Respect the Logo:
Meet the designer who puts your logo to work
Meet Cory Pinter. As a graphic designer for Logo Boss, Cory prints custom designs on anything from jackets and team uniforms to coffee mugs or even, yes, jenga blocks.
Ed & Nate: You create new logos for your clients?
C: We do everything. Yes, sometimes we create logos. Some of our clients have already established their branding. It’s difficult to translate the customization to eCommerce, with embroidery and screenprinting, so we’ve built out entire branded websites that cover everything. We’ve made 20 or 30, which have generated a lot of attention.
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E: How did you get into this?
C: I started with a degree in advertising at University of Florida in Tampa. But I grew up military. We moved around every three years. I’ve lived in Germany, Turkey, and many other places. I got exposed at a young age...so once I was done with school, it was easy for me to move out to California.
E: How does the experience of living in all these cultures affected your work?
C: It’s definitely been a great benefit. It’s hard to explain. What I will say is that the Bay Area is a culmination of everywhere I’ve ever lived. It’s got mountains, it’s got oceans, it’s got hot weather, it’s got cold weather. I feel like I landed in the perfect place.
E: How does living in the Bay Area influence your work, as a creative?
C: It makes me happy. And when i’m happy, I don’t feel stressed at work. This environment is stressful. Look at the wall. These are all live jobs, deadlines. Most of them are 2 week turnarounds. Usually things that are needed for an event. And it needs to be correct. But I grew up with high stress family, so I’m used to it. But I’m also creative, so I can handle creative projects, but can also handle the stress.
Being in the Bay Area is nice because when I leave work, it’s easy for me to go on a hike or a run before I eat dinner. Simple things like that go a long way.
E: What’s the most West Coast thing about you?
C: I have a strong work ethic, but I’m pretty laid back. I need to bring a calm vibe to work, or else it’s too much. But you have to be careful, calmness gets confused with being apathetic.
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E: When you have a creative problem, can you break down your process to solving it in 3 steps?
C: Just 3?
E: Yes, what’s most important, what is essential when looking for a creative solution?
C: So, our job is to create consistency with branding. I don’t see it as being faced with new creative problems. I want to make their brand look good. First, I find out what they like. I ask lots of questions. Show me logos you like. I really get in their brain, to see where they are trying to land.
Doing a logo is not like doing something really cool or flashy. Anybody can do that. Doing a logo that works is doing one that the client really likes. If you can do it in a way that you really like too, then that’s a win.
The hardest part of doing that is dropping that part of my ego. It’s about helping them. I’m more of an organized creative. I clean up, organize ideas, help people make it look good. Spacing, colors and consistency.
"Embroidery is a true test of a logo. If you can pass the embroidery test, then your logo is strong."
E: Can you talk more about consistency?
C: Brand consistency is super important. The bigger the company, the more important it is. There’s a balance. It comes down to finding a printer that can match their pantone. I do my best to get in my clients brain, and to respect the logo.
E: What’s your favorite part of what you do?
C: Making someone really happy. I did a logo for this one lady. She came to me with an idea, and it was a really really bad idea. But I did just what she wanted, but in a way that looked really good. And when she got it, she was so excited. She’s showing it at the Farmers Markets and all over. It’s fun.
I also really get into the excitement of trying to finish something on time. There’s a lot of last minute deadlines. I’ve done it so long, that I know what needs to get done to make it happen. When everything happens just in time, UPS shows up, apparel gets printed, company gets their product in time. It just clicks.
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E: What do you wear to work?
C: I have to be dressed to meet with clients, but I also have to be in production mode. I wear pants and a polo or a tee shirt. I keep it simple.
