The Maestro Project

Trying to make the product look young, attractive, simple yet put the point across and pointing out that it does multiple things, I chose to use vector based graphics more or less for the look and feel.
When ever I'd sit down with my clients, they constantly said- we want our product to be the hero.
Which is also why the product is the only 'image' in the packaging really.

This isn't the FINAL FINAL design yet, there is a lot of tweaking to be done, but here are my ideas anyway.

I felt like 'multicooker' needed to have a little identity of it's own, while my clients felt like they didn't want there to be a fight better the look of 'multicooker' and 'Maestro' they wanted it to go together, and if possible, the brand to stand out a little more.
I put a few options before them, and they went for the simpler one.
Which is the last option in this image. It stresses upon the fact that this cooker does many things. Unlike what people generally assume, which is that it makes just rice.

For some reason, I wasn't getting the execution of the 'steam' just right in the other options. And when clubbed with the Maestro logo, there was NO WAY to make it look cohesive.
I liked the bubble options too. Ah well.

In the first mood board, I have tried to put together everything I thought was healthy, and steam cooked. I just wanted to see the different ways I could interpret it.
The second mood board was more narrowed down ideas, of look and feel. Colour, typography and execution.
From the surveys we found that currently the multicooker caters to an older audience, I needed to find a way to make it more young and fun. Yet bring the idea of health across.
The clients have been clear that they want something on the cleaner side and not necessarily indian, as they also export to other countries like the United states.

Finally, after a few font changes and tweaks to the plug and the type, HERE is the final logo for Maestro.
The font I have used is Code, bold. And the 'A' has been tweaked a little from the original font.

After a little bit of tweaking and font changes, here they are.
The first slide is of the variations in font etc, and the ones after are the colour options.
As you can see, the palette is pretty much decided on, now it just needs to be seen which one suits the company best.


Final Logos

Logo Options

From all the options I showed my client, they narrowed the ones they liked and felt might work to these.
I then showed this to my panel, and they liked the 2nd 4th and last option, which I need to tweak a little and after consulting with my client, I will have a logo, FINALLY. =)

I have stuck to simple type here, but I have used the concept of 'appliances with an edge' and given an edge to the otherwise rounded O.

With the help of the type I have used, I have again tried to bring about the feel and concept that the company is aiming for, which is- user friendly and customer satisfaction.
This has been done with the help of the rounded letters, and the playful twist on the 'A' and 'E' as well as a the use of positive and negative space.

The ones that work



As I have mentioned earlier, the company aims to give their customers complete satisfaction and convenience with their products, to bring a smile to their faces. Here are some of the iterations I feel work, especially the one at the bottom center.

Here are a few that didn't quite work...

Thinking about how my client wants to express how Maestro is a lot about service, and satisfying the customer, how their relationship just doesn't end once they've bought the product, and after sales service is important to them too.
They want to be connect to their customers, they want them to know that their convenience and satisfaction is what Maestro always has in mind.
I've tried showing that connect here, by connecting these 2 triangles of the 'M' also giving it the look of an abstract bow-tie. Like a Maestro.



The Handshake





When you agree on something, you shake hands, it's the first thing you do, it's a promise, its to assure the other person, its professional. It's about making a connection.
Again, I'm trying to be in sync with what my client wants to show when they talk about Maestro.

I'm struggling with idea. It looks better in my head, and less bookish.
Now that I've said it, you probably think it looks like a book too. Gah!
I'm trying to bring in perspective to show that maestro has other sides to it too, it's not just another 'steam cooker company'. It's interesting, it's got all these sides to it, whatever appliances they come up with are not your usual normal appliances, they have this other side to them, this other perspective.

Even if I go for just type, could I work on it differently, to make the logo fun and interesting, to make people wonder what Maestro is about?
I doubt my client would agree... but it's just a thought.

Forgive me for being a little hung up on the plug idea, but every time I think of another way of working on it, I choose to explore it and promptly put it up.
I'm not sure how far this works, I think it might be too thin. But I really like the font on the second option its called- hlmt.

Sockets



I have always thought that a socket reminds me of an 'A' without the line in the middle.
I used to try connecting the dots on all the plug points I came across as a child, with whatever writing material I could find, where ever I went. Much to my parent's annoyance.
Blame it on connecting the dots OCD. =P

The first logo in this set look a little like Maestro's current logo font. But I feel like it's a little more simplified.
The one I like the most from this lot, is the last one. I like this font, as well as the way the plug looks. It is a good fit.



Here I've tried intergrating the plug into the type.

I'm just putting all my ideas out there, and some might be a hit, and some might be a complete miss. But at this moment, I don't want to give up on any one idea I have without even trying it out.

So the plug idea was liked, but needed to be worked on some more.
Here are some different kinds of treatments to the plug. Hopefully making it look more plug-like. I'm going to ask around tomorrow and see what works and what doesn't. But for now, here they are.



Here are some font options using the basic idea of the plug. I initially thought that an all caps would work better with the strong 'm' but I also like the title case of the same.



The of course, I decided to have some fun with it, I know stuff like this will probably never get chosen, but I had to try, right?
What if I drew the 'm' and gave the entire thing a whole hand done feel. I know most appliance companies don't go for a more personal look, but I don't see why not.
It give more personality to their brand I feel.
Anywhoo, so I went ahead and did this.



With font options even.

After going through my ideas so far, my client felt that for their logo, they really wanted to focus on the name, and make the image/symbol associated with the logo secondary.
Being fairly new in the market they feel like their brand awareness will increase when more people recognize them by their brand name. When a person walks into a shop, they ask for a product of a particular brand and that is why, it should stand out.
Like for example- Philips, Samsung, Braun, Panasonic, Preeti to name other appliance brands are ones that focus on the name, on the type.
Any other element can be PART of the name, but not separated from the lettering, is what they feel.


As far as their current logo goes, they feel like the type is too weak, and can't be read clearly when reduced.
This is a fair concern, and I shall keep it in mind.