This logo is a self-initiated experiment for a completely fictitious fish market.

Images depict final logo, alternates, color variations, and roughs.

The idea came to me when I discovered that it was possible to achieve a fish shape in the negative space within the bowl of the number 5. Dubbing my hypothetical company Pier 5 Fish Market, I created this very maximalist and illustrative mark in the hopes of really capturing the spirit of the nautical and maritime aesthetic. Type is custom for "Pier" and also the number 5, which is hand-rendered to look like it was painted on a wooden sign with a very wide, worn-out, thick-bristled brush. While it was crucial for the fish to show in negative space, it needed to look like a seemingly happenstance result of logical, real-world brush strokes. In the full lockup, the addition of the life preserver takes less emphasis off this gimmick, allowing one to slowly discover the fish.

Click here to view my Pier 5 Flickr stream, which shows more detail, alternate versions, and more sketches and roughs.