In the next few weeks (The site is now live!) I will be launching my brand new responsive website, along with a new domain, business name, profile picture, brand and logo.
My old business name ‘Just Creative Design’ will be replaced by ‘JUST CREATIVE’ and the domain name will also change to https://justcreative.com which I bought off a domain squatter a few months back.
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In fact, you are already on the new domain name!
Erasing The Pencil
It is sad to announce that I will be dropping my award winning & often plagiarised JCD pencil logo. (Did you ever see the J,C,D or pencil in the logo?) It’s a real shame to leave it behind, but it’s time to move on to brighter pastures.
I felt I needed a new look, one that was more more modern, professional, clean, streamlined and with personality. With this said, today I wanted to give a sneak peak into the new brand look coming for JUST CREATIVE.
JUST™ Created
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You can see the new logo above, and below in context on my new ‘Luxe’ business cards, courtesy of Moo (10% off link). You will also notice my new email address which is jacob[AT]justcreative[DOT]com.
Below is an earlier teaser poster based on the new look and the familiar Keep Calm poster series. You can download the A3 sized poster for free here if interested.
More surprises to come with the website launch so stay tuned. Feedback always welcome!
Congrats. Super cool new logo, Jacob!
Loving the new modern approach and the colour scheme Jacob! Great job…looking forward to seeing it in action 🙂
Loved your earlier logo too. The new one is fresh and crisp.
Love the new branding! Can’t wait to see the new website design!
Like. Nice work! Have you considered, in your marketing, adding a verb after “JUST” like so?…
JUST Create
JUST Change behavior
JUST Make it happen
JUST Influence
JUST …
And with Moo, you could have as many different ones as you want. Props
Dave, that is an awesome idea! JUST Love it. And J, love the new site – just don’t stay too white……people will think you are angelic or something… 🙂
JUST do it! 🙂
Im sorry but your new logo is tooooooo nice. very clean!! well done
Looks FANTASTIC.
I don’t know.. all website are going MINIMAL, for me is just too MINIMAL, for example I don’t like the redesign of tutorial9.
Minimal is now trendy but I think there is already too much of it.
Your new logo is just fine typography but to me lose your personality, and the originality of the pencil, I don’t know but the pencil should be at least a letter in the new logo maybe an “i”.
Anyway the new logo centers what you want it to be.
You trademarked the word “Just”?
Thank you all, appreciate the positive feedback!
Dave,
You’ve actually already seen it in action, on the heading and ‘JUST Created’. The possibilities are JUST endless. I’ve literally got pages of different ones already but always open to new ones.
Andrea,
I agree about a lot of websites going minimal and losing personality and this was in my head throughout the rebrand. The new website will be using unique design elements to ensure that this is not so. Stay tuned!
Zachary,
The name has been trademarked, yes.
Hey!
I’ve been expecting this rebranding for a while, glad to see it around the corner. Does this mean your are exclusively freelance now? Or you still work with other agencies.
Edher,
I am freelancing and working at an agency fulltime; Ammirati.com
That is very pink! Very pink!
But I do like the clean layout
I love the new look, Jacob. Much cleaner and more professional looking. Excited to see the new web design launched as well.
Zachary: I think you can put TM on everything…
@botox: Yeah apparently…lol. What good is it then?
Zachary: Well, it looks professional to people who do not know how it works 🙂 but I think this is not the point of this discussion.
The new identity is really clean and simple, JUST™ Modern… 🙂 I like it.
Wasn’t a huge fan of your previous logo but this new one definitely comes off as more professional, looking forward to the new site!
I think the complete rebranding is unnecessary. Your old profile picture and this logo could have lasted way longer. The website was the only thing really that needed an update.
Your new profile picture isn’t nearly as good. The logo is good but not nearly as unique as the pencil one.
I guess it’s hard to say without seeing it all complete with the new website but I just keep asking myself “Why?” as you completely rebrand everything.
Hey Jacob, I’m in the early stages of my Visual Communication degree back in Aus and I’ve found Just Creative Design to be one of my most helpful resources. I’m very much looking forward to seeing your new concepts come to life.
High 5 for all the help and information I find here and a big thumbs up for whatever lies in front of you. It’s gunna’ be good!
Ps. If I were to look into studying abroad, are there any standout countries/cities or design studio’s you’d recommend?
Lookin’ good! Isn’t it amazing how much design can grow from uni to an actual professional?
Botox, Zachary,
You can put a TM on anything you wish however it is not going to hold up in court if it is not actually trademarked – that’s the difference.
Zachary,
Why do you deem it unnecessary? I agree about it lasting longer, it could have lasted many, many years but as you grow, you have to adapt and evolve with your goals, skills and taste. This was my reasoning for rebranding. Let me know your thoughts once the site is launched. Thanks!
Bec,
Thanks for the feedback and glad to help! As for studying abroad, I’d have to say NYC because it’s simply awesome here. Also see this post: ‘Europe’s Design Hotspots‘.
Antonea,
Indeed! But gotta say it did it’s due over the past 4 or so years.
You once wrote in a article in this website about making a good logo. An effective logo is a combination of 1. Simple 2. Memorable 3.Timeless 4.Versatile 5. Appropriate
If I compare your both logos (this is just my personal opinion)
the old pencil logo it was memorable and could have been distinguished from the crowd. And it was more intelligent rather than pretty simple (remembering the J C D in the pencil artwork).
For the new logo, it is simple, modern (and of course very good color combination for branding) but not “memorable” like the previous one. It seems that to make it simple and follow the recent trend you sacrifice the memorable factor in this one.
If you mix your old and new logo in a stack of 100 same kinds of logo, I am sure that anyone can memorized your old one. So, the new branding is ok, but don’t through the old pencil artwork in the trash, it still have something to give you.
Best.
Hai Jacob,
You are very impressive man. I am studying a lot in your site. I am a beginner of the design world. My favourite logo is the JCD pencil so this is a shock for me.. Your new logo is cute & elegant. Best wishes for your future journey.
Jacob – I obviously wouldn’t frequent your site if I didn’t think you were wildly talented and a creative to keep an eye on, so bear that in mind when reading my criticism.
My first response was, “what logo?” Seriously. All I see are two words, one in pink. Yeah, the “R” is a little stylized, but I had to really look for it. It’s completely forgettable and totally misrepresents how out-of-the-box your style and skill-set is.
The trademark symbol is also one of the most jarring things I’ve ever seen in a branding attempt. I understand the importance of protecting your brand, but you have to weigh the costs. Put your efforts into innovating and not so much in warding off any would-be plagiarizers (especially since there really isn’t much to plagiarize here – in terms of both style and content).
The contextual possibilities you alluded to (using the word “just” in a variety of different contexts) is too cute to be effective. I want the visuals to do the talking, not the text. Without a visual, graphical element to your logotype, it’s going to be totally forgotten and lost.
Sure, it’s “clean, modern, streamlined, and professional,” but are any of those things inherently creative or desirable? I can type “Just Creative” in two differently weighted iterations of Helvetica and still get a “clean, modern, streamlined, and professional” look, but who wants that? And as far as characterizing it as having “personality,” personally and professionally I just don’t see any personality.
I hate being critical, especially without anything constructive to say to accompany it – so I hope I was able to explain my point of view fairly and accurately. And I especially find it hard to be critical of someone I’ve long thought to be leagues ahead of my own skills. So I should probably tell you what I like about your new brand.
I love the pink. That much is truly unique and I think it’s a brilliant move to incorporate it so heavily.
You’ve found a strong theme and a broad taxonomy of possible applications built right into it. That’ll be a big asset as you continue to strengthen and project your brand.
Good luck and continued success with everything, Jacob!
JUST new you 🙂
Jacob, I knew you were going somewhat in this direction but for the most part I have to agree with Wes’ comments above. You say this new one has more personality, but I strongly disagree. I don’t think it looks bad, and it definitely looks professional, but there was much more personality and originality in the pencil logo. I do look forward to seeing how the new web design looks. And good luck with everything!
What would be really cool is if you made that “JUST Create and Carry On” into posters. I’d get one!
Ayan,
I agree that the original JCD logo was more memorable in terms of the look & concept, but it was no longer appropriate or versatile enough for the new brand I was going for. The old pencil isn’t in the trash, it will live in my portfolio to live on!
Wes,
Thanks for providing your honest feedback. I guess I can say what I said to Ayan above about the memorable part.
As for the trademark symbol, it is not that I am afraid of plagiarists (happens to me every week), it’s more of a brand system that you will see when the site is rolled out. Same goes for the personality, I am talking about the whole brand, not just purely the logo. I would be interested to hear your opinion on the brand once the site is launched. Thanks again Wes.
Chris,
Please see my comments to Wes. Thank you!
Carolina,
I actually provided the PDF so you can print it where ever you see fit!
Great! It’s now my desktop picture on my personal mac and on my school computer!! I am sad that the pencil logo is going away though.
I eagerly anticipate the launch of your entire brand! I also understand the need for a logo that is versatile – I hate when I design something only to find out later in some other application of the logo that it isn’t as versatile as I should have made it.
Congratulations Jacob on your rebranding. Beautiful & awesome! 🙂
A man that’s not afraid of pink! Well done on the new logo, Jacob. Since this one is so simple, maybe it won’t get imitated so easily like the old logo.
Jacob,
I came across your website about 18 months ago and was totally awe struck by the creativity, talent, focus, and vibe! I was impressed with the insights and depth of your articles. I wanted to learn from you and saved many of your articles.
Honestly, I am not excited with the new rebranding. It is all attractive but not memorable or specific. Even the “spunk” of the original picture of you was unique, the new image is predictable. Looks like now you are maturing to the point of conformity. I also do not enjoy the guest articles. They are very good, but relatively frequent. I want to hear from your insights.
I apologize if this is too harsh. Your first work was an absolute homerun and I knew it the moment I saw it. I know you are even more experienced now and want to reflect this with your new name and site. I just enjoyed the previous work much more. Eliminating the word “Design” feels so incomplete.
Strongly agree with you Mark Balasa. But I think it’s all impossible to judge until Jacob launches the new website.
Jacob, Congrats on the Just™ Creative company branding and new direction. Opens all sorts of opportunities to create… Just™ About Anything!
I will miss Just Creative Design personal branding like a close friend.
Dwight D. Eisenhower said it perfectly –
“Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.”
Hey, fluke or what?
Poster Just Creative and Carry On acronym JCCO…(jacko)!
You are very impressive man. I am studying a lot in your site. I am a beginner of the design world. My favourite logo is the JCD pencil so this is a shock for me.. Your new logo is cute & elegant. Best wishes for your future journey.
Carolina,
Good on you!
Carmia,
The last one was not just imitated, it was also just used as is. And yeah, always hope that it doesn’t happen but sadly it does.
Mark,
I appreciate the honesty and not too harsh. I can agree with you about the insights and depth of my old articles but that was when I didn’t have as many responsibilities and commitments; I had more time to commit to the blog. The best sacrifice I could do was to allow guest articles on the blog while also doing occasional posts by me. Look forward to your thoughts after the new website is live.
Mum,
Thank you and I’d never heard that quote before! – Jacko
Just love your new branding. Best wishes to JUST™ Creative and its JUST™ Creative HEAD…
Hey Jacob,
I know it’s been awhile since I’ve last checked out your blog but after reading the other comments as well, I can understand where people are coming from about the logo losing its memorability and distinctiveness as compared to the pencil mark.
However, I personally think you made the right choice of rebranding yourself as I’m pretty sure you’re setting your sights on bigger goals and bigger responsibilities; therefore, the rebranding seems appropriate to me.
Hopefully, this new brand will be “the one” that will last wayyy longer than the classic JCD pencil. I’m sure after time, most people here will come to appreciate the new logo, once you launch the rebranded site. Looking forward to it bud. Congrats on the trademark, you can do a lot with the word “just”. Genius lol, best wishes and take care.
-Jamie Wayne
Really, really good job! I love the colors!
Perfect! I love the color combination. Strong and elegant!
Hi Jacob,
Just like so many other posters here I want to start by saying Im only here because Im a big fan of your work. Ive followed your blog for quite a few years now and have found it both interesting and informative. Ive always felt you stood out from the crowd in a very saturated industry.
However I must admit Im a tad disappointed with your recent re-brand.
Firstly, I agree it was time for the pencil to go, but why not create a new, modern, stylised pencil? If you are adamant that you dont want the pencil at all that is fair enough, but what you have ended up with really does lack the personality that your old logo had so succesfully created.
Also, I feel the choice of pink is quite cliche. Yes it does scream “Im a designer” but I dont think you have to make it that obvious. So many designers try to play off the CMYK idea and I feel this falls into that category. It doesnt help you stand out from the crowd in my opinion.
The typeface used for the word creative just reminds me of the Creative Labs logo (you can see it here if you arent familiar with it… http://connect.creativelabs.com/marcom/Creative%20Logo/Forms/DispForm.aspx?ID=10)
Maybe thats not intentional but it sits rather uncomfortably with the Just typeface.
Lastly, even if you are happy with your overall branding, the choice of a Keep Calm and Carry On poster parody to announce your brand is poorly conceived at best. It has become one of the most overused iconic posters in recent years and again does nothing to separate you from the crowd.
Im sorry this has been a negative post, you are a talented guy with a bright future ahead, I just wanted to share my thoughts with you and hope you will find some benefit from that.
Jamie,
Thank you for feedback, please let me know your thoughts after the relaunch too!
Nag, Donna, Menj,
Thanks!
Dave,
Thank you for being a long time reader and offering your honest opinions. I’m curious and Interested to know why you agreed that the old pencil was time to go, and what you mean by a “modern stylized pencil”? As for the personality, I am not really trying to create this through the logo, but rather have a unique, consistent, look and feel across all my brand collateral… eg. the business card, website, proposals, etc.
Not sure why you say pink is cliche? The CMYK idea is a different concept entirely… and is less relevant in these digital times.
The typefaces of Just and Creative are the same, just with different weights and some customization to the R.
The poster was there as a teaser, before the announce of the rebrand which I announced on Twitter several weeks before this post.
Please let me know your opinions once launched.
Great Job, Jacob!:) I like your new logo.
Hi Jacob, thanks for the reply.
Ill try and reply to the points one by one…
On the subject of the old pencil logo, I think it had ran its course for a couple of reasons. The pencil effect lines gave it a great look a couple of years back but since then I feel you have grown as a designer, going from a student with a great freelance career on the side to a fully fledged full time professional designer, and for that reason I dont think the pencil lead strokes gave a professional message.
Also, all brands evolve over time, they can generally become stale and boring so Im a big believer in refreshing brands on a regular basis.
That is why I suggested a modern stylised pencil as I felt it may have been worth exploring what your old logo would have looked like if it was updated, maybe using stylised vector lines that would give it a crisp, modern updated look but still retaining the core idea that made it a great logo.
However I am interested in how the brand collateral comes together. I think the idea behind Just… is a great idea so Im looking forward to seeing that come to life.
My thoughts on the pink are based on the fact that, to me, it looks more magenta than it does pink and Ive witnessed plenty of designers using one of the CMYK colours to base their identity on. Obviously that wasnt your intention, but it could be mistaken as that by those who quickly glance at your logo.
Finally, on the poster, I understand it was just a teaser and not really central to the launch, but living in the UK I have seen so many parodies of the Keep Calm poster that its becoming the new Comic Sans!!
Anyway, hope you dont take my comments in the wrong way, I love your work and Im always intrigued to see new logo/branding so Ill be keeping an eye on future updates!
Hi Dave,
Def not taken the wrong way, was just curious to what you meant specifically. Interested to hear your thoughts on the new site now. Thanks!
Senor Cass,
I like the new site, but not a fan of the new logo.
The ‘JUST’ part is fantastic. The ‘creative’ part is whats killing me.
The C and the R in ‘creative’ scream ‘Creative Labs’ to me. First thing I thought of when I saw it. I scoped their logo and the C and R are almost identical. Sure you guys are in different niche markets but for some reason whenever I see your logo, i see ‘Creative Labs’.
Everything your doing is stellar. Moving to repsonive design. Hell yes.
Just some random designer from Utah’s thoughts…
-Tyler
Hi Tyler,
Not really familiar with Creative Labs, however the logo was created to match the whole brand identit, keeping everything consistent. Why is it killing you to see the same typeface used in another logo?
i have been following your blog, website, and work for some time now. I did like the pencil logo, it was very unique. What made you set the old one aside for a new sleek and clean look? I know you mentioned it was “just time”. But were there any factors that led to your change of heart and mind? I have always liked the clean look of the pink! I think it sets you aside, because most men would rather go with the darker colors.
Hi Courtney,
I wanted to shorten the name, and also show that I do more than just design. I also wanted a more modern, streamlined brand look with some unique features that could work across all my collateral.
Jacob,
Great to visit your site, it’s a truly great new look. Thank you.
Sorry but those curved top right borders are absolutely uninspired and boring.
Each to their own 🙂
Hi Jacob. I’m browsing the net mostly with tablet, android tablet. It’s seems that I can’t zoom your new website by pinching my finger. I double check with other sites to make sure that nothing wrong with my device. Is your new website disable zooming? Or is it just me? I’m using Opera for android
Syaiful,
This was disabled, but now is enabled so zoom away!
Great new logo. I think the re-branding is a good idea. What was your inspiration for the new look? I was thinking of doing the same with my company but don’t know if the time is right.
Jacob –
I am a long-time follower of yours. And I think the new look is fantastic! Clean, catchy, fun AND professional. That is a lot to pack into a minimalist design and 2 colors. As designers, we are constantly looking for new opportunities, I don’t know any designer that doesn’t start thinking what they could do next with their own identity as soon as they’ve launched it! Nice work… and keep on keeping on.
Congrats for the update!
I have a question for you Jacob. Do you think that the new logo is better that the old? Aside of pink bold font, what is memorable in it? And the old logo contains all the qualities for the perfect logo. So, tell me what is the main reason of change?
Thanks and keep the passion and the excellent work that you do.
nice, simple n’ elegant… perfect color for the new brand (differentiation)
Amazing work Jacob!! You are just inspiring me.
What is the font name used for this logo ?
Thank you,
Sidhu
Oh wow, I’m loving the effect whitespace gives your brand.
I have lots to learn =)
btw, I’m a new comer to the blog, and just wanted to say that you’ve got awesome content!
very insightful for web and graphic designers.
Micheal.
Thanks Michael, good luck with it all.
This was disabled, but now is enabled so zoom away!
Hi! It is pretty worth enough for me. In my opinion, if all website owners and bloggers will make good content as you did then internet will be a lot more useful than ever before.
WOW, I’m latee but congrats for the new website, Jacob!
Jacob, I used you as an example graphic designer when I was doing my A-levels five years ago. At the time your pencil logo was extremely relevant as it incorporated a visual with the initial letters – a trend that I think was prevalent pre 2010.
I think you were ahead of your time with this logo in 2012 / maybe even earlier when you were going through your design process. It reminds me of the clean logos we see for some of the world’s most famous brands currently i.e. Just Eat, FedEx, and most recently Google with their re-brand. All clean, all sans serif. You were ahead of the game Sir!
I love the colour scheme – pink I think reflects creativity and boldness to innovate. Graphic design follows fashion and trend as much as clothing, technology, architecture. It’s important to keep up and move forward whilst reflecting your own progress in your career and changes in your personality.
So well done! Late to the party I know but I felt strongly enough to leave a comment.
Hi Dot,
Appreciate the feedback, it’s never too late! The original pencil did work, however it would date much easier and I think the cleaner, streamlined approach suits much more and it does seem that many companies did end up going this direction too! All the best!