We were contacted in 2023 by a long-established accounting firm based in the Eastern suburb of Melbourne (Surrey Hills). The team at Orr Martin & Waters (OM&W) wanted to commission a rebrand of the firm to align with a move in offices. The logo and branding would be featured on signage, business stationery and marketing materials throughout the organisation. There were a few things which needed to be considered such as using an evolution of their colour (previously Pantone Reflex Blue) and to ensure that the firm's image was one promoting trust and stability to their target demographic. We also suggested removing the "&" in the current logo to give equal standing of the founding partners' names. This also simplified the design in not including any unnecessary characters or elements which can be challenging to incorporate into a streamlined design.
We presented a number of options for the firm. All incorporated the initials O, M, & W in order to evolve the previous logo which had been in use for over 50 years. The options included a variety of concepts all in keeping with the director's brief. Included was a monogram style, geometric abstract versions along with versions which were more traditional in nature.
During our first concept meeting, the team had a preference for a couple of ideas we had created so we set about further developing these to include a number of variations and options to choose from. Original logo in use shown top left below.
After a number of further design meetings which ensured we covered all available options of each type, the team decided upon a contemporary representation of the logo which has an abstract representation of the "M" and "W" held within a container which portrayed the "O". This was then further developed to include alternative typeface options and a complete responsive logo suite incorporating an icon, a stacked version showing larger text (for use for instances where the logo is used in a smaller size) and a primary version where the text appears below the icon.
An established business that has been in operation for over 50 years generally has stationery and other requirements which have been streamlined over a long period. The requirements included presentation folders, letterheads, with compliments slips, envelopes, business cards, apparel, signs for the shopfront, reception area and offices and more. The document also includes rules and guides for the use of the logo and branding to ensure conformity of the new brand. Shown below is the finished logo suite followed by an example of the guides included.
