Project Overview
Mr. Jameson approached me about a side business he was starting, crafting custom tools and parts using his metal working skills. His first project was a metal wedge that firefighters could store on their helmets and use when they needed to quickly break down doors.
He asked if I could help him by creating a logo identity for Kern Tool Works to improve his overall brand. So that’s what we did.
Client and Location
Ryan Jameson in Tehachapi, California
My Role
Ideation and Design
Project Duration
One month from concept to delivered files
The badge version of the logo
An alternative option of the badge
The main logo, using the metal wedge that started everything as part of the mark
Another alternative version reversed for additional applications.
The uncontained K-Wedge mark reversed
The K-Wedge mark contained
An alternative contained K-Wedge reversed
Pictured here are two different machined parts from Kern Tool Works with the uncontained mark stamped on them.
Before we landed on that final design
We tried out a couple different logo marks before arriving at the final one. A few of the early attempts were either overly complicated or conveyed a message that we didn’t intend. So they ultimately were scrapped but they served as stepping stones to find the right concept for Ryan’s company.
Kern Tool Works makes strong, solid products built for durability. The final logo identity needed to match that same idea in order to convey it to Ryan’s customers and work toward creating trust that anything coming from Kern Tool Works would be dependable.
Some custom drawn type that we tried. It felt too much like cyrilic type or Russian propaganda posters from the 1920s. We did end using the “K” though, but paired with typography that was less specific to a historic time period.
A couple of Ryan’s early customers read this as KKK, even though it’s only two K’s. But we didn’t want any ambiguity on that front, so we moved on from the idea.
A version of what became the K-Wedge mark was this K on its side with added details to look like a person working on something. We decided it was too confusing and complex.