Logo design for Davidson Locksmith
I was approached by the established Scottish locksmith, Trevor Davidson, who was in need of a fresh identity to match his strong reputation and to replace his dated corporate appearance.
The brief stated that a padlock or key icon was to remain in some shape or form, and I wanted to unify the name and mark in a way that wasn’t seen in the old logo design.
The previous logo was very clip-art-like, and didn’t show the company in the light their reputation deserved. The old padlock icon was closed (locked) and I felt it important to show an unlocked mark as this is what Davidson Locksmith is best at (opening closed locks).
As well as a new logo design, the company asked for a fresh business card design. The card prints one colour, both sides, for a cost-effective print run.
Photo courtesy of Factor 1 Studios
Constructive criticism is very welcome.
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43 appreciated comments to “Logo design for Davidson Locksmith”
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Really nice. I especially like how you incorporated the angles into the card! Thanks for sharing this.
That is some great work. The old logo is awesome, you gotta love the clipart! Haha. If I may comment on the logo… as far as the gravity goes, did you try flipping the D, the lock, around vertically? Just a thought.
Nice job David – especially in the angled text on the business card. The logo is perfect!
Nicely done. It’s a vast improvement.
Very nice and a marked improvement over the original. I won’t list critiques because it appears to be finished, and you didn’t ask for them.
Nice work.
I think it looks great! Very clean and much more professional than the clip art version.
Looks great! :)
Love it! Nuff said!
Hi, i stumbled upon your blog a couple days ago. I’ll be coming back often! Nice work with this logo!
Loving your sketchwork. Keep it up!
To say it’s an improvement, would be a slight understatement ;-)
The colour choice is excellent too: the final version looks so much better than the black it’s untrue, and I really can’t see it in any other colour than the one you’ve chosen.
Nice one. Just wondering.., Have you ever thought of replacing “O” with the padlock?
Nice design.
I don’t think I experimented with the ‘o’. I felt there was a nice balance with the extra weight of the lock on the left against the text for locksmith on the right.
Thanks very much for your generous praise!
Hey David, we just like you, and want you to succeed in what you do too. :) The praise is well-deserved.
enough said… the design is perfect… Good Job.
The lock appearing to defy gravity by staying “up” creates a definite tension in the design. I’m curious as to what your thought process was in why you chose that instead of flipping it over so it looked more “natural”.
A quick question: Would you suggest setting up an online portfolio using a blog as opposed to creating a new website? Not necessarily for clients on a freelance basis, but for job hunting at different design firms and studios. Lemme rephrase my question: Would a portfolio blog be acceptable to industry professionals/potential employers?
I was considering creating a portfolio section in my art blog, but i’m not sure if that’d be the best route to take. It would save me a lot of time though.
I felt that by adding more tension the logo would seem more dynamic and less submissive. Running against gravity gives it an added force, and the balance is also improved between the lock and the ‘locksmith’ text.
Vince,
Your question depends upon how relevant your blog is to your portfolio. This blog is centred around creative design (the tagline I use on my business cards).
There are some more personal posts here, but I believe that adding some personality is important, both in business and in blog effectiveness.
I made a conscious decision to merge my portfolio and blog (even though I’ve only just begun uploading portfolio pieces).
Amazing just amazing. I love how you can create simple elegant creative logos. I’m 21 year old guy with a Fine Art degree thinking about going to Design school and watching your artwork inspires me. I’ve learned most of what i know by reading books/websites but i still tend to clutter or make the logos i do (for friends mostly) or they tend to be too artsy.
Thanks for the compliment! I hope everything goes great in your studies, if you make that decision.
really love this logo. good job.
damn you are very good designer, mostly in logo’s :).
I like that D :D.
I’m a member of the graphic design group on myspace you’re a member of. I took a look at your site and want to let you know that I’m really inspired by your work. Thanks.
Thanks very much for stopping by to comment. I really appreciate it.
Great portfolio and great work. Love to see the inside of other people’s minds to see ways I might not have thought of things. It helps all graphic designers think outside the box of their own brain. Godspeed.
Thanks for the compliment! I’m glad you enjoyed viewing my portfolio.
Interesting logo and a creative way of integrating the lock into the “D”.
How did you decide on the unusual kerning for the rest of the type? It seems the center of “Davidson” is very constricted.
I stumbled upon your site and I think you are a genius!
What else to say?
I am considering learning logo design.
Hey David.
I just had a question about using diagonally aligned text. I’v just finished my first out of three years of design and on one specific project we had to do a poster design. It was made pretty clear to us not to use diagonal text, it was difficult to read and it obscured the synergy of the design.
It stops your eye from following the horizontal path that your brain is used to when you read text.
I have to say that I personally have never been able to incorporate diagonal text into a design successfully. Perhaps its just lack of experience at this stage.
Did you use your diagonal text there to intentionally make someone rotate the card, therefore making a more functional use of text?
By the way I must take this opportunity to say that this Blog of yours is a goldmine for someone like me. I’m actually on holiday at the moment but just browsing through your site I’v learnt so much.
Thanks David.
Thanks for your question. One positive aspect of business cards is how easy they are to rotate, so using diagonal text is quite different from on a poster, for example.
It’s great to know you’ve learnt something from browsing through my website, and I hope you enjoy(ed) your holiday.
It’s very nice logo. The “D” is awesome. But I thoughts and I felt that the business card was not fresh design enough. The “green-angle” and the font type that you choose for “angled text” (the contact information) make the card looks tired. So, it just impressing me that this card need a refreshment.
your card design for HILCON and ecometrica was better. Clean and modern.
sorry, just opinion :) you’re the best!
David. yes, my web is currenty ‘in the works’ :) Trully, it’s my first weblog+portfolio, you inspired me to do that. Your web looks so professional.
thank you David.
Smart designing David. I have no more words left to appreciate your card design especially………
Hi David,
I particularly like your style and love that you’ve showcased the design process with your portfolio pieces. It’s the process that I am most interested in, so props to you for taking that extra step. Very much appreciated.
Take care,
Kristin
Thanks for stopping by and viewing my portfolio pieces.
Hi David, I am currently on an internship at a creative agency in London, and stumbled across your website/blog on my lunch break.
I am a HUGE type geek i have to say, and I really appreciate classic typography, and beautiful composition/execution.
I love really simple ideas, ones that communicate the idea effortlessly, and this is one of them, yet the execution seems a little unconsidered. The kerning on the lettering for example feels a little tight, and the ‘A’ has a little too much room to breathe. This is picky stuff, and I’m no expert especially in logo design but from what I have picked up, the execution needs to look effortless.
Simplicity is beautiful. Cheers,
Evelyn
I agree. The kerning could be improved upon. Thankfully, this is one of my earlier logo designs, and I think I’ve learnt a fair bit since back then. Still a long way to go.
I hope your internship’s going great, by the way.
David, great work and very inspiring work. Given your experience with logos design, would you say that there is a set number of hours put into each design?The reason I ask this is right after my clients ask my fee, the next question always seems to be how many hour will this take. Can you honestly give them a general quote without low balling yourself too much?