Logos.

For a while now I have wanted to take a look at my branding and logo, but like most enormous tasks they get put to the bottom of the pile of things to do. Just recently though I have had time to sit back and think about lots of new products and designs, along with the release of my first ever foiled ranges of greeting cards that are being launched in the New Year.

I don't confess to being a graphic designer and so coming up with a logo for my own company has taken weeks of thought, research, planning, development and design. I wanted a logo that says everything about my work ethos, that being designed by hand, personal, and products that consider the environment. I received some good advice from a graphic designer friend who gave me lots of pointers. My initial ideas all got thrown out quickly from the early sketches, until I came up with an idea to illustrate a pencil (the hand-drawn element) which would bend right round in a circle (to emphasise the biodegradable material used and my plee to the customer to recycle afterwards). The personal part comes with hand-drawn letters and I have cleverly incorporated my name into the end and tip of pencil.

Take a closer look at the logo and you will see F A Y in the design. I think I have spent too long on the Nintendo DS playing Professor Layton, as with so many puzzles, it made me think about how I could hide my name in the design.

I now have a logo to add to all of my products, website, blog (eventually), business stationery (another cost to consider) which I hope says more about who I am and what I do, and this hopefully won't date.

Let me know what you think about it.