Logo Exploration v2
Three new directions — more editorial, less "logo exercise"
Local scratch file
UX Design Leader
Primary · dark
Scale tests — note: this isn't a favicon mark
UX Design Leader
Light variant
01
The Masthead
Forced-justified typographic stack
Both names set at the same font size and forced to identical width using SVG textLength. "DYLAN" gets dramatically wide letter-spacing to match "WILBANKS" — this isn't an accident, it's the point. The technique is borrowed from magazine mastheads (Vogue, The New Yorker) where a short word fills the column by expanding its spacing.
The thin green rules above and below are the only non-typographic element. The whole mark is confident because it uses one tool — typography — and does it with precision.
- Strengths
- Completely distinctive. The wide DYLAN spacing is immediately recognizable. Works well at medium-to-large sizes. The mark itself IS the technique — no decoration.
- Watch for
- No usable standalone icon — can't collapse to a favicon. Works best in contexts where there's horizontal room. The SVG text rendering requires the font to be loaded.
- Best as
- Presentation title slides, email signature, document headers, potential site masthead alternative.
UX Design Leader
Primary · dark
Responsive scales
Design for outcomes. Not just outputs.
With tagline variant
UX Design Leader
Light variant
02
The Two-Color Name
Green first name, white surname, same font
The simplest possible differentiation: the same Merriweather Bold at the same size, with the only distinction being color. "Dylan" is the accent green; "Wilbanks" is the heading white. No shape. No rule. No additional element.
The color split does all the work — it gives the name visual rhythm and makes it immediately recognizable as a mark rather than plain text. The logotype reads as a unit while its two halves carry distinct visual weight. This is what makes it feel designed rather than typed.
- Strengths
- Can replace the current nav logo directly without any changes to layout. Scales from favicon (D initial) to presentation. Works in both dark and light contexts. Nothing to explain — it just IS the name.
- Watch for
- The favicon would be just "D" in green — no special treatment. On very dark or very light backgrounds, the two-color split needs to maintain sufficient contrast for both halves. "Dylan" in green on light bg needs careful contrast check.
- Best as
- Site nav logo (could replace the current text today). Business cards. Social profiles. Any context where horizontal placement is possible.
Primary · dark
Scale and icon tests
Dylan Wilbanks
UX Design Leader
Alternate layout — D beside stacked text
Light variant
03
The Drop-Cap Initial
Oversized D + stacked surname — one mark, one name
The "D" is not a separate design element — it's literally the first letter of the name, scaled up. "Dylan Wilbanks" starts with D; the mark renders this D tall and green, with "ylan" and "Wilbanks" stacked to its right. Read together: it's the name. Read as a mark: it's a distinctive initial.
This is a typographer's trick: the drop cap. Used in newspapers and books for centuries to signal the start of something. Applied here, it creates a mark with integrity — nothing is invented or added, it's just the name treated with care.
- Strengths
- The standalone "D" in green works beautifully as a favicon and profile avatar at any size — simple, distinctive, immediately readable. The full lockup is warm and personal. Nothing feels arbitrary.
- Watch for
- "D" alone as an icon isn't unique to you — many "Davids," "Daniels," and "Dianes" also use D marks. The lockup requires horizontal space for the D to be properly tall relative to the stacked text.
- Best as
- Favicon (D in green circle or square), profile avatar, byline mark, presentation slide watermark. The full lockup works for email signatures and document covers.
Side by side
01 · Masthead
- Same-width justified stack
- Editorial / magazine register
- Typography only
- No favicon mark
02 · Two-Color Name
- Name is the mark
- Replaces nav text today
- Green D as favicon
- Nothing invented
03 · Drop Cap
- D mark for favicon/avatar
- Warm, personal, editorial
- Name IS the lockup
- D alone isn't unique
None of these require the other. 01 is for document/presentation contexts only. 02 could replace the current nav logo tomorrow with no layout changes. 03 gives you a proper icon mark for favicon and profile use. 02 + 03 together cover every context.