Paraplanning Network Australia Logo
For those who don't know, paraplanning is an area within the financial planning industry. You could call these guys the 'grinders' of the industry; they're the ones that do the research, calculations and projections that go into a financial plan, including the writing of the plan itself.
The client approached me with a problem and an idea. There are currently no professional associations just for paraplanners and associations like the financial planning association don't cater specifically enough to the needs of paraplanners. The client wanted to remedy that problem by creating an association run by paraplanners for the benefit of paraplanners.
The new association would be fighting for credibility in the financial planning industry, which is dominated by the financial planning association and large financial institutions that have been in business for many years. So, to project a feeling of longevity and steadfastness in the newly incorporated PNA I used a retro design for the logo mark. Retro seems to appeal to the younger audience at the moment too, which is great considering paraplanners are typically aged between 18 and 35.
I took to shape theory when creating the logo mark and went with circles because they supposedly project a subconscious feeling of energy and power, while also appearing approachable and igniting a feeling of protection. These are all things relevant to PNA because it aims to be a force in the industry, nurturing its members and lobbying on their behalf.
I counterbalanced the weightiness of the logo mark with the thinness of the PNA text, which, because it is quite lengthy, seems to work to balance the overall design.
It was a deliberate choice to use a contemporary, sans-serif typeface for the text to ensure the design still looks fresh and a little bit cheeky (and not stuffy like some logos in the industry).
The idea is that when PNA develops its brand there is potential there for them to drop the text altogether and just run with the logo mark.
The client was very happy with the design, but went with reflex blue instead of the darker blue in this upload. I prefer the darker blue because it helps give that feeling of steadfastness and authority that the client is trying to achieve instantly. They also asked me to add an ascender to the 'a' because they didn't want people confusing it with an 'o'.
As of now, the client is making great progress in turning PNA into the authority for paraplanners in Australia and they couldn't be happier with the logo and how it stands its ground against the big boys.