So I’ve stripped the three directions down to their fundamental black and white forms for final review. Honestly I feel good about all the directions, each offering a different advantage. What it comes down to is an essential decision of how Zenith would prefer to be represented. Below are the comps, followed by some reasoning.
Logo 1 (Circle Escape) is abstract and offers a handsome height and interesting conceptual representation of the meditation center. It seems like it might be a bit of a stretch for the brand however, and it’s accessibility is lacking. It has a bit of a futuristic feel to it, and that lacks history and the integrity that Zenith would wish to come across.
Logo 2 (Summit) has two iterations that I am still battling between: The first with a ring circle that the Circle Escape composition uses, and the other with a wedged circle. As explained in the last post, I think this one difference changes the logo drastically, each with its own strengths. The ring offers buoyancy, clarity and light gravity that, to me, evokes rest and peace. The wedged circle version creates an illusion of space, cooperating with the shapes below it to complete the form of a mountain or summit. It does this while also painting the form of a sun or circle behind and above the summit. This second iteration therefore conjures notions of a literal zenith, strength, longevity, peace and contemplation, as if it were a depiction of Mt. Fuji itself. This certainly is the most literal of all the iterations, and therefore gains and loses value for the brand (it may be misinterpreted as some form of hiking company or even insurance company).
The third composition is a play on the ubiquitous symbol on media devices for pause. It works extremely well with a slogan, and in the context of other visuals. Its form must be strong without accompaniment however. It must stand for the company as it is seen here, at its most boiled down form. In this case, it may come across as inaccessible or locked in. However it has strong symmetry, and also employs a negative space to represent a clarity, or solace within. This form by itself seems like the weakest of the four to me, but within contexts of other media and collateral, it could be one of the strongest.
The task now is to decide on a direction and embrace it. In my mind I’m sitting down with two yogis who are the ultimate decision makers for Zenith. One is younger and likes the pause logo direction, finding it more stylish and clever, while representing the respite and comforts of the center best. The other yogi is older and more drawn to the summit direction with the wedged circle, finding it contemplative, expansive, and even reminiscent of the lotus position. He believes it focuses more on the meditation aspect of their services, and the younger yogi believes the pause direction focuses more on the luxury of their space.
Narrowed down to two paths. What else is there to do? In which direction I travel, I can only meditate.
