When experienced business writers Will Belford (The Style Merchants) and Ron Ringer (Syntax Writing Services) joined forces to form a new company, coming up with a name was easy. What wasn’t so easy was creating a corporate identity that communicated visually what they were used to expressing in words. That’s why they came to Universal Head.
The Style & Syntax brand mark encapsulates the kind of thinking Universal Head puts behind the design process. After many experiments expressing the concepts of ‘style’ and ‘syntax’, the realisation hit that the important differentiating factor of the brand was the fact that both concepts deserved equal importance: the style (the distinctive expression and character) and the syntax (the orderly system, the rules of formation). The keyword in the design is actually ‘and’, and the key concept is that the company commands both disciplines in harmony.
This led Universal Head to not only emphasise the word ‘and’ in the logotype, but to use the ampersand as the basis for the logo. Several layers of meaning could then be built in: the subtle quotemarks/commas, the ‘S’ shape, the suggestion of an ‘X’ (the strong consonant in ‘syntax’), and the fact that the ampersand is such an instantly recognisable mark that has connotations of simple and effective communication.
The final result—after extensive refinement—is the kind of logo Universal Head loves most: simple, bold, instantly recognisable, with a strong initial layer of communication and several subtle layers on further examination. Developed from the logo design, an elegant business card design and website followed.
Style and Syntax are experts in corporate communications, who put their clients firmly in control of their conversation with their customers. Universal Head put Style & Syntax firmly in control of their professional visual identity.
Will Belford: Universal Head came up with a corporate ID that embodies the essence of our business in a single, instantly recognizable shape, perfectly in context and loaded with meaning. Our clients love it and so do we.