Stuart’s Plumbing

Project Kickoff

Before we began to create plumbing logo concepts for Stuart’s Plumbing, we sought to better understand our client and their challenges and opportunities. We sent a creative questionnaire to the client to obtain details from them about their vision for the project. The information supplied in the client brief provides us with a clear picture of what the client is looking for, and what their goals are for the project. After our team reviewed the information in the questionnaire, we reached out to have any remaining questions answered, and then got to work.

Our business branding project began with an internal meeting. Here, we gathered project managers, designers, copywriters, and strategists to review the goals of the project. Together, we made sure we were are all on the same page regarding the client’s goals for the project before the mice started clicking.

Plumbing Logo Design Brainstorm

The first step in our business branding projects is a design direction meeting to brainstorm logo concepts. For Stuart’s Plumbing, our design team determined that we wanted to create a logo with a strong icon that could be utilized throughout the brand. Additionally, we determined that we would incorporate elements recognizable to the plumbing trade, but in a manner that was somewhat playful and bold, yet not overly literal. Concepts for the plumbing logo were sketched to demonstrate how this could come to life.

Finalization of Logo Conceptualization

The design team brought their conceptual ideas to the Director of Design and the Creative Director. After a review and explanation of ideas, the design leaders determined 3 options for digital development.

Plumbing Logo Design Options

For the first logo design option, both T’s in “Stuart’s” are connected to form a pipe. The use of a chunky, sans-serif typeface helps maintain a strong and durable appearance, without forgoing the approachability that a small, local business often requires. This eye-catching design employs a bold, contrasting color palette that isn’t commonly utilized by competitors in the industry.

Our second logo design features two bent pipes that form the letter S, for Stuart. The S-shaped pipe is a simple way to represent Stuart and his company, and serves as a stand-alone brand icon that’s easily associated with plumbing industry. This bold, masculine typographic duo features both a serif and sans-serif typeface to establish visual contrast. This color palette includes black, white, and a vibrant orange. While orange is commonly used in construction and related fields, we again felt this energetic color scheme was unique to the plumbing industry and would help draw attention to the company through branding.

For our final plumbing logo design idea, we turned the letter T into a spigot, or faucet. A droplet of water, near the mouth of the faucet, serves as the apostrophe in the name, Stuart’s. The primary business name, set in all bold, lowercase letters, makes this logo design appear friendly and approachable. In addition, both the spigot and water droplet could act as stand-alone or supporting elements throughout the subsequent brand materials.

We selected bright blue for this logo option because of its association with water, honesty, and professionalism.

Presentation and Selection

We presented our three logo options to Stuart’s Plumbing, and the client selected the third logo option: the bold typographic font with the spigot “t.” The faucet handle and more bold font aligned with what he envisioned for his plumbing business.

Since the final plumbing logo itself included a graphic as part of the letter “t,” we created a secondary logo icon that could stand by itself to represent the company. This secondary logo icon consisted of the S and P from the companies initials, separated by a blue water droplet.

Plumbing Logo Finalization

Once the plumbing logo was selected by Stuart’s Plumbing, it went back to our Director of Design for finalization. This process includes the perfecting of the design and the selection of exact logo color codes. We select PMS colors, CMYK colors, and RGB colors, plus hex codes. When this is complete, the logo files are created by our branding team. We provide our clients with full color, black, and white logo files in PDF, EPS, JPEG, and PNG for easy utilization. We also create and share logo guidelines that outline the colors, fonts, and usage recommendations for the logo.

Business Card Design

With the plumbing logo approved, we then looked to implement the final logo into the business stationery. The first thing we created was the business card for the plumbing company. For Stuart’s Plumbing, we created a design that included the logo icon on a flood of blue, with the contact information contrasting against a textured white background. The reverse side of the business card was a simple solid blue background featuring the full logo design.

The primary plumbing company business card was printed on a thick 32pt stock with painted blue edges to provide a completely custom look and a solid, professional feel. Additionally, we printed this business card design in a more standard manner on 16pt silk for team members who were out in the plumbing field and needed something lighter and less expensive to pass around.

Stationary Package Development

The business card set the tone for the remainder of the stationery package for Stuart’s Plumbing, which included a letterhead, notecard, and envelope. Here, the use of the logo icon for the plumbing company brings in a thoroughly custom look and feel, while the stationery still remains professional. Once the logo, business card, and stationery package are complete, you are able to begin to get a feeling for the overall brand direction.

Website Sitemap Presentation

As we began our strategy for the plumbing company website design, we started with a website sitemap. In this case, Stuart’s Plumbing had an existing website development company that would develop the website and maintain SEO on the website. So, our role was in website design only, as opposed to both website design and website development. After confirming it would serve the business and user well, we kept the existing sitemap for the website, but recommended that many of the header menu items be shifted into the website footer to prioritize user experience and website goals.

Website Hosting

Additionally, at this stage, we would typically sort out website hosting, however, the Stuart’s Plumbing website was already hosted by another firm and that was the way our client intended to keep it. Our website hosting ensures fast page-load speeds, website security, regular maintenance on the platform and plugins, and daily backups.

The Website Wireframe

With the website sitemap in place, we worked on a website wireframe that would take the website’s existing information and structure it so that the customer could get the information they wanted to obtain about Stuart’s Plumbing upon each scroll.

The development of the website wireframe is a crucial step in the process of designing and developing a website. This is the phase of the branding project where strategy is a key component and the user must be considered. The information presented must be purposeful in both sequence and organization to reach the need of the website user.

Calls to action were scattered throughout to nudge the user to contact the plumbing company for service. The services provided by Stuart’s Plumbing were many. We used a block system to emphasize the main service lines and to draw the eye to them and across them. Our website design team utilized strategic thinking to build a framework for each page of the plumbing website that would serve the user and the plumbing company well.

Our website design team presented the website wireframes to the client, worked through minor revisions requested by the client, and finalized the website wireframes before moving onto the website design phase of the branding project.

Website Design

Based on the approved website wireframe, we implemented a website design that continued to build the overall brand direction. Through content development, we positioned plumbing as a problem, but one that our client would handle adeptly. The design implemented the finalized plumbing logo, along with the established brand color scheme and fonts throughout. Crisp, clean images were incorporated to convey that the work of Stuart’s Plumbing would be accomplished in a manner that’s professional, clean, and efficient.

Each page of the plumbing website was designed, carefully considering the impact each decision made would have on the user.

The website design was presented to the client after our team had completed the design of each website page.

Website Development

At this point, we would typically have an approved website design in place and move into website development. However, at this juncture in the branding project, our team and the client couldn’t come to an agreement on the approval of the website design.

You may be wondering why on earth we would put this branding project in our portfolio if the client was unhappy with the work; however, it is work our team feels achieved the goals of the project and did indeed produce a strong brand for the plumbing company. Additionally, our goal is to provide expert guidance in the branding field and going off-track in that quest is not one we bow to.

Our client wanted to introduce a more warm color and feel to the website; however, we stood firmly on the side of maintaining the integrity of the brand. Introducing another color just on the website and nowhere else throughout the brand support would create a disconnect in the minds of the consumer, which would lead to a disassembling of the brand and customers to ultimately take their business elsewhere.

In some instances, we are happy to oblige to client revisions; however, we also find that our role as branding experts is why our clients trust us when push comes to shove. So in this case, our team and our client could not come to an agreement and we felt it would be best that if the client did choose to move forward with the implementation of additional colors solely on the website, he should utilize another team to complete the work.

Website Launch

Our process typically ends with the launch of a brand-new website, however in this case, we simply provided the existing design and left the launch in the hands of our client.

Vehicle Design

As an additional project, our team worked to outfit Stuarts’ fleet of trucks with branded vehicle wraps. These custom-designed truck graphics convey to the community the quality they can expect from Stuart and his team, and are extremely eye-catching as they roll down the street. The vehicles are a primary application for the brand elements, and serve as one of the main advertisements for the plumbing company.

Project Closeout

To closeout the branding project, we provided the client with the logo files and print files for the stationery. We enjoyed working on this project, despite the differences in opinion that arose regarding the website design. We believe that the final brand is bold, and one that stands out in the industry, serving as an attraction amongst the plumbing competition.

Ready for a Nice Brand?

If you’re interested in branding or a rebrand for your company, Nice Branding Agency would be honored to guide you through our business branding process. Please contact our team today for additional information on branding.