Ariel Lawson

Professor Teresa Cook

ENGL 2070

Logo Redesign for Phoenix Upfitters, LLC

Phoenix Upfitters, LLC is an automotive detailing company in Middletown, Ohio owned by

Steve Smith. They offer several services including window tinting, interior car detailing,
equipment installation including remote car starters, and more. They upfit police and emergency
vehicles in addition to commercial ones. Phoenix is a fast-growing business with the potential to
franchise in the future. The company needed a new logo that better reflected the future of the
company while still honoring its past.

This is the current logo. I didn’t think the design was a clear
indication of who the company is and what they do. I asked a
small group of people unfamiliar with the company if they could
tell me what kind of business the logo belongs to. Most were
unsure as they didn’t know what “upfitting” was. One person had
a vague understanding, but associated it mostly with the early 2000s MTV show “Pimp My
Ride.” Multiple people also misread “phoenix” for “phonix.” This led them to believe it was a
play-on-words for the term “phonics.”

My goal with each design was to showcase the identity of the business. I kept the original color
scheme but adjusted the red and added a medium grey so it would stand out from other
businesses in the same industry with a similar color palate. The logo designs are not overly
complex. I wanted the new set of logos to be sleeker and more modern while still having a
classic feel.

Design #1

In casual conversation, the business is often referred to as

“Phoenix” so I wanted that to pop in each logo. To
accomplish that for this design, I made the “p” in
“Phoenix” red and used a font with flames coming off the
end of the letter. The rest of the word is written in a white
font similar to NASCAR (italicized, sans serif), while still paying homage to the original
(disconnected letters). I made “upfitters” grey and used a simple sans serif font to contrast
“phoenix.” The font colors contrast nicely against the black background and the red trim around
the oval makes the design cohesive. Aside from the NASCAR-like font, there are two design
elements meant to give a better indication of the business’s industry. Flames are often associated
with cars and the long oval shape is a nod to the name patch you would see on a mechanic’s
uniform.
Design #2

Logo #2 is the simplest of the group and one I would use if the
business was known on a larger scale. It doesn’t have as many
design elements to indicate the automotive industry as the other
two designs, but the idea of the phoenix is obvious. The wings
encasing the stacked words make the business’s name clear.
The grey gradient on the wings is meant to resemble the chrome
on the bumper of a car. I used a simple sans serif font for both
words in the company name. This design does not include white or black so it can stand out
against either of those colored backgrounds without needing to be altered.

Design #3
Logo #3 is my personal favorite. I wanted a sleek and
“sexy” design that reflected the personality of the business.
Phoenix views commercial vehicles as a blank canvas, so I
used a feathered charcoal brush for the sports car outline to
make it look like a sketch. I left “phoenix” as an outline so
it would still stand out within the design. I used red for the car and “upfitters” to connect the
design elements.

Business Card
I asked Phoenix’s owner, Steve, which design
he preferred and he picked design #3. This is
the design I used for the business card. I used
the same color scheme for the business card as
I did for the logos. The outline of “phoenix” is
black, however, I inverted it so it could be
used on a black background. I did some
research on business cards and found most
have a front and back. The front of the card
has the logo and the back has Steve’s contact
information.