For the brand names, I created a mind map and came up with different variations, such as giving the brand a person’s name to make it sound intimate and casual so that the user can treat the app as a friend. Other variations include taking the words ‘Eczema’ and ‘Pregnancy’ and finding different ways to refer to these keywords, even shortening them where it’s easy to pronounce.
Eventually, I chose Ezzi or Ezma to make the brand sound snappy, fun and easy to remember, however, I am still unsure of these name decisions, so when I develop the brand, I am going to test out which one looks the best before choosing one.
Personally, I had trouble coming up with designs, especially when I was trying to combine the keywords; ‘eczema’, and ‘pregnancy’ together. Since my aim was to create a logo that’s simple, I stuck to the line drawing style; The small illustrations (eczema symptoms - circles and blotches) were used as a guide to creating the logo, however, it didn't really help because it doesn't resonate with the brand. In the end, I drew two designs that reflected pregnancy, which are the baby bump (second row, last) and a border around the wordmark (bottom row, last). I'm not completely satisfied with this, however, it is only the initial idea and I am thinking about changing the design over the next few weeks. Also, during the development, I decided to change the name of the brand to Flare instead of ezma. I thought that Flare made more sense as it’s about eczema flare-ups whereas ezma is forgettable and doesn't hold a lot of meaning.
When developing it, I decided to make small changes to the brand. In the first image, I added a yellow dot at the bottom of the wordmark to represent an eczema symptom (acne). I felt that the yellow colour helped emphasise the visual look of the brand, especially making it look brighter. As for the baby bump and ‘Flare’ wordmark, it helps promotes the purpose of the brand; the curvy line can also be used in different colour variations (bottom images) by using the colour palette, however, the pink colour is the main shade and should be followed accordingly. In the end, I chose the second mockup, one reason I didn't choose the first version is that I asked for people’s opinions, and they thought the second version looks better. In my opinion, I leaned towards the second one as well, mainly because it looks clear and concise. However, I do think this brand should definitely be improved over time since I mentioned how I am not keen on it. Although, it is a starting point; I am happy with the name, typeface and colour palette, but the main concern is creating a better monogram. It is something that I am looking forward to changing.
Flare with border and yellow dot around it
Final brand
Different colour variations
