G’design

Mahurangi West’s Giana Hopkins says a business’ brand is its most important asset, communicating the reliability of its product or service. It’s like the “first handshake” with a potential client or customer.

“People form an instant impression based on what the colours and shapes of a logo are telling them, without them even realising it,” she says.

Giana has worked on a number of locally recognisable logos, brands and websites including Buckton Surveyors, Warkworth Primary School, Mahurangi Vision Centre and the Rusty Pelican. She begins the design process by holding a diagnostic meeting with her client to get a feel for their business and requirements. She then researches its product or service.

She then forms a “creative panel” with a collection of borrowed images that have a similar design expression, to draw inspiration from. This results in a collection of prototype logos, which Giana narrows down to a couple of options to present to a client. Based on their feedback and requested changes, the final product is then delivered.

A logo may seem simple, but there is a lot that goes into it.

“There’s no one size fits all. A logo has to be unique,” she says.

It also has to be built into a vector image which is made up of dots and lines and can be scaled to any size without loss of resolution.

“You have to consider the different media a logo will be reproduced on, from business cards to billboards or even pens.”

Giana also builds websites. She recently made a website for a local yoga practitioner to provide online courses.

The most important thing for Giana is that a business can be proud of its brand and feel that it represents its team.

She says that working with clients across the world, including in Brazil, China and Australia, has made her adaptable and versatile with different cultures.