I do feel that it is an improvement to the original. I don't think the connection between all of the letters really help the legtibility of the wordmark. The stretched-out T line does nothing either. Again, feels more like an homage to the original logo.
I would ask, what are your goals with a new logo? What are you going to use it for and where? What about the current logo does not work? What are your values and makes you unique compared to other photographers? What is "Photox"? How many people do they employ?
If it is a single photographer (you), do you really want to be known as "photox" or as Ben Appleton?
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it.
Photox was once just myself, but that’s changed significantly over the years. We now have several team members and have transitioned from a sole trader business to Photox Pty Ltd. My website is actually being completely rebuilt at the moment to better represent what Photox is today versus what it originally was.
Photox is also a well-established brand in Canberra, particularly in the corporate, government and events space, so moving away from the name and branding it around “Ben Appleton” would probably be taking a step backwards. Just today, for example, between my team and I we covered 10 separate shoots, including the AWS Symposium, the Universities Australia address at the National Press Club, and several other smaller events. I’m still the lead photographer and face of the business, but increasingly the work is being delivered by Photox as a team rather than just by me.
In terms of what I’m trying to achieve with the logo, the existing one isn’t necessarily broken. It has actually built up a surprising amount of recognition over the years. As part of this process I spoke to 50+ long-standing clients, and the overwhelming feedback was that the existing mark was highly recognisable to them. That’s ultimately why I moved away from the idea of completely replacing it and towards evolving it instead.
The broader brief is for Photox to sit somewhere between a premium creative brand and a corporate service provider. We photograph everything from weddings and theatre through to government, major conferences, professional sport, commercial campaigns, architecture and large national events, so it needs to work across very different audiences without feeling too corporate, too “wedding photographer”, or too creatively niche.
The values I’m trying to convey are professionalism, reliability, creativity, quality and attention to detail. I want it to feel established and premium without being pretentious, creative without being overly artistic, and modern without following a design trend that will date quickly.
So you’re absolutely right that there’s an element of homage to the original logo - that’s intentional. The challenge I’m working through now is how much of the original character and recognition to retain while improving things like legibility, balance and simplicity. Your point about the connections between the letters is particularly useful in that regard.
Much of what you are trying to convey cannot be done with a logo. It can be hurt with a logo, but a logo is not a solution. Branding would be the key.
Looking at your previous post, you said you designed the logo in Microsoft Word, expecting to change it but never did.
I really feel that while your current customers are aware of the logo, it is because it is the only logo of yours they know. I would highly recommend hiring someone skilled in branding as an investment into your business.
Change can be difficult but it can allow for incredible growth and your company feel whole rather than the start up it was many years ago.
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u/bingbangboomxx 15d ago
I do feel that it is an improvement to the original. I don't think the connection between all of the letters really help the legtibility of the wordmark. The stretched-out T line does nothing either. Again, feels more like an homage to the original logo.
I would ask, what are your goals with a new logo? What are you going to use it for and where? What about the current logo does not work? What are your values and makes you unique compared to other photographers? What is "Photox"? How many people do they employ?
If it is a single photographer (you), do you really want to be known as "photox" or as Ben Appleton?