TSM is a new social enterprise; however the people who work for it have bags of experience. The message that TSM needs to promote is one of confidence, honesty, reliability and ability. The new identity must not appear new, in so much as it needs to step outside of current design trends. This is to reflect the history of the protagonists. We are not new, just the entity is.

A recent flyer (pictured) proved to be successful in delivering the “don’t worry, we know what we are doing” message. TSM are looking to use the flyer as a starting point. The flyer design was devised from some rudimentary research into potential client base and commissioners. An odd snippet of research showed that classic the VCO commissioner is quite likely to drink non caffeine hot drinks in the afternoon. Personal experience working in the voluntary sector seemed to bear this out. The flyer design drew elements from a peppermint tea packet, a reassuring and comfortable consumable.

Once the general message had been established and defined, luckily TSM has been working on this in advance; the next step was to browse the identity books. These are heavy thick catalogues containing thousands of existing logos. We are not looking for one to copy. We are looking for elements and themes from which to draw. Do we want a serif font (like Times New Roman) or a sans serif one? Do we want a device with the text, just a device? A square style logo or a banner style? Which would be most adaptable?

The next step is to outline some concepts. These will be done in an old fashioned way with pencil and paper. Watch this space to see what happens next.