Shark Translations Logo and Icon Design
This hand-drawn logo design is for a new writing service for translating documents from Spanish and Portuguese into clear English.
Mood Board
I began my process by researching various word marks that fulfilled my clients goals and personal aesthetic. I always like to start off each project with a series of images to give my client a frame of reference when I'm deciding which art direction is the most appropriate for their brand.
After my Mood Board presentation, we decided to go the route similar to the "Adventure" lettering created by Seanwes. We went this direction to create a sense of playfulness and action with the word mark by having each letter form curve around the another.
Thumbnails
After my Art Direction was approved, I got right to work on various concepts and ideas for the final execution for the logo and supporting icon design. I wanted to include both sharp and curved edges to represent the physical features of a shark while having an overall welcoming tone.
For the icon, it was important for my client that the shark illustration be seen as a dominant survivalist, not a violent creature. So I knew it would be best to not include any facial expressions like teeth or eyes to make the character more appealing instead of intimidating.
Inking
After several concepts, I started to settle on a more finalized look and feel. It took several rounds of experimentation to land on a concept that was both representational of a shark and easily read from a distance.
To perfect my lettering, I quickly filled in each concept with a thick sharpie so I could easily see the thickness of my letters. This process helped make sure that the negative space between my letters was consistent and evenly spaced.
Icon Concept
Originally this icon was supposed to consist of a shark illustration in the shape of an "S" going through the "T". But, after a few rounds of sketches it was clear this approach made the design far too complicated. Instead, I created a smooth shark illustration swimming through the T.
Since I no longer needed the top of the "S", the design could fit more easily in a square ratio format and could retain visibility when used in small formats like social media icons and avatars.
Final Logo
When adding in "Translations" I noticed that my original idea of having the font directly below the wordmark was far too large and was creating a confusing visual hierarchy between to two words. So, I played around with the capital "S" to create a leading dominance for "Shark", allowing "Translations" to be more subtle.
For "Translations" I went with a nice title case instead of all caps using the slab serif font Bitter to better fill in the negative space below the wordmark while having a softer overall appeal.
Final Icon
I went with a simple stroke illustration to give the icon more of a punch while allowing the colors to pop off the page. This subtle detailing of the shadows gives the branding a nice refreshing feel.
I landed on a monochromatic color scheme to resemble the crisp fresh ocean while using a muted cream for maximum contrast and readability.
