Anatomy of our logo

When we started our company, we built our principles and values before we had a name or a logo. Part of why we want to do this at all was because we cared about encouraging intentional play, and making games that anyone felt welcome to play, even if they weren't part of the traditional gamer audience.

Not an easy ask, but luckily, we know some amazing designers.

Our final logo plays on a literal reading of our name, turning a table into a craft that transports you into new worlds and adventures.

But how did we get there?

The brief

I don't think our brief was very good. We'd assembled a bunch of visual inspirations, companies whose branding we admired, and then a lot of content about our philosophy, mission and vision. While all important, it was a pretty primordial state to be working from.

The two main elements of what we'd written centred on our desire to celebrate the joy of people connecting for a game at a table, and wanting to capture a sense of analogue nostalgia. We'd also picked some colours we loved and mentioned stained glass is cool.

Somehow our designers sifted through this and started coming up with gold.

Choices, choices

At this stage the bold graphic of the table arose. A second wave of concepts came from considering the ‘craft’ aspect of the title, and approaching the brand as something of a traditional and noble trade. The logo now heads toward ornate illustrations, tools, banners and heraldry. Again, these elements are designed to evoke the feel of the tactile and physical. At this stage we look back in time through a slightly fantastical lens.

— Our designers

This was a tough stage because we loved so many of the ideas and the directions they were going. Guided by something, perhaps the centrality of the table and sense of adventure, we decided to continue down the craft route.

Finalising the logo

We were closing in on something perfect. As the logo evolved into its near-final form, it was time to think about colour. The next version used a felt-green as a backdrop, to evoke a classic tabletop connection and a sense of texture.

While we loved it, there was a sense of lightness and whimsy missing. In parallel to the logo itself, we'd also been working with the designers on our broader brand colours, to make sure the logo would sit cohesively with everything else. Amongst the early inspiration we gave them was some stained glass imagery.

One of the concepts contained this element:

That was the one. So we pulled it together with the logo, keeping the green but lightening it to work with the stained glass palette. Those colours now give us a wide range of accents to choose from throughout our branding.

When everything goes well, it can be hard to find a lesson from the process. But one thing is clear -- it's vital to find designers who aren't just talented, but who take the time to understand your vision.

 

In the final concept, an upturned table becomes a tall ship, a craft, journeying forward inspirationally on a sea of possibility. Simultaneously, it celebrates the concept of imagination and play.

— Our designers