What Is Up With Your Logo?

I was having a conversation with a friend of mine last week, when the question arose about our firm's logo. "Mmmm, I just realized it was an abacus, Jonathan."  It occurred to me, right then, that I have never told my clients about why this was important to me.

An abacus is one of the oldest methods known to man to calculate a series of numbers.  The earliest known written documentation of the familiar Chinese abacus dates back to the 2nd century BC.  That's a LONG TIME AGO!  I wanted to present ourselves to clients as standard-bearers; a reliable and tried-and-true resource for the services we offer clients.  

But this is the 21st century, and being a 21st century kind of guy, I wanted a modern, edgy look to the abacus.  As I recall, my conversation about the design went something like this:

"What do you want the logo to be?"

"I would like an abacus, I think."

"Really?  Aren't those really old?  Isn't your profession regarded as stodgy anyway?"

"I suppose that's true....but what can we do to blend reliable and modern?"

I'll admit, I wasn't completely sold on it at first.  I guess I am slightly stodgy. I used old letterhead and cards for six months after we agreed on the logo. Over time it began to stick.  For me, the message behind the logo began to take shape. I am a standard-bearer.  I am a tried-and-true resource.  And I look good doing it.

This service is just as relevant now as it was 100 years ago.