About the Company
Serving York Region and surrounding areas, DM Home Remodelers has over 30 years of experience in renovations. Fully licensed and insured, they specialize in custom kitchens, custom baths, tiles and stone, wood floors, interior painting, trim and mouldings, finished basements, interior remodelling, and more.
Disclaimer: Although I know the owners of the company personally, the reason they came to me was that I was the best fit for providing a fully developed corporate design package including their logo, business cards, newspaper classifieds ads, promotional door hangers, promotional brochures, and their official website. They are very happy with the projects I worked on for them.
Working with DM Home Remodelers was a pleasure. I had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects for them, and I hope that their customers enjoy them just as much as I enjoyed creating each piece.
Now, on to the real discussion. This will be a bit long, so I am splitting this into multiple posts to make it easier to read through. Feel free to skip ahead to the project types that most interest you.
The Beginning and the Logo
After meeting with Dave and Mike to discuss the vision for their company, I began the design process by reviewing their supplied materials and researching the identities of similar businesses (focusing on local businesses). The first part of the identity I worked on was their logo.
The logo is an extremely important part of their corporate identity. I always begin the logo design process in black and white, sketching different ideas even if I’m not sure they will work. It’s important to sketch out as many thumbnails as possible to realistically evaluate what could be feasible instead of relying on assumptions. Sometimes, even if a concept doesn’t work as a whole, there may be a portion that is salvageable that could lead to the final solution.
When I began working on vector concepts, I primarily focused on type based logos. While including a graphic was something I always considered, I wanted to ensure that the type was strong on its own and that any graphic only added to the effect. There was also a focus on mixing a professional, yet friendly and approachable vibe.
After consulting with the clients, they indicated the concepts they felt were most in tune with their business and I began revising. After the second round of concepts, the official logo was chosen. At this point, the black and white version of their logo was finalized. The next step was to add colour. It is always important to begin logo design in black and white to ensure that the concept is appropriately flexible. If it does not work in black and white, there are probably better options.
I worked with the clients’ preference of green and brown, showing various shades of each colour and a combination option. The combination of a green house graphic with brown lettering was chosen as the final colour variation for the logo. This combination reiterates that the business is professionally grounded and emphasizes the focus of the company on improving homes with renovation services. Green is traditionally associated with growth, and that is very fitting here. The earthy brown alludes to a strong foundation and can also tie into materials they may use in their work, such as wood and bricks. This helps the logo resonate with customers, building on what customers looking for renovation services already know: strong building materials and renovations that refresh a home, helping it grow into something better.
(final logo) The Business Cards
Following the logo, the next project to develop was the business cards. There was one round of concepts that I presented. This included various layout options as well as a variety of traditional designs versus some more unique or contemporary options. From there, the clients chose the most suitable option and it was revised. The final business card design is clean, simple, and professional.
(business card concepts)
The Newspaper Ad
The first classifieds ad was up next. As this was for a large, local newspaper, the ad was designed in black and white. The first design was similar in structure to the door hangers which I worked on around the same time. The ad was eventually revised to a smaller size for continued use, as it was a more effective use of their budget. Both ads emphasize the services offered and highlight that DM Home Remodelers is a company that loves to assist with home remodelling projects. Happy to discuss projects, the ads also highlight that they offer free estimates.
(newspaper classifieds ad, revised variation)