As a graphic designer, I’m often hired to create or update logos for my clients. It’s important to keep your brand fresh and relevant. Even more so for design companies. The last time I updated the logo for Public Image Design was 2009.

The inspiration for the new logo came from the book Wordplay by John Langdon. Mr. Langdon is one of the foremost authorities in the world on the subject of ambigrams. I wrote about them in my previous post. In short, an ambigram is a word or symbol that remains the same when transformed by rotation or reflection.

As I marvelled at the stunning examples in the book, it occurred to me that p i d, the initials of my company name, made for a perfect simple ambigram. This was an opportunity to design something clever beyond the stylized monogram in current use.

Evolution of Public Image Design logos

When I create a type-based logo, I typically explore the word(s) I’m working with in thousands of typefaces. This is easy with online resources like MyFonts. I had a clear vision of the style of type I was looking for and collected about 25 to explore further. In most cases I found myself drawn more to either the p or d and the two were rarely the same form. I experimented with the preferred letter and rotated it to become the other. Even in the final design, the p is a rotated d.

The dot on the eye was another challenge. It needed to be relevant as both a dot above the letter and an element below. After exhaustive exploration — including not having a dot at all — I took influence from a different typeface. Although it departs significantly from the angular geometry of the 3 letters, the dot punctuates and connects them beautifully. The upper dot appears as a flame. The lower could be seen as lips. Red became the obvious choice for colour.

The new Public Image Design logo is a great representation of my work. It is solidly structured and simultaneously playful. The impression is highly subjective. Different people will see different things. Look at it this way…or that way. It’s the same upside down. An aspect of the design I plan to exploit in promotions.

See more of my work here.