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Ben Barnes Ben Barnes

Superyacht Ambition Logo Design

Need to brand a superyacht? We can help. I wanted to pull back the curtain a little and show some of our process for creating a logo design. You get multiple options to choose from based on a collaborative approach that includes your input. Once you’re happy with the initial choices you provide feed back on your favorite designs and we make edits to custom tailor the designs to your liking and needs. We provide guidance through out the process to make sure you end up with the highest quality finished product.

Ambition Yacht branding and identity
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Ben Barnes Ben Barnes

Hazzard County Leisure Club

We take our leisure pretty seriously around here. It’s all about the work-life balance and leisure is a key component to getting that mix right. Not to mention it gets hot around here and when it gets hot, things move slow. Kinda like the tortoise. That’s an animal we can relate to that exemplifies that leisure lifestyle. Slow and steady and always moving forward. So, are you in the club?

Leisure Club Turtle Logo
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Ben Barnes Ben Barnes

Origin Story

My passion for graphic design and design in all of it's various and wonderful forms comes from evenings spent with friends treating Barnes&Noble like a library, hanging out in the art book and magazine sections.

It was the 90's in the Atlanta suburbs and if you wanted to see what was going on in the world you actually had to leave your house. Within those pages, I found a new world that hadn't existed prior. One of art, design, culture, and fashion.

At the same time, I had a love of movies and tv shows that employed cars as characters like Blues Brothers, Smokey and the Bandit, and Dukes of Hazzard. Come to find out I lived very close to where Dukes of Hazzard was filmed in Covington, Ga.

I went on to graduate from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) with a BFA in graphic design in 2004 and then spent the last 15 years developing my design knowledge and skills at both agencies and in-house with businesses. Along the way, I tried to freelance and start various design based ventures, which gave me an entirely different kind of education.

I learned about the value of client relationships and the importance of the golden rule.

I also learned the value of making a quality product and how important it is to spend the time to develop your craft.

These are the pillars upon which Hazzard County Design Studio was built.

So here I am almost 20 years after this story began and I find myself living in Covington - actual Hazzard County. I've accomplished several of my life's dreams, but one still loomed very large, until now.

Hazzard County Design Studio is that dream and I am so grateful that I get to bring it into reality a little more every day.

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More 3D Lettering with Shadow

The best part about creating your own brand is you get to decide what’s its boundaries are.

You can lock the logo and branding in concrete and be rigid with how you use it.

You can let it run wild and be fluid like water.

The key to good branding is to make sure you use it consistently. Here at Hazzard County, we are driven by curiosity. It pushes us to explore and experiment with different styles. Most of that work never sees the light of day. But we do it because it makes us better, helps us grow our skillset, and keeps us coming back for more.

Custom 3D typography treatment
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Ben Barnes Ben Barnes

Redwood Heating & Air

Part of what I love about working as a designer is that every client takes a different approach to the design process. Some people have no idea what they want, while others have a very specific vision that they want you to bring to life. One way isn’t necessarily better than the next, however coming up with a variety of styles for a specific vision can prove to be a challenge.

As a designer, it’s our job to communicate an idea on behalf of a client. It's all about visuals and typography. Some designers may give you one option and say - this is your new logo.

We think that options are important because style is important. Style communicates so much beyond just the written word. Making sure every option that is presented is in a different but relevant style makes sure you get the best design possible.

For this logo, the client had a very specific vision, which is not unusual for a redesign. By presenting several options they were able to explore several different possibilities within that space and get exactly what they were looking for. A house in the shade of redwoods.

Heating and Air Logo Design
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3D Lettering with Shadow

I’ve always admired lettering on handpainted signs. The skill required to paint such straight lines and letters, and the pinstriping, is nothing short of impressive. Having tried my hand it, and failed miserably, I know it takes years of dedicated practice to really hone the craft.

I may not be able to paint letters well, but I can create similar effects in Adobe Illustrator. Just like any new skill, it takes some practice to do well. Here are a couple of cropped images that show the detail of a practice piece. I'm sure you see more of this style of work from me in the future.

3D Typography
Custom Typography
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Ben Barnes Ben Barnes

Vinyl Vertigo

Logo design is all about trying to make relationships between the reality of what an organization actually does and the visual that represents them.

In the first design the overlapping V’s also look like gatefold vinyl sleeves as you open them. These are set on top of a record to create the icon for the mark. This worked well as the logo is for an online record community.

vinyl vertigo logo design
vinyl vertigo logo designs
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Ben Barnes Ben Barnes

Internal Branding Project - Made in the USA

There’s something about seeing a Made in the USA badge on a product that makes you stop and think. It gives you a certain sense of pride and in some ways, it feels like a rallying cry.

Unfortunately, a lot of them are poorly designed or look dated.

Apple takes pride in the fact that its products are Designed in California. And while I do love the Hazzard County area, I wanted to try to create a sense of unity and togetherness within the designs that seem to be needed now more than ever within this country.

You can count on Hazzard County to keep your designs Made in the USA.

Made in the USA icon set
Made in the USA badge design
Made in the USA handshake icon badge
Made in the USA eagle badge icon
Made in the USA type treatment
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MONOGRAMS

HC-Monogram-1.gif

Monograms, like people, come in all shapes and sizes. Each style brings with it a certain emotional response. They can run the gamut from simple, clean, and modern to complex, ornate, and traditional and just about anything in between.

They're a great way to brand yourself especially if you're in a position where you are your brand. A couple of good examples of these types of jobs are realtors and salespeople. Having a memorable personal brand is a great way to get an edge in a competitive market.

How you use it is equally as important. Producing custom stationery so that you can write a that you letter or follow up note can go a long way with a client. Let us know if you're ready to elevate your personal brand.

HC Monogram slab serif
HC Monogram thin serif typography
HC Monogram Thick slab serif
HC Monogram Western Type Style
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Ben Barnes Ben Barnes

High Y'all

Here at Hazzard County, we love typography and we love building it custom. We also love popping the hood and showing off the craftsmanship that goes into our custom type. We have a wealth of experience in design and expert level knowledge working with Adobe’s Creative Cloud software. This script shows off the work that goes into our Adobe Illustrator bezier curves and is inspired by our love of southern hospitality and proper etiquette. Don’t forget, ceremony dictates that the circle should always rotate to the left.

high yall Script typography
high yall Script typography with a green gradient
bezier curves
bezier curves up close
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