Logos I love.

I drove to Idaho Falls a few weeks ago to meet with a SCORE mentor . As I cruised down Highway 20, I passed a box truck and noticed its distinctive and simple logo. That’s the inspiration behind my new blog post.

The logo wasn’t particularly creative, or artistic, or inimitable. The company is a disaster restoration and remodeling company. Neither their company nor their logo gives any indication of the type of work they do.

Still, I love this logo.

This logo is all about the relationship between the L & D. I love how it interlocks. The color combination is spot on but not so rigid that it couldn’t change for a brand refresh. It’s clean and bold. It requires no special versions for web, print, banners or other types of materials.

When I got home, I looked up “Davis Restoration Idaho Falls” and it was the #1 result on Google (good job on SEO, gang!) In addition to the logo, Paul Davis Restoration of Idaho also designed some icons to go with their services.

Excuse me while I pass out. I am loving this brand look.

The icons are a great way to tell the damage restoration story. You don’t really know what restoration is until you need it, and since “damage” is one of the top keywords on the site, my guess is that “urgent” and “stress” appear too when the subject comes up. With all that going on, using imagery to explain how the company can help the customer is smart and moves Paul Davis’ prospects along in the buying cycle.

While there are some dramatic images on the site–fire, a roof kissed by a tree, mold damage–these icons serve as a calm, non-judgmental visual reminder of the company’s offering.

What I don’t love.

The company name doesn’t tell me what the company does. It could be an interior design firm (in fact, I thought it was at first glance — due to the look and that it was on a delivery-type box truck), an architecture firm or a real estate agent. The tagline “recover, reconstruct, restore” must always travels with the logo to provide an explanation of the company’s services..

Minor. I’m still drooling over all of it. High-five to the Paul Davis Restoration design team.

Love it or hate it? Logo design is sensitive to people’s individual tastes, preferences and product prejudices. I’d love to hear your take in the comments.

Co-working space in Teton Valley?

Are you interested in using a co-working space in Teton Valley? Local entrepreneurs are conducting research on feasibility and user preferences. Take the survey here:

tinyurl.com/coworkteton

Please pass on the survey link or a link to this post to friends or business associates who want to stay in the loop.

Want more info about co-working spaces? Read more:

Why People Thrive in Coworking Spaces

As Coworking Spaces Scale, Can They Keep Their Communal Vibe

Co-Working Spaces = Higher Success for your Startup

New Resource for Local Business Pros (OR WANNA-BES!)

Are you stuck on a business project? Have an idea, but don’t know where to start? Looking for feedback? Need accountability for work milestones?

Join The Biz Posse! We meet on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at the Driggs Library (79 N. Main St.). This group is open to business owners, entrepreneurs and everyone in between- even students looking to explore the world of business ownership and management.

This is an open, casual format with a fun, creative, motivating group. The next session is on November 15- see you there!

Handwriting. The Struggle is Real.

When I was in elementary school, I learned how to write using the D’Nealian method.There were cool workbooks with the line-dash-line paper and lots of things to trace. Cursive was fun until I realized my teachers were going to require all assignments be written in cursive for the next 6 years.

Then high school came. Freedom to print. OR WRITE IN ALL CAPS. oR mIx it Up, EveN iF iT Wuz on mY teal NoTeBooK. Maybe I could even use the typewriter for a couple papers (gasp!). Until I walked into Russian class. We would learn the Cyrillic alphabet and write in Cyrillic cursive. Curses!

In college, when I finally graduated from my hand-me-down Smith Corona word processing typewriter (thanks Big Sis), it was computer time. I barely picked up a pen again for years and I was relieved. Despite the lifetime-so-far of practice, my handwriting was fair, but often sloppy. Typing was faster and it was consistent.

Fast forward to 2013 when I took a position in the retail industry. We started a chalkboard signage program where I had to develop the standards. This was a blast, but the person in charge’s handwriting and general pen-holding skills (mine) had morphed into a mush of letters borrowed from 2 different alphabets. In a word: mess.

So I bought a sketch book and a pencil sharpener and practiced writing “Strawberries” “New Flavor!” “$7.99 / lb”. I saw my handwriting transform from mess to passable.  I enjoyed sketching out chalk boards beforehand and refining as they were drawn.  I found myself busting out the sketchbook for non-work drawings, quick diagrams or doodles. My regular meeting notes and quick stickies to my co-workers were legible to more than just me. My handwriting steadily improved and it triggered a pocket of my brain that a keyboard could not. Decent handwriting was an analog skill.

A 2014 article in the New York Times suggests handwriting is key to educational development and mental stimulation. For adults, handwriting may help information processing and focus.

A few months after starting The Brandstalk, I looked down at my day’s notes. Donald N. Thurber- the  creator of D’Nealian- was probably poking his eyes out with No. 2 pencils. I’d lost that attention to my handwriting that was so crucial to communicating the right product and price to the customer, the response rate my co-worker had asked for or completing an application for a special event permit.

More importantly, I’d forgotten how great it felt to activate that circuit that psychologist Dehaene mentions. So I am back at it with the sketchbook, the adult coloring book and writing my work notes as if my team of creative cronies needs them for the next project.

Do you have a handwriting story? Please share it in the comments or let me know on Twitter.