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After 21 years, I finally took my own advice.

 It’s been 21 years since I started my small design studio in my dining room. I had a baby that was a few months old, and wanted to work-from-home and spend as much time as I could with him. So in 2005, I started Splitpants Productions.

In the beginning I was blessed with an opportunity to work with a former colleague who owned a design and print management business in Melbourne. Over the next few years, my fledgling business grew by word-of-mouth as I expanded my Adelaide customer base, and built a steady work flow. 

I just needed a logo

My experience is common with many business owners when they start out. They just want a logo so they can get started. I was no different. Honestly, like most business owners, I was pulling things together as I went. No strategy. Just get it done. I created my logo pretty quickly, and I was happy with the logo, and the work that I was doing. 

They say dentists have the worst teeth and cleaners have the messiest homes, well as a designer I didn’t even have a style guide!  I had a logo, but no branding system to help keep my brand consistent. I was the epitome of the very problem I aim to remedy for my customers. Believe me, I know branding creep is real. I would change colours when I started to feel it wasn’t working – almost yearly! After a few years I changed how I was using the logo. And to be fair, I think it was because deep down I wasn’t happy with it.  I was unsure what the problem was and really didn’t have the time to sit down and work it out.  I kept tinkering around the edges, tweaking layouts, trying different colours… the result was that over time I had weakened my own brand.  

Strategy gives you perspective

So here we are 21 years later, and I’ve finally given Splitpants the design love and attention that it needed. I spent the summer going through my own visual brand strategy process and gaining clearer direction of what I wanted to achieve with Splitpants, my values, audience and competitors.  I discovered that my logo didn’t reflect me, my style or the quality of my business. It felt too rigid, too sharp, for the friendly service I wanted to offer. It definitely needed a refresh.
 

 I realised my original design had some problems:

  • It was complex, not great if you’re wanting to do any embroidery or merchandise. 
  • It also was not very clear at small sizes, with the outlined text being too fine and the full name being lost.
  • The icon was ambiguous. Honestly, I needed an icon that didn’t just look like ‘pants’!

I didn’t want to move too far from my original design, so I evolved the brand to be more representative of what I do and offer for my customers. After months of deliberation, designing and building, I’m finally ready to share the new Splitpants brand with you. It’s warmer, softer and friendlier. The shape of the logo still resembles the original Splitpants logo, enough to feel familiar. And, the colour palette is softer and more inviting. 

Have you ever felt that your brand is not quite right, but you’re not sure what the problem is or how to fix it?

A branding redesign comparison shows two old logos with overlapping text and "trousers" in black, next to two new logos with cleaner, navy serif text reading "splittrousers." and a round icon with the initials "sp.
The word "splitpants." is written in lowercase light purple letters on a dark background, with the letters "li" and "pa" slightly offset to suggest a splitting effect.
A vase with white flowers sits next to a laptop on a desk. In the blurred background, a person writes in a notebook. A dark circle with the letters “sp.” is centred in the image.
The words "split trousers." are written in bold, black lowercase letters on a light purple background. The word "split" is positioned slightly higher and to the left of "trousers.
A stack of modern business cards on a lavender surface, with one side showing a clean splitpants.com design and contact details, and the other side featuring a minimalist logo and a QR code.
The word “splitpants.” is written three times in black serif font on three backgrounds: grey-green (top), lavender (middle), and light yellow (bottom).
A laptop on a woven placemat beside a metal holder with dried grass and pencils; natural light and greenery in the background. The letters "sp." appear in a white circle at the centre.

Has your business outgrown its visual identity.

Does your branding reflect the quality and experience your customers are looking for? 

Now may be the time to consider refreshing your brand. If you’re not sure or don’t know where to start, start with a Brand Audit.

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