Acumentality (Brain Research)
a logo and stationery project by jferg02

Creative brief

The business name is a combination of acumen and mentality. We conduct research trials in cognition, psychiatry and neurology and we want a logo/stationery package to reflect our focus on the brain, mental health, clear thinking, etc. We hired a graphic designer to do a logo for us a few years ago...and, I like the concept he worked out...but don't love it...and, now that we have relocated the primary business location to Florida, I want something a little warmer and even more unique and memorable. We need to appeal to both potential patients and to other physicians in the area upon whom we depend for referrals. We want to convey professionalism, and a cutting edge technical kinda feel...but also still want to seem approachable and friendly. Eventually I am going to want to build upon the logo design to create a web page, a tri-fold brochure and a large sign for out front of the main office and will post separate awards for those projects once we get the logo and stationery in place. I will upload a copy of our current business card/stationery...I like the fact that there is a version with both a dark and a light background and would ideally like two versions of the new design as well. I am also going to upload a picture of a brain/skull that I really like. I actually gave the same picture to our original designer two years ago and he told me that it was both disgusting and frightening and felt that it would be a major turnoff to anyone who saw it...I am not inclined to agree but do feel like perhaps a slightly more abstract representation of the brain/skull might be better...but, I think the image we ended up with is perhaps a bit too abstract...virtually no one seems to know that it is even supposed to be a brain. I have always liked the idea of trying to incorporate the folds and convolutions of a brain into a labyrinth type design since I think that concept works well with what we do..."navigating the maze of the mind" or something like that. I would be thrilled if someone had an idea for a good tag line as well...I have never been all that excited about the one on the current cards. I will also include a link to some really unique business card concepts that I found online (http://creativebits.org/cool_business_card_desi... of them works for us per se but they are really cool and unusual and the sort of thing that I would absolutely love if something similar could be adapted for our purposes. So far as colors go...I personally like the idea of a bright, cheery citrus palette...tangerine, bright key lime, chartreuse, etc to go with our new tropical locale....but, the medical director isn't yet sold on that plan. We are going to be based on the "space coast" near Cape Canaveral and The Kennedy Space Center and he likes the idea of a coastal or even a spacey sort of palette or theme...I am not sure what that means exactly or how that would work out with the brain concept...but fortunately, I am not one who has to develop the creative concept. The medical director likes the idea of re-working/incorporating the current logo into the new package...but is also open to a completely new design so long as it relates to the brain, memory, thinking, cognition, mental health, etc. About his only mandate is that his card be the most unique one in the wallet/file of anyone he gives it to. He likes the idea of the card itself being special...round, oval, "brain shaped", made of an unusual material, etc. not just a plain rectangular card with an interesting image on it. He is a real outside the box kinda guy and the more unique it is in his mind, the better. I know that I am asking a lot and I really hope that someone out there can help!