Headpoint Consulting Logo Design Critique

Jon submitted this logo for Headpoint Consulting. He left the following comment about the logo,

“A new executive coaching consultancy firm... looking to portray an image of competence but remain interesting and dynamic”

The following critique is based on one designer’s opinion and experience. I always appreciate the readers thoughts as well. So, I’ll ask a question of two in the critique, please share your perspective in the comments at the end of this logo design critique.

Design Principals

The logo for Headpoint Consulting has an intriguing start, but lacks cohesion and balance. The logo feels like two different parts. The head shaped oval with the ‘T’ inside doesn’t feel like it belongs with the rest of the mark. There are two main factors contributing to this disjointed appearance. First, the abstracted ‘T’ created by the white space within the oval shape doesn’t fit with the rest of the typography (i.e., weight, color, shape, rotation, etc.). Second, focusing all of the color on the right side within the oval shape also contributes to the disconnection.

Functionality / Versatility

This logo should reproduce in most mediums well. The use of flat colors and simple shapes is good for reproduction. The lightweight typeface for ‘Consulting’ may become problematic (or may need to be made heavier) when used in embroidery or reduced to a small size and silk screened like you might find on a pen. There was a good article over at The Design Cubicle about how a good logo needs to be flexible. You may want to take quick read.

Does the Logo Work for the Audience?

I think one way of portraying competence is to have a professional looking logo. It shows you care and are serious about your business. If your business is truly focused solely on executive coaching I’m not sure that you’re hitting the mark there. To me, the mark feels more pedestrian and complacent instead of presenting concepts of leadership, drive, etc. Again, if executive coaching is your focus shouldn’t the company name reflect that also? Perhaps “Headpoint Executive Coaching” is a more telling business name.

Typography

I know Jon isn’t a designer, however I’m not sure if he designed this logo himself or if he hired someone to do it. At any rate, the kerning needs tweaking. For example, the space around the ‘A’ has a larger visual gap on the right side and should be adjusted. The letter spacing of ‘consulting’ is too open when used next to the tight letter spacing in ‘Headpoint’. Perhaps you could tighten it up and align it to the left or right of the word above. This would also create some variety in the mark which now feels so structured (at least in the type on the left). Overall, I think the type needs attention. It comes across quite sterile and uninspiring.

The abstractness of the letter ‘T’ within the oval shape not only creates the disjointed feeling I discussed earlier, it also creates a situation where the viewer will likely read the company name as ‘Headpoin Consulting’ the first time around. The combination of the rotation, negative space, color change and abstractness is just too much.

Possible Improvements

Designing a logo for yourself or own business is one of the hardest logo designs you’ll ever work on. So what is the best way to improve the logo? Well I think have made some comments above that can certainly offer some direction. Here’s a list of actionable items.

Overall, I think you have a good start on the logo design. And with some refinement you can definitely improve it. Please know that my intention in critiquing your work is not to hurt feelings, but to offer constructive feedback. I hope it was helpful. Best of luck, to you!

I appreciate and welcome your comments, and look forward to hearing from you soon. I purposely don’t cover every possible improvement that can be made to this logo, so go for it if you think I missed anything. All I ask is that you keep your comments clean and appropriate.

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