The Kraken’s Den sells vintage and new comics and collectibles with a business ethos based around making nerd culture inclusive and fun. They were being represented by a grinning Batman posing with his thumb up when we had our initial phone call. As they expected their business to continue growing, they felt like the next step for them was to bring a personal touch to the online orders with their own logo.
the challenge:
There is a comic out there for everybody. How do I create a logo that can visually communicate that the Kraken’s Den welcomes long-time comic fans back and also invites newcomers to explore this world? Can I create something with the energy of a very approving Batman?
What they wanted (high level goals):
A logo that could be used as an eBay icon (150x150 and smaller)
Versions in black and white and in color
Works as a sticker to include in their orders
The initial research was done over a phone interview and a bit of competitive analysis.
While getting to know the personality of the brand, I learned that being joyful and approachable was very important to them. “We don’t want it to be sterile.” This was further emphasized when we talked about their competitors and what they liked and disliked about them. They preferred clean branding of the mainstream competitor but with the personal touch of the indie competitor. “The culture they created makes it fun to order from them.”
I also learned that The Kraken’s Den was named after their dog and they wanted the imagery of their brand to include the mythical Kraken and their (very adorable) pitbull Kraken.
Key insights:
1. Joyful and approachable
2. A combination of mythical Kraken + pitbull Kraken.
After identifying the key insights, I wanted to go through the discovery step again to define their needs further but keeping in mind everything I gained from our interview.
(for the second time)
I came back to them after putting together 3 moodboards of different visual styles that I thought could fit their needs:
moodboard #1
moodboard #2
moodboard #3
(for the second time)
Key Insights: Lean into that retro style of art!
We agreed that #2 would be most fitting as it pays homage to those comics that their customers love. That board was a collection of art done in a style that most resembles the way that comics used to be printed.
In the sketches and iterations, I tried different expressions and different compositions. I was specifically thinking about how to create different values either by hatching or use of Ben Day dots. The spot over Kraken’s eye was signature and I definitely wanted to keep that in whenever the logo is printed in black and white.
Putting everything together with insights (and the second set of insights) in mind:
Black and white!
Horizontal version for business cards or headers.
The colored version (in purple and green because what says friendly inclusivity into the world of comics more than a colorful allusion to both DC and MARVEL. No matter who you stan, The Kraken’s Den has probably got something for you).
