Nathan Sarlow at Cobalt Cow Creative had a pretty great idea for a blogging project. Allow logo designers to design logos for each other anonymously to see how they interpret the other designer’s vision and work. Nathan included 11 different designers in the project, including me. Below is how Trish Schaefer of Contemporary Native interpreted “eGrace Creative.” And definitely click here or on the image below to read the whole project post.

By the way, Trish’s brief (explanation) of her design is on the post too.

I see sites popping up all the time that offer logos for $99 or so, and they all promise to deliver a “brand.” They don’t know your company, they don’t understand your vision, but they are great with vector art. Their popularity reflects a terrible misunderstanding about branding and it is that a logo is not a brand and a brand is not a logo.

What is a brand? It’s a story. It compels people to listen and respond. Why is Target able to target a different shopper than Wal-Mart? Why do you keep buying the same potato chips, t-shirts, and deodorant? Because you’re familiar with the story of the product. Don’t misunderstand. You probably have no clue who runs the company or how large it is – and that’s not the story I’m talking about anyways. Here’s the scoop on the story…

• Target sells nicer stuff in a nicer way.
• Lay’s potato chips are better than the generic ones.
• Kids’ cereals are chock-full of vitamins.
• The latest exercise tape will give you tons of energy.
• Nike thinks you’re a great athlete.

Are these true? We have no idea, but we often believe the story, so we listen and we buy. If you want a logo for $99 you’re sure to find a company that will churn one out for you, but don’t believe for a second that they are offering you a “brand.” What’s your story? Are you telling it well? The only way to answer that is to find out whether people believe it or not.