Mo Sadjadpour is a burgeoning humanitarian photographer and photojournalist who approached Wonderful Machine to refine his graphic identity. It was an interesting challenge; humanitarian photography takes many forms, and therefore the branding behind it is often up for reinvention. We knew, however, that a logo too complicated or playful would not match the gravitas of the work. Mo needed something simple and impactful that wouldn’t distract from the stories he was shooting.
Mo knew that this understated elegance was the best way to approach his new brand. He wanted his brand aesthetic to embody maturity and professionalism. He also suggested that the emphasis should be on his first name (something that everyone with a long last name can relate to). With this information in mind, I began sketching.
For the first round of logo designs, I developed multiple iterations—there were just so many ideas that came to me! The designs were especially varied in this case, as we had many different directions to look at for Mo’s brand. I focused on two particular concepts during this stage. First, I tried a bold typographic style with Mo’s first name as the centerpiece. Second, I decided to look at a “stamp” approach, using both modern and organic circles to bring attention to his name.
After reviewing the options with Mo, we discussed a few more design possibilities. We considered an assortment of different fonts for the typographic iterations as well as a cut-shape logo. I returned to my designs from the first round and pushed each further toward simplicity.
After some more discussion, we decided that the second typographic version was the winner! The bold assertion of his name, paired with a modern, rounded font, complemented Mo’s work and gave his brand the elegant and established quality he sought.
Mo loved the new logo! It was exactly what he was looking for—bold, yet simple, combined with a monochromatic theme. Now, armed with this new branding tool, Mo can tackle the humanitarian and journalistic work he enjoys with the confidence that his brand accurately represents his photography.
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