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Red Fox Validation


A few years ago, I designed this logo for a validation company, which is a firm that calibrates and oversees engineering processes - something I never knew existed until I was asked to develop the company's identity.

I'm sure I presented other logo concepts, but I couldn't find any of the "losing" concepts when I searched in the project folder. I think this was the clear winner, and I remember telling the client as much when the original concepts were presented - something I really don't do often, but hey - they asked.

I think this concept just worked too well to not be used - you have a strong, simple image that represents the fox, a big "V" for "Validation", and the client had asked if it were possible to have some kind of a check mark (representing the approval of a process) be included - check (get it?). It was all there, and I would have been hurt if they hadn't used it. Maybe I would have sought out a similarly-named firm to sell the logo to, like Red Fox Vegetables or Red Fox Vitamins, if either companies existed. If not, I would have been obligated to create those companies and run them myself.


Here's a long version of the logo, which the client also requested. It was a little awkward, because it was close enough to being symmetrical that it seemed like it should be, with the image at the center. But even though I played with the kerning a bit, I couldn't make "Red Fox" take up the same space as "Validation" without it looking even more awkward and off-balance. I've had to live with it.

I also wanted the full "Red Fox" text to be red, so it would balance the longer, black "Validation" at right, but the client wanted only the word "Red" to be colored red - which makes sense conceptually, but the uneven use of color still bugs me a little in the long version.

The website, which is no longer live (I believe the company was purchased by a larger firm, who discarded the original name) was, as always, built around the look and feel of the logo. I didn't develop the actual site, but the client had requested that I develop some static layout concepts, like the one below which was eventually used.


Red Fox Validation website design - it's no longer live, sadly, but it
lives on in .jpg form.

This was an easier logo project than most, because I hit on the best concept early on. That's almost a curse, because you're forced to develop additional concepts that you really don't expect to be better than the original, and that you hope won't be selected by the client. Luckily, this one worked out. I'd like to think it was all due to the client's excellent perception of the image they wanted to portray, but I've got to admit that my Jedi mind tricks may have helped - just a little.

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