The Anatomy of a Logo

The Anatomy of a Logo 50th Anniversary Design

When Livingston Bagel in Livingston, NJ, wanted to refresh their logo and rebrand themselves to match the totally redesigned bagel shop and deli, we were brought in to create a new, updated logo for their store front and menus, both in print and online.

Creating logos can be both rewarding and frustrating work because it’s basically 100% subjective.   When it comes to building websites or Pay Per Click advertising or social media marketing, there are some obvious dos and don’ts, but logos are basically an idea in the client’s mind that needs to be brought out into the real world for all to see.

So our logo design process starts with a questionnaire that attempts to guage subjective things like likes and dislikes.   Our logo questionnaire also gathers more concrete info, such as:

  • Icon or no icon
  • Color scheme
  • Tagline 
  • Type of industry or business
  • Other logos they like or want to emulate

In the case of Livingston Bagel, it started with a very helpful drawing:

Combining the client sketch with the questionnaire. we went to work and came up with these initial drafts:

As you can see, the logo evolved as the client gave us imput and changes were made, resulting in this next round:

After additional consideration we removed the little “feet,” for lack of a better term, from the tops and bottoms of the letters, creating an original font style.   We tried the hat centered, having the letters wear them and various other variations.  The biggest and final change to the concept was omitting the bagel icon and going with a simpler and more modern final look, but keeping the chef’s hat on the “O” for a touch of whimsy!  

Need an original logo for your business and/or website?  Get in TOUCH HERE