“I’ll be first working on improving the logo, then helping to choose some fonts they will continue to use in their marketing materials”

I think that’s a good way to go about it. It’ll probably be more meaningful if you were to post images of the reworked logo/options and then seek suggestions on the brand typography. Otherwise you’d be getting somewhat generic type recommendations.

“To finish things off, here’s a recent gift card idea I’ve started to play around with. I like the overall design so far...I can use all the help I can get”

The colours look nice, but I feel you’re doing too many things with type - variations of font, weight and colour. I’d drop the Extended and Extra Condensed versions of Univers and work with just the regular one.

Btw what is the idea behind the blister sort of effect?

“I think that’s a good way to go about it. It’ll probably be more meaningful if you were to post images of the reworked logo/options and then seek suggestions on the brand typography. Otherwise you’d be getting somewhat generic type recommendations.”

I realize I’m jumping the gun a bit, as I’m not very far along myself in the development stages. I’m kind of testing the waters as it is, and hopefully will start to get some more ideas up very soon. I’ll plan to post up some sketches as well as some initial designs in the next day or so, in order to kind of give everyone a better idea of what I’m thinking of.

“It helps to know what size the card is. As it is the colours look nice, but you’re doing too many things with type - variations of font, weight and colour. I’d drop the Extended and Extra Condensed versions of Univers and work with just the regular one.”

Sorry, the card is going to be digital only, probably in sizes between 125px and 500px, which is also the reason for the ’blister sort of effect’. The client showed me some images that he liked, all of which included this effect, so I included it. I definitely agree with the variations of the font, I’ll narrow that down and post up some future versions of that as well. Unfortunately, the client wants the gift card available as soon as possible, therefore before we revamp the identity stuff, so I need to kind of plan ahead for that before I can spend much time on the logo.

I really appreciate the comments, I should have some new images up soon.

Thanks!

- Jibran

Hi there. I Jibran is off to a good start. A couple of suggestions:
-Drinking coffee is a warm and comforting thing, as is suggested by the name “hugamug”. Although your new logo may express this in a more subtle way than the original logo, I believe it is an important message to get across. Perhaps the choice of typeface will convey some of this warmth.

-For the gift card, I am assuming it will be double-sided so I would find out if you need to leave room for any of the following:
(bar code, disclaimer, URL, contact info, etc)

Good luck.

What’s wrong with their use of Maiandra? Univers is WAAY too bland for a company with a name like that. You trying to turn them into Starbucks or something?

The first thing in a re-design shouldn’t be, “What can I scrap,” it should be, “What should KEEP.”

Before scrapping the old idea completely, try re-configuring the usage of the old tyepface. Perhaps matching that really loose typeface with something tighter, but cleaner. I’m thinking something like Cronos Pro from Adobe. Something clean, but with some of the edge taken off.

Or go the opposite direction, and bump up Maiandra up to the black weight. Black=coffee? You’ll certainly have a unique identity that is warm and huggable.