Logo: Tyrrell Design Ltd
Posted: June 7, 2011 Filed under: Logos & Branding | Tags: Baird, branding, certification, construction, design, identity, logo, Richard, Tyrrell 6 Comments »
Tyrrell Design is an independent company providing design, construction and certification services throughout England, Scotland and Wales. The owner contacted me back in 2009 to develop an identity that would convey their business in an accessible friendly manner and avoid visual clichés associated with the industry.
My client and I began by keying down the core services of the company which were design, construction and certification and from there I spent time researching the market and sketching. There were two core ideas that emerged, the first was a 3D structural identity, that represented both the physical aspect of the industry and the three dimensions/services that made up the company. The second was to develop a simplified visual representation of the integrated nature of these services in the form of overlapping houses, hoops and buildings.
While researching companies and images relating to the company name I stumbled across a Celtic symbol called the Tyrrell Knot (also know as a triquetra) which is made up of three interlinking triangles with a circle at the centre. This was an extremely lucky find as the number of points and services matched perfectly while the circle suitably represented the company’s integrated nature. I spent time developing earlier sketch concepts prior to presenting this to justify (both to myself and the client) that this was the most suitable direction.
I merged the symbol with three simple houses to tie the logo-mark back to the sector which are loosely based on the houses in the game Monopoly to add a playful and fun twist to an otherwise industrial identity. The warm colour palette was designed to deliver an accessible sensibility while moving it away from the standard architectural colours of blue and green.
Gorgeous post! As I had mentioned before, it is so wonderful to see the process, especially for clients. Thanks for sharing
So glad you like the post, it has been on the burner for a while, it’s really hard to write about your own work!
And no mention of that awkward Nexus 6 incident, I see.
In your pencil sketches, the one in the upper-left reminds me of the logo for Mensa, interestingly enough.
I was close to going all Blade Runner but my research indicted it might not be appropriate!
You know, that would make it particularly difficult for me to do anything for them. I wouldn’t be able to get past ‘More human than human is our motto!’ Though in the movie it was ‘Tyrell’, not ‘Tyrrell’ – still, yeah, I’d have that in the back of my mind the whole time I was working with them.
Did it come up at all in the discussions? I mean, do the folks at Tyrrell know about the convergence there (how could they not?) and what do they think about it, or do they prefer it not being mentioned at all? Or is it just a tired old joke to them by now?
It never came up and to be honest while I have seen the film plenty of times I didn’t really think about it until you mentioned it. I’m convinced they wouldn’t even know, it’s the owners last name so I guess that is more prominant for him. I haven’t worked with them for a while so don’t think it will ever get brought up unless he reads this article!