Logo Concepts

Logo A Tall
Logo C Tall Color Compare
Logo B Tall Color Compare
Logo A Tall Color Compare
Logo A Wide Color Treatment
Logo A Style Treatment
Logo A Design

Design

Logo options I've come up with. There's an explanation behind each one but the one I'm leaning toward is the one currently in use on the site. It's a direction, not a final draft. The idea behind the concept is we are working toward a healthy heart by improving anticoagulation.

  1. A healthy heart is represented
  2. Michigan is represented
  3. The heart represents anticoagulation stages (from the Michigan "clot" to free flowing cells)
  4. The represented anticoagulation process is managed/contained within the healthy heart

Theory

All of the logos attempt to represent core and unique aspects of MAQII such as the state of Michigan, anticoagulation management, professional but approachable group, health.

A logo mark is intended to represent a group. A group can be thought of as a collection of ideals, objectives, methods. A mark works best when it quickly and almost imperceptibly triggers notions of these group attributes.

Design Simplicity

The more scalable a mark is, the more value it has. Scalability means the ability for the mark to be equally recognizable and functional (i.e. quickly representing its ogranization's attributes) at any physical size. From a pen clip to a billboard and every size between.

This core design property of a mark in part drives the use of minimal detail and solid coloring. A mark that functions in a single color can only be augmented by adding color. Implementing minimal detail allows the mark to still be quickly identified at smaller sizes and lower resolutions.

However the larger driving force behind these principles is to ensure efficiency in the effectiveness of the symbol to represent its group. The less time the brain has to spend parsing the image the more likely it is to be absorbed. Implementing common graphic symbols of the heart and a rough Michigan outline make the mark even more likely to be retained as it needs less time to process the familiar and streamlined shapes.

A side effect of using these principles allows the mark to function in different environments and with different treatments (see the last image for color treatments). In the first color treatment the mark is in harshly contrasting colors but still easily identifiable. The second treatment shows the mark in a stylized environment. The third shows it over a busy background. The mark is still identifiable in these treatments.

Similarly the simplicity allows for fun style treatments (eg. MAQII ROADSHOW) and cross branding options (eg. MAQII TOOLKIT). Fun style treatments work best as singular use items that change more regularly such as with annual season. Cross branding opportunities arise when the mark is more lightly modified to reflect the cross brand. The "toolkit" option saves visual equity already established in the toolkit pdf/app.