Agronomix branding by PS One

At Agronomix Software, we have had the same logo for many years working on the premise that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. However, since 2014 we have been planning that 2019 would be a big year for us. This has been supported with excellent growth and a great new product: Genovix – software for plant breeding and variety testing. We consider 2019 to be our year – the year to rebrand ourselves by launching a new logo and new product. In May 2019, we launched our new logo and new Agronomix branding by PS One.

Your company logo is the main visual that identifies you to your clients and prospects. It forms a link from the consumer to a manufacturer. When we like and/or respect companies or products that creates positive links, whereas negative links are formed for those we dislike or avoid.

Rethinking Agronomix Visuals

Since December 2018 I have been discussing options for the new Agronomix and the Genovix logos with PS One in Steinbach, Manitoba.

I wanted to use a company with lots of experience and plenty of examples they had created for others. I was immediately impressed by Colin Enns from PS One, especially his professionalism and understanding of his clients’ requirements. He showed me logos they had created for others which inspired and intrigued me to want to know more about those companies. Their wide portfolio encouraged me to go to the next step with PS One.

Enns’ team put together a few initial ideas for Agronomix branding by PS One. There was one logo that really stood out to us.

Inspiration

I asked Enns about his inspiration for the new Agronomix logo.

Our inspiration was two-fold:

In one sense it was the advanced, technical nature of the software solutions Agronomix provides that inspired the modern, custom typeface used in the logotype. In another sense, our close proximity to vast amounts of farmland and the varieties produced by Agronomix software users also lent inspiration.

“Inspiration” by Colin Enns, Creative Director, PS One

Symbolism

In every quality logo there has to be meaning and purpose for every brush-stroke, or pixel! The logo must have symbols that create an emotional connection between the viewer and the company. All along the way, Enns explained his thinking and the symbolism embedded in the logo.

The healthy foliage used to form the ‘X’ icon is representative of growth and prosperity, as a result of using Agronomix software. The blue hue symbolizes water, fuelling growth and the green hue symbolizes fertility.

“Symbolism in the Agronomix logo” by Colin Enns, Creative Director, PS One

Challenges

With such a vast experience in design, I wanted to understand some of the biggest challenges of the project.

The diverse customer groups that Agronomix serves created added layers of complexity. This includes breeders and variety testers working with many different plant species in over 40 countries – that’s a wide and diverse audience. This warranted a thorough exploratory and concept development phase to best determine how to visually communicate the identity. Boiling down to a simple, memorable, clear logo with guidelines on image and graphic element use followed to ensure a consistent, accurate message is portrayed at each brand touchpoint.

“Project Challenges” by Colin Enns, Creative Director, PS One

Project Satisfaction

Finally, I wanted to understand how that moment feels when the project is fully complete. I know this project was a big-ask, we have some unusual demands to put on a company outside the seed industry. Because of the demands we put on PS One I felt it interesting to get a feel of the emotion involved by the creative team at this stage of the project.

Joyful. We find meaning in developing creative solutions to the marketing and visual identity challenges our clients experience. These challenges are often complex puzzles and decisions have ripple effects down the line. So when our clients feel that we are effectively communicating their identity to their customers, the thought and care we invest is well worth the effort. Their success is our success.

“Emotion of a job well-done” by Colin Enns, Creative Director, PS One

Thank you Colin for the new Agronomix branding by PS One.