Rogue Star has a new look! With a newly designed logo and brand, Rogue Star has updated its image to better meet the market, while still offering the same outstanding promotional items services you have come to expect. To give you more information on this latest news from Rogue Star, we sat down with award-winning graphic artwork designer, Jennifer Skage, to find out what inspired her when creating the new custom graphic artwork for Rogue Star.
How did you get started in graphic design?
I’ve always had an interest in custom graphic artwork and design, I took the Visual Communication Design course at the University of Alberta, convocating with a Bachelor of Design degree in 2007.
I’ve been involved in a diverse range of projects since then, working for several years in the new home construction industry for Carrington Group of Companies and more recently in the public sector. While with Carrington I was the recipient of the prestigious Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CBHA) “Best Brochure Package Award” for designing and writing the marketing package for Allure Condominiums, a boutique luxury project in the SouthWest Edmonton neighbourhood of The Uplands of Mactaggart.
I’ve always enjoyed taking on freelance graphic artwork and custom artwork projects as well, as they provide an opportunity to work outside the constraints of the more regimented corporate identity standards of large corporations and exercise more creative freedom.
Where are you based?
I’ve been in Edmonton, Alberta for close to 20 years now, I love living here despite the sometimes lengthy winters. My favorite part of the city has always been downtown, the 104th Street area specifically. They have an amazing outdoor market in the summer, and fantastic shopping and dining year round. The opening of the new arena (Roger’s Place) and Ice District is a great addition to our city center too, it’s an exciting time to live here!
What inspired you to create the new Rogue Star logo?
My goal was to create a more contemporary look which retaining a visual connection to the existing Rogue Star brand. Rogue Star already had a solid brand identity as well as a strong presence in their industry so I didn’t want to lose the momentum that they had created.
Their new logo reflects the growth and evolution of the company, without deviating too far from the look and feel that they’ve built. I kept the design artwork and elements relatively similar while streamlining the look to appeal to a larger segment of the market.
The red in the existing logo was perfect as it communicates energy and excitement so I chose to keep that the same, and I softened the black to a grey for a more contemporary look.
Why did Rogue Star choose now to refresh the logo?
Rogue Star is celebrating their 5th anniversary this year and is branching out into new markets, new products, and new audiences so this seemed like the ideal time for this project.
Do you see the Rogue Star logo and brand evolving over time?
The typeface is now more streamlined, but will also stand the test of time. I wanted to create a logo that won’t have to be re-designed again until their 25th anniversary!
Which Rogue Star promotional item would you select to promote your graphic design business and why?
My favourite product is definitely the Contigo Matterhorn water bottle, its sleek looking and great quality, I take mine everywhere!
Will you share some quick tips for creating a logo?
The initial client briefing is critical, asking the right questions at the beginning of the project will set you up for success and make the process so much more enjoyable for you and your client. After the briefing I would recommend researching the competition to see where you want to situate yourself in the marketplace, as well as researching your audience. From there you can move on to the fun part of sketching and conceptualizing. Above all else a logo should be simple, memorable, enduring, versatile and appropriate.
What do you think of the logo? Please comment and let us know!