In the summer of 2021, I was hired by Gamma Iota Sigma (ΓΙΣ) to create a new logo for their upcoming rebrand. This was a very exciting project because GIS is a professional fraternity that has been around since the 60s, and as a designer, it is important to consider the history of a brand when you’re developing a new look.

Redesigns are difficult because they need to feel new, but familiar. I tried capturing this a few different ways throughout the concept phase. I used the old shield logo as well as the classic coat of arms for inspiration.

Process

First, I developed some concepts. These were rough sketches that could provide the client with some options when deciding on the overall feel.

After the concepts were selected for refinement, there were a few revisions, where the selected concept was revised and refined several times. Such revisions typically involved a series of mock-ups, essentially more formal concepts that were presented in a lock-up, so they could be better envisioned for commercial use.

Final Logo Designs

After the revisions, we ended up with the finished result, as you can see below!