We here in Curious Gage have been blessed to have not one, but two incredibly talented graphic designers work with us over the years to develop some AMAZING logos. And in the tradition of this week-long nostalgic look back, I thought I would feature both of them.
In 2003 (wow...so long ago) Phil, Tom, Christian, Justin and I formed Curious Gage. We didn't have a clue what we were doing--just look at our name (and that's a subject for a different blog)--but we knew that more than anything else we needed a kicking logo. Something that would encompass the cutting edge, rock-til-you-drop vibe we were attempting to capture in those bygone years. I took a stab at it, and created some truly horrendous art. I scoured my computer to see if I could recover those early Van Goghs, but apparently even my hard drive hated that logo, and consequently it will never be seen again.
In 2003 (wow...so long ago) Phil, Tom, Christian, Justin and I formed Curious Gage. We didn't have a clue what we were doing--just look at our name (and that's a subject for a different blog)--but we knew that more than anything else we needed a kicking logo. Something that would encompass the cutting edge, rock-til-you-drop vibe we were attempting to capture in those bygone years. I took a stab at it, and created some truly horrendous art. I scoured my computer to see if I could recover those early Van Goghs, but apparently even my hard drive hated that logo, and consequently it will never be seen again.
So, with the sour taste of defeat in my mouth I sat down to drink and cry. Luckily for me, my good friend Hahn happened to choose that moment to call me, and in the course of our conversation I realized that Hahn happened to have a very talented wife who happened to be in graphic design. A very talented wife who I felt confident I could whine, plead, persuade, and just plain beg to design a logo for us.
And believe it or not, she actually did!
Kadie Ainsworth is a true professional, an outstanding artist, and one heck of a awesome person all the way around. She worked with the group for about a week, came up with some sketches, gently prodded us away from some of our more "outlandish" ideas (I believe at one point Justin and I were really keen on the idea of "Curious Gage" being spelled out in a foreign language) and came up with the following logo that absolutely blew our socks off!
And believe it or not, she actually did!
Kadie Ainsworth is a true professional, an outstanding artist, and one heck of a awesome person all the way around. She worked with the group for about a week, came up with some sketches, gently prodded us away from some of our more "outlandish" ideas (I believe at one point Justin and I were really keen on the idea of "Curious Gage" being spelled out in a foreign language) and came up with the following logo that absolutely blew our socks off!
At the time Curious Gage was shooting for an edgier, grudge-esque sound, and this image fit us perfectly. Kadie really knocked it out of the park, and we will always be eternally grateful for her help.
Three years later (2006, for those keeping score) Justin and Ryan both moved out of town and Tom, Zach and I were forced to reform the group in a drastic manner. Luckily we were able to find Phil and Carleen and ended up winning the Denver Harmony Sweepstakes just five weeks later (again, a story for another post). After our win we decided that as much as we loved the old logo, it didn't quite fit the group anymore. For one thing, while Curious Gage 1.0 was an edgier, rock/grunge/pop hybrid, this new group had a different sound. A...quirky sound? Perhaps. At any rate, to designate the shift between Curious Gage 1.0 and 2.0 we decided to take a stab at a new logo. This time we immediately decided to go to the pros (my computer was extremely grateful), and enlisted the help of Kristi Seidow, a gifted graphic designer who ended up joining the group a year later (again, not this post).
Kristi spent a good several weeks throwing a bunch of different ideas at us, each one more spectacular than the rest. At first we didnt' really know what we wanted, and poor Kristi was forced to work with the ambiguous ideas we gave her (warm, inviting, professional, lighter). However, after a couple weeks she emailed us the following logo and absolutely blew our minds.
Three years later (2006, for those keeping score) Justin and Ryan both moved out of town and Tom, Zach and I were forced to reform the group in a drastic manner. Luckily we were able to find Phil and Carleen and ended up winning the Denver Harmony Sweepstakes just five weeks later (again, a story for another post). After our win we decided that as much as we loved the old logo, it didn't quite fit the group anymore. For one thing, while Curious Gage 1.0 was an edgier, rock/grunge/pop hybrid, this new group had a different sound. A...quirky sound? Perhaps. At any rate, to designate the shift between Curious Gage 1.0 and 2.0 we decided to take a stab at a new logo. This time we immediately decided to go to the pros (my computer was extremely grateful), and enlisted the help of Kristi Seidow, a gifted graphic designer who ended up joining the group a year later (again, not this post).
Kristi spent a good several weeks throwing a bunch of different ideas at us, each one more spectacular than the rest. At first we didnt' really know what we wanted, and poor Kristi was forced to work with the ambiguous ideas we gave her (warm, inviting, professional, lighter). However, after a couple weeks she emailed us the following logo and absolutely blew our minds.
It was so much better than anything we could have initially imagined, and fit the new group like a glove. As I said above, Kristi later joined the group when Zach moved away, but we will always be grateful for the work she put in both before, and after she became a member of Curious Gage. She is an unbelievable artist, designer, marketer, and friend, and anyone who gets a chance to work with her is truly blessed.
What new graphic challenges (and dare I say...blogs!?) await? Only time will tell...
What new graphic challenges (and dare I say...blogs!?) await? Only time will tell...
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