A friend asked me to create a logo for her swim instruction, but her swim credentials are a bit higher: 4 time US National Champion [18 time US Nationals finalist], Olympic Silver Medalist, 3 time NCAA Champ and 4 time All-American. She won her first national championship at 13 [or was it 12?] and she has a wikipedia entry. Any thoughts of her ability to instruct should have long since evaporated. If you are in Pensacola and want to work on your swimming [and fall somewhere from beginner to competitive swimmer/triathlete] I’d suggest giving her a call. She is a great person to be around – I believe I have started to swim faster just by talking with her. Visit her Swim Works site on Facebook.
She provided an apt name for her by playing with her last name [Barr] and adding a little “acuda” to spell out one of the fastest and most tough looking fish int the ocean, the BARRacuda [go check out some photos if you don’t know what one looks like]. I set to work on some sketches and what follows is the step by step process I use for most of the logos I create. Lots of sketches, then plenty more versions cleaned up in Adobe Illustrator.
This is not how they swim, but it should.
They always seem to be smiling, with a mouth full of nasty teeth.
Swim goggles? Maybe.
A little more doable, with the dynamic swirls [somehow it needs to scream SPEED].
Head on? Maybe a pack?
Maybe from living and training in Florida helped conjure up some NASA rocket imagery. Rockets are fast, too.
One version was narrowed down, and after several more renditions, one particular logo was chosen, but it needed a bit more energy. For those wondering why it was done in black and white vs. beautiful color, it is that color makes it too easy. A color logo or image contains more information, but it needs to be a good logo to survive as black and white. Black and white always comes first.
Once one was chosen, the text was introduced.
And the final black and white logo was produced.
Next came the color version, and both color and texture could be added.
That last purple barracuda with the glowing yellow eyes was the one.
It easily lends itself to banners, postcards, business cards, etc. Here it is as an 8 foot long poster. Don’t worry about the website – that should be coming soon.
A perfect business would be an online womens’ quality swimwear with the emphasis on competitive swim equipment. Complete with the eye catching logo!!!!!!
Just saying!!!
Hey Ramon…great idea! I’ve had designs and wanted to go into suits my whole life! Of course even the greatest ideas need great investors 🙂 My suits are Italian and South American inspired – most American practice suits are cut like potato sacks. Mine use a lot of color blocking and stitching – corset inspired. If you know any big fat cat investors, let me know!
Dann, you did an amazing job. That seems likes such a long time ago. Amazing what has happened since and how big Barracuda is getting. Thank you so much for playing such a big part. You’re the best.