A few months ago I was hired by my brother-in-law to create a logo for his company, Powerscourt Services. It's a new company based in Cambridge, England, connecting investors to investment opportunities (at least, after a week of working with him on this, I think that's what they do). The logo needed to look sharp and serious and English. Additionally, he's started it with his father and brother, so there was an initially was a movement to base the logo on the family crest (which featured griffins and a shield with cinqfoises and fleur de lises). These specific heraldic symbols were later traded in for a similar approach using a crane (which symbolizes fortitude and vigilance), a pillow (authority), and a coin (wealth).
Here are a few of the sketches, ending finally with the chosen logo.
