Early on in our graphic designer search, we struggled to find someone who understood our vision for Tidy Nest and could properly represent our two, very different, personalities. Most designers are eager to please and tell you what you want to hear, but it takes a competent mind to help extract the brand vision in your head and get it out on paper. While we gave designers explicit instructions not to show us designs with actual nests in them, they often did so anyway, proving to us that they really weren’t listening to us; they were listening to themselves.
So after many weeks of nests and animated birds, we decided to follow the recommendation of our friend Carter and engage BabyGiant, a leading design agency in the UK. After one call with James, the head designer, we immediately felt like he got our personalities and what we were trying to accomplish with Tidy Nest. By the end of our first call, he was giddy with excitement, because he already had an initial idea for us. About a week or so later, we were done. James successfully combined his minimalist style, his unusual attention to hidden detail, and his creative expression with the vision for our brand and the finished product really captures the essence of the brand.
While the hidden details are, well, hidden, they are plain to see if you look for them. Here’s an excerpt from James’ email to us, explaining how he arrived at the design:
1. By mirroring two T’s and reflecting them, I was able to create the structure for the Bird house (or the home in general) - these two T’s represent the two of you and the partnership you bring to the business - I love how they seamlessly flow into each other showing your connection.
2. By connecting them the way I have, I was able to add in a little bird to the top of the design - this helps to tie into the brand...this really shows the personality and character of the design and brings that light hearted fun side to the forefront.
3. What’s also really nice is that by adding in the little door, I was able to create out “n” shape - so in its entirety it’s actually a TN monogram
4. Its super clean and precise nature is a visual metaphor for the structure you bring to the home - this logo is as tidy as your business offering.
5. Going with a clean curved type direction really adds that approachability - it’s calming and endearing…
James’ creativity and ability to elucidate his thinking made all the difference for us. If you’re looking for a logo for your own business or project, take your time. It’s often the first task you want to accomplish because the logo sets the tone for the business, and since that’s the case, it’s vital to get it right. I know for us, Tidy Nest seemed a bit blurry when we were looking at cheaply animated birds and oddly constructed nests; but things really came into focus with James’ sleek. Hopefully our clients like it as much as we do!
