Logo Details

Interview With Josh Hayes
Q:Where did the idea for this logo come from?
The idea came from the original tagline idea suggested by my client “Your automobile is our passion”. Not a bad tagline, just in need of some TLC. Shortly after the brief was written up, I began thinking about a more dynamic tagline that was both catchy & suited the demographic. Eventually “A Driving Passion” was born. Upon visiting a car-wrecking yard, I stumpled on an old column-shift Toyota (not too different from one I briefly owned) The positioning of the D, the D in Roundel & the new tagline was a perfect menage a trois.
Q:What application did you use to design this logo? E.g., Illustrator.
Adobe Illustrator. Accept no substitute.
Q:What was your design process for this logo? I.e., Did you start out with pen and paper then move to the computer?
Being mostly type-based, I didn’t do a lot of sketching. All I knew is I wanted to avoid traditional ‘Roundel’ shapes & circles. Being based on existing shapes/objects – Vintage gear displays & dashboard enclosures, it was just a matter of duplicating those shapes from source photos & memory.
Q:What font(s) were used in the logo?
A triple threat from Hoefler & Frere-Jones; Tungsten Semi-Bold, Vitesse Medium & Gotham Rounded Book.
Q:How did you choose the color scheme for the logo?
I wanted to keep the colour scheme as authentic as possible & being used cars, I wanted to capture that ‘pre-loved’ atmosphere as well. Deep (slight browned) grey instead of black – for a slightly sun faded dashboard insert, Cream to represent the discolouration white plastic gets over time & finally Orange for the backlit L.E.D display when the ‘Drive’ gear’s engaged.
Q:How long did it take to complete the logo?
All up, the project took about 3 months from first briefing to finished product.
Q:What do you feel was your biggest challenge in designing the logo?
As far as challenges go, I’d say the hardest part was actually typeface selection of the sub-header & tagline. Selecting a face that didn’t over take the title, but din’t get buried in the mix either.
Q:Now that the logo is finished, is there anything you would change about it?
Nope. I wouldn’t change a thing – not the logo, the process, or even the client.