Hotel had the honour of having twelve logos selected for Logo Lounge 12. We have been fortunate to work with amazing collaborators who have vision and expect no less than the best when it comes to their brand. From moonshiners to mayors, our logo design work is always based on strategy and honesty.
BUZZWORDS: COVID-19 EDITION™
Buzzwords have grown significantly over the last six months. The COVID-19 virus changed everything, literally and figuratively. Maybe nothing changed as much as the way that we speak and the (buzz)words that we use.
So I present to you, dear reader, the BUZZWORDS: COVID-19 EDITION™. Twelve words and phrases etched into our collective hearts and minds.
We’re now pivoting and zooming and talking about a new normal. Even the way that we talk with people has completely changed with social distancing and working out of our bubbles. Some of these phrases will die out pretty quickly. Some will stand the test of time. I think the only thing that we know now is that anything can happen in this crazy world.
This whole series is available for download for your personal use.
What you get:
Each logo in EPS, JPG and PNG format
A comprehensive 14 page brand guideline document.
The feeling like you made a difference in my life.
What can you do with it:
Whatever you want. Cut, paste, copy and destroy.
Hank's Tavern
Hotel was really humbled to be a part of the Sask Venues Project put on by the good folk at SaskMusic. I grew up going to punk rock shows all over the province of Saskatchewan and it was a major influence on who I became as a person, and as a designer.
We got to work with Hank’s Tavern, a little bar out in Bradwell, Saskatchewan. The bar is air-conditioned, has a jukebox, pool table and had been named Saskatchewan Country Music’s Night Club of the Year back in better times. All awesome stuff to hang your hat on and put your boots on the floor to.
Round one of the project is now closed, but keep an eye on the project’s Instagram page to keep up to date on happenings with the project.
Beauty With A Conscience
Hotel is happy to work with small clients that have big ideas. We were approached to design an identity system for a really incredible high school program that aims to make not only hair, but the whole world just a little bit better.
The Beauty With a Conscience initiative creates more sustainable and ethical choices in its cosmetology class. Started by Elizabeth Wood at Paul Kane High School, the program brought about many lasting changes to the school’s cosmetology practice.
One of the coolest things about the the Beauty With a Conscience programs is that their cosmetology lab grows its own lavender, chamomile, and other herbs and flowers to use in their scrubs, lotions, and soaps.
The program also uses Green Circle Salon Recycling, a company that comes in and processes 95% of salon waste. On top of that, the class has switched all of their products to a more sustainable product that is organic, vegan, locally sourced , and uses aloe vera gel instead of sodium lauryl sulphates.
With the program’s commitment to ecologically sound practices the visual identity needs to reflect the simplicity, beauty and connection to nature that Beauty With A Conscience creates for its students and their burgeoning trade . The earthy colour palette allows for flexibility that can extend into multiple platforms and products.
Sequence Strategies
Sequence Strategies. Sequence is a new public affairs firm founded by Ryan Kelly. Born out of a desire to help public and private sector organizations solve big, complex challenges, Sequence is focused on results and driving real change, in real time.
Through Ryan’s experience and expertise in civic affairs and advertising, Sequence is able to understand a client’s ‘what’ issue, but also communicate the ‘why’ result in a way that is engaging and drives real change – whether it’s a shift in public policy, a business practice or a perception around a key issue.
We created a look and feel that is contemporary, professional, and approachable to Sequence’s potential client base. Ryan likened his work to solving a puzzle and we used that as our guiding principle in the design process. The identity will be flexible, with the ability to evolve and adapt in its execution and surroundings.
Top Five List: Punk Rock Logos
Appropriateness is one of the key things when it comes to good logo design. So what happens when being completely inappropriate is the appropriate tactic? You get the punk rock band logo. The main criteria when it comes to the success of a punk rock logo is how well it looks on a black shirt. Pins, patches and stickers also need to be considered, but really it’s that black shirt. Without further ado, here’s my top punk rock band logos:
5. The Ramones
The Arturo Vega crafted homage to the All-American band. Using the Presidential Seal as its base, the Ramones logo pays respect and slaps the face of America in one fell swoop. This is art-school brattiness turned up to 11, to steal a line from the decidedly unpunk Spinal Tap.
4. CHIXDIGGIT
Calgary’s positive contribution to pop punk, Chixdiggit’s logo looked like the music sounded. Joyous, over the top and more than a little snotty, the wordmark perfectly encapsulated the band it’s aesthetic for the last 20 years.
3. CRASS
Originally designed by Dave King for a Penny Rimbaud book, the Crass adopted the infamous ouroboros wrapped around the cross symbol as its logo for the duration of their career. Super dense, yet super simple in execution this mark is a timeless symbol of anti-authoritarian angst. And it looks amazing on a crusty leather jacket.
2. HÜSKER DÜ
The Hüskers were pretty much perfect in every way. Their logo was no exception. The logo is a symbol of their creative unity. Designed in-house (or is that in-band?), the circle represents the band as a whole, the horizontal lines the three members, and the vertical line is the creative connection running through them.
1. DEAD KENNEDYS
It’s so simple. It looks devious and dangerous and any kid (or malcontent office worker) can scrawl it perfectly on a binder. Winston Smith’s Dead Kennedys logo is the (black) flag bearer of the genre.
Smith himself said of the DK logo:
“I started with toothpicks and said "What can you do with four toothpicks?" I wanted to deliberately create something that was gonna be easy to make and evoke a certain kind of hard edged, severe imagery.”
