Case study
Logo designed for The Joint Clinic
BY ZAIN AHMED KAMAL
This is the second logo I made as a graphic designer and there is a very interesting story behind it. A concept and a bunch of reasons on why and how this was made. Let’s begin with this Case Study on the Logo Designed for The Joint Clinic.
This is the second logo I made as a graphic designer and there is a very interesting story behind it. A concept and a bunch of reasons on why and how this was made. Let’s begin with this Case Study on the Logo Designed for The Joint Clinic.
The Story behind the joint clinic logo
The time gap between getting the first logo designing job for GIGGL and the second logo design job for The Joint Clinic was literally more than one year. Yes, the first job was pretty easy to get but the actual struggle started after that. (You can read the case study on GIGGL here)
While pursuing my course I heard one of my teachers Mr. Jayanto Ray talking about a site called e-lance (which now is Upwork). This platform helps freelancers to build a profile and get job work. Many companies search for designers and choose the best option they get.
So obviously I too made a profile on it, adding the only logo I made for GIGGL in the portfolio section. Sadly my profile never got accepted as I was not an experienced designer. This platform is for people with some experience in their respective field and if you are one do check it out. It can help you.
What next? Next is freelancer. This is a website on which you can participate in designing contests –logo, brochure, t-shirt and many more. The company provides all the details and their requirement. Lots of designers provide their designs and one of them is chosen.
An excellent opportunity for the beginners but not so good for experienced freelancers. A tip for all the budding designers, participate in as many competitions as you can, doesn’t matter if you lose or win.
If you win you get the money and if you lose you can still add the designs in your portfolio. Chill… no one needs to know that these are rejected work, as long as it looks nice it will do the job. Moreover, with that practice, you will become better at it.
Where was I? Yes, made a profile on freelancer and also participated in contests. I simply lost the first competition on which I said to myself “OK, no problem this was just the beginning let’s try some more” however what happened next will blow your mind.
The second competition I participated in was for an NGO by the name “Hope found”, pretty nice name, right? I lost that competition too and in a way you can’t imagine. My entire profile got banned for life! Why? You must ask! Because my skills were not that good and blah blah blah.
Now what? Now “Designhill”, another platform just like freelancers. Back in 2016, it was a pretty new website and the only advantage I had was that I could lose more than 2 competitions without getting banned. Imagine that… what an advantage!
Not just 2 but more than 50 competitions I had participated in and lost each one of them (luckily without getting banned, hahaha…)
I got super frustrated, was done trying these freelancing websites. So I started my own firm by the name ZAK Designs. The first thing I did is I made a visiting card for myself.
My first visiting card
Yes I took a screenshot of Adobe Illustrator and made a design with that concept. Brilliant isn’t it? I know I am a genius thanks.
I literally gave my card to everyone I met, even if they didn’t want it I gave it to them. Without any hesitation and wasting my time I finished the first lot of 300 cards. Got some petty work because of it but nothing big.
The next move I made was designing a proper logo and a Facebook page with my company’s name ZAK Designs.
This was the logo back then. Nothing fancy though.
I invited all my friends and my friend’s friends to like the page. I literally use to ask my friends to open the Facebook application and then snatch their phones and invite all their friends. Yes I did that too. I had to!
Remember all the contests I lost, here I took great advantage of them. I had made some superb logos which got rejected so I uploaded all of them and tagged 50 of my friends so that everyone in their contact list could also see my work (back then they had that option now I am not aware of it)
These are some of the rejected logos-
I got some two or three responses but nothing worked out.
Suddenly one day I got a text on my page and I did a series of stupid things. Starting with the chat, go ahead and read it yourself.
Chat Image
Now he is the owner of two of the most famous restaurants in Calcutta but then I had no Idea about it. Seeing the profile image I thought he is someone of our age starting a new business in the restaurant line.
He is very much senior to me but I did not know that too, so I went to meet him and just when I was outside the restaurant I called him.
Me – Hey ……. ( the name which I can’t reveal obviously) I am outside your restaurant, where are you?
Him – Do you know where Mocambo is?
Me – Yes I know (I lied, did not know where it was)
Him – Meet me there after 10 minutes
Me – Sure
I somehow managed to find the restaurant, chill it was nearby.
He was standing outside Mocambo when I reached, we shook hands and he asked me to wait inside. I still didn’t get he was the owner; I thought he must be waiting for his partner or something.
I went inside and sat facing the door so that he could see me entering the restaurant. The waiter came and gave me the menu to which I told him that I am waiting for a friend, let him come and then I will place the order.
While going through the menu I wondered, Dude… what kind of menu card is this, if I get this work I can make it so better.
I barely waited for 10 minutes and again called the owner and this is what I said, “Boss I am sitting here from past 10 minutes where are you?”
He then entered the restaurant, took a right and went somewhere else. I said to myself that I am sitting in front of the door and he went inside. What a fool he is!
Just then the waiter came and told me, “Sir is calling you.” Wait, what? Yeah, that was my reaction on realising that he is the OWNER of the restaurant. Oh, man! What a fool I was.
Anyway, he told me you have to re-design the menu cards, just what I told myself two minutes back. I was happy, on top of the world. Yippeeee…
That is all great but how the hell you got the logo designing project for The Joint Clinic? Chill man, telling you that too.
So while I was re-designing the menu card Mr Owner got injured while playing squash. Got himself operated from the doctor who owns The Joint Clinic. Luckily the Doctor was looking for a logo designer and I was referred to him.
That is how I got the logo designing project for The Joint Clinic.
Now, why did I make this design, let’s talk about that?
Why?
This is the logo we made for The Joint Clinic, but why a running man, what are these dots for and finally what this aim symbol depicts?
Doctors usually specialise in a certain field, here the doctor is orthopaedic. So that aim symbol depicts the niche or specialisation.
As an Orthopaedic, his niche is sports injuries and this is why a running man is given in the centre of the aim symbol.
Under sports injuries, his super speciality is shoulders and knee and so the dots are given in those respective places.
The colour and tagline were provided by the client.
So this is the concept behind the logo for The Joint Clinic, how do you like it?
Conclusion
We are often told that failing is a terrible thing but in real life it is just the opposite. Failing is not bad; it is not the opposite of success but the process of being successful.
Failing is like a bridge you need to get on to achieve something, the important and must thing is not to give up. Fall seven times and get up eight times. Fail and fail again but fail better.
That one year gap and the innumerable failures were very important; it polished my skills so that I can be better in future.
Just because I did not give up I am here running my firm ZAK Designs and has successfully on boarded more than 50 clients and completed huge projects.
It was tough, very tough and still it is. However I stuck through the thick and thins because I loved it, all the time I failed and came back to it because I love doing what I do.
So a piece of advice to whoever reading this doesn’t matter if you are a designer or belong to any other field as long as you are a dreamer, an entrepreneur who wants to do something great in this life then this journey is going to be extremely harsh.
You will be shaken to the core; you will be mocked by your own people. The closest of your people will not believe in you, you will fall miserably many times. You will have uncountable dark days and nights.
Although if you believe in yourself and stick to it no matter what, then one day you will win and when you win you will shine brighter than the sun.
You will be an example, an inspiration to millions of people. Your story will travel all around the world; you will be remembered for eternity.
And then one day on this journey you will look back and say to yourself “It was all worth it”
I hope you enjoyed reading this, let me know in the comment section how you felt about it.
If you are a graphic designer then do check out the following blogs, it will help you a lot:
- Ultimate Guide on Graphic Designing
- Ultimate Guide on Printing
- Is Graphic Designing a good career choice?
If you run a business and wish to build a brand then read the following blogs:
- Brand, Branding and Branding Strategy
- Core purpose – A must for Branding
- Values – Your value depends on your values
You can read more case studies here-
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Logo designed by Zain Ahmed Kamal