Apart from the new logo, the client asks us to create a name for the new project. Making the first approach.
Copywriter: Possible names for an education provider: Gooroo, Sciola, Edukon, Edutant (edjutant), this one also looks good: aksioom alma-pater.
Art director: They lack the technological aspect, right now all of them are about education only (Aksioom being an exception). Maybe you could combine two different roots.
Copywriter: Studion, Edukit, Universet (education setting), EBC (education broadcasting), Univerbox, Radiant (radiator, radiating education as light), Instl (institute + setting).
Art director: Universet is very good. It definitely shouldn’t be an acronym. It would be great to prepare a couple more solid alternatives for discussion.
Copywriter: Take Edutant? Looks solid enough I think, at least the idea seems to work.
Collecting all the ideas into a presentation for the client, the copywriter provides comments for the names.
Copywriter: Edutant is a new synthetic word created by combination of “adjutant” (assistant) and education. Thanks to similar pronunciation, “adju” can be easily replaced by “edu” which allows the final name to maintain all the original meanings. Edutant—an educational assistant. Edukit is a synthetic word created by combining the root “edu” (education) with the word “kit” (a set). It has a range of technical connotations, references the theme of engineering and project development, in this case development of educational projects. It emphasizes modularity and consistency: “kit” implies presence of existing solutions and the ability to combine them depending on the task at hand. Universet / UniverSet is a synthetic word created by combining the words “university” and “set” (a collection, to install). It literally describes the activity of the company and points at its target audience. Televersity is a name created by combining the root “tele” (first part of compound words that means directed outward) and “university.” It indicates remote education as the company’s specialization.
The client likes the name Edukit. The company will be Russian, but will have an English name.
Making the second approach as the client liked the “edu” combinations. Suggesting the following ideas: Eduqet: etiquette, professional ethics + education. Eduget: “edu” + “get”, to acquire. Edugen: “edu” + generation. Edutoria: “edu” + auditorium. Edukitor: edukit + someone who is involved in it. Educamp: “edu” + campus. Edukey: a key to education. Edukits: the same, but in plural. The client decides to move away from the “edu” root. Suggesting other names, making an emphasis on Campuson and Multiversa. Instaversity: an instant university. Campuson: a student campus that’s “turned on”.
The campus is meant as a uniting block, it is a well-known word that can be easily remembered and understood. The client also plans to unite organizations, attract investors and distribute a new technology, all of which makes the name relevant. It starts with a C, which would make it easy to inscribe the rounded element into the logo.
Multiversa—a selection of courses.
The client takes some time to think and gives back feedback:
1. Multiversa: absolutely homonymous to Multiverse, a British educational consortium made of eight universities. We don’t know whether they have registered this name, but at any rate we shouldn’t repeat it.
2. Campuson: that’s 100% not in line with what we’re doing. According to all sources, a campus is a student town built around a traditional educational institution. Lack of campuses and of the need to relocate is one of our key advantages.
All that’s left is Instaversity which is similar to Televersity that had been offered before. The problem is that referencing a university narrows down the company’s area of expertise: the company works with partners in higher education, professional and supplementary education, course providers, as well as with high schools. Which means, it works with educational institutions of all ranks, with scientific organizations and professional associations.
All right, making the third approach.
1. Everystudy: every + study, emphasizes the wide range of available courses. Also reminds of heuristics, a science of search and discovery.
2. Esprofesso: a reference to espresso; here is the professor you ordered, quickly and professionally.
3. Studford: a word play on Stanford. With additional connotation of an educational fort, a center of knowledge.
4. Umnei: “get smarter,” a Russian word written in Latin characters. The word means something only to the Russian audience. Phonetically, it somewhat resembles educational acronyms.
5. Knowllege: a combination of college and knowledge. Knowledge as basis of education. No buildings.
6. Forgenius: a tool for intelligent ones or those about to become intelligent.
The client chooses Umnei. Deciding to replace the i and the end with y: Umney.
Starting to work on the logo, searching for a story.
Art director: The last one is OK, let’s show it to the client. However, the New! symbol as an example does not make much sense, it looks more like something from a Master’s diploma, they normally have things like that. Another variant with a more open silhouette would also be great.
Choosing four designs, preparing the presentation.
The client chooses the latter direction but gives comments:
1. We need to remove all associations with a shell.
2. It’s best to maintain the structure with a center and additional independent elements.
3. We like the idea of color diversity of the elements.
4. The central idea of the logo has to be a network.
5. We possibly need to highlight additional intersection points.
OK, changing the designer and moving on.
Designer: How about something like that, closer to nano fractals? The convex/concave optical effect. And some radical colors.
Art director: It’s interesting, but the resulting image is not trendy and childish. Maybe it’s because of the colors or because of the petals. We need to either go back to the existing design and adjust it (for example, by removing the background) or to remove the petals and colors from your idea and keep the “gravitational field” only.
Art director: How about we get rid of the star but keep the circle? What do you think? I like the braid itself, though.
Choosing potential directions.
The spiral seems to be the most interesting. Trying it out on media right away.
Too many segments, looks busy. Simplifying.
Presenting.
The client approves. Preparing two language versions and handing off to the client.
After a while, the project changes its name. We need to integrate it into the style keeping the old logo.
The devil is in the details.
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Remaking letters for the radial version.
Changing the descriptor, preparing the final version.
