives that try to do designs by themselves.
Thanks to Pen and Lens Design, the company has garnered over 100 customers through their distinct brand identity. The team is highly receptive to client concerns and the internal stakeholders are particularly impressed with the team's dedication to helping the client achieve success.