I used to have doctors as neighbours. They were excellent in their chosen field. One shared her frustrations with me when, in her surgery, she attentively listened to a patient’s (many) symptoms and, after some time, she was clear what the best prescription was. Hand poised, about to write it, the patient leant towards her and said ‘don’t bother, I feel so much better having shared with you that I don’t feel I need anything else’

The doctor was frustrated at her perceived impotency, the rejection of her hard learned skills. But she had absolutely helped her patient. We experience immense self-empowerment when we feel heard, or seen, by someone we trust, especially when that person has the skills, honesty and wisdom that underpin that trust. With this connection, we can spontaneously manifest the shift we desire. It is as if we have permission from an authority to enable this ability which is inherent in each of us. In the case of medical personnel this is known as ‘white coat syndrome’ but the effect is not limited to the medical profession.

When we are designing a logo for a client, we help create this effect by first deeply listening to our clients’ future dreams including the details of their objectives, their personal likes and dislikes, their ideal client, and even colleagues, competitors or allies until the objective begins to feel more tangible, capable of being actioned. Designers become visual coaches acting like soothsayers enabling a vision of a new future. Like a physician we aim for a positive outcome. Symptoms of various imbalances and hurdles such as frustrations, anger and impotence that hindered success are valid but we push for a place where the client’s vision is palpable and available.

We may not hand out pills to assist a better future but we do choose elements of proven efficacy and combine them into a unique prescription for success. And if not regularly used, it won’t work! The dosage is in our own hands. A logo consistently reminds us of our vision, the clear intention is embedded in the design. This is logo success at its best, a joint agreement and understanding between designer and client that forms the foundation for a successful launch. This is not a form of superficial personal branding designed to make us look good for a bit, it is about understanding and expressing a clear future in a way that consistently reminds us of our purpose and enables it to be shared.

This is how major brands work to spread their intentions and we can each create our own logos so others can say ‘I see you’ and respond to the invitation to help grow our chosen future.

Good designers ‘see’ their clients and enable them to realise their potential and to ‘see’ their future from a new, clear and achievable standpoint.  

“What has been seen cannot be unseen, what has been learned cannot be unknown. You cannot change the past, but you can learn from it.” Cynthia Woolf. 

Find out how logos can become one of the best allies in securing the future you want in my course ‘Future Magnets: Identify and create the life you want’: https://bit.ly/4ayC3rv