How a Logo Redesign Captured a Private Equity Firm's Prestige & Ambition

Private equity firm Marlinspike recieved a transformative brand refresh thanks to a logo redesign from Conceptual Minds designers and strategists.

Marlinspike Partners

Marlinspike is a private equity firm that funds “dual use” technology for military and private-sector applications. Founded in 2020, Marlinspike has completed investing rounds with several high-profile companies in space exploration, AI, automation, cybersecurity, and more. With the help of Conceptual Minds, the company’s logo was redesigned to better express its initial vision, incorporate its forward-thinking nature, and the unmistakable expertise of its world-class staff. 

The Goals

Marlinspike needed a revised visual identity. Team members weren’t satisfied with the existing design. While it captured the company’s ethos in many ways, certain stylistic choices left the design without both the bold feel they desired, as well as Navy colors to reference their origin. What’s more, the logo’s spike was so large that it distracted attention away from the name. Meanwhile, the too-formal serif font failed to convey the dynamism and inventiveness of the company’s mission.

 

Group 3816

Design a bold logo that cuts through
the noise

Group 3817

Reference the company's Navy beginnings

Group 3818

Create a lettermarked version that can be represented on various media

The Process

Our award-winning designers took up the job. After collecting and analyzing client feedback, we found that a simplified design would be necessary to reign in the spike’s prominence. We’d also need a new signature look and feel that would convey the company’s vision and creativity—while also reworking the font for greater legibility and aesthetic value.

 

Step 1
We first proposed four logo concepts, each distinct in its visual approach (typesets, flourishes, even an entirely new font was created for logo concept one).

 

Step 2
A logo project’s initial proposals are intended to give the client a range of interpretations of the same stated design goals. We landed on the upper right design but moved the marlinspike to the bridge of the brand’s first initial—that way; the spiked initial can be used in place of the full-sized logo. 
 
As part of the design process, award-winning Conceptual Minds designers created an entire custom font set.

 

Step 3
The proportions of each letter were customized to express the company’s bold and dynamic nature. 

 

Step 4

Our designers finalized the logo with alternate colors and a lettermark symbol.

Step 5

The end result is a logo that improved on the original design while communicating the company’s vision more clearly.

The Final
Product

All that work, it definitely didn’t go to waste! Together, Conceptual Minds and the Wiygul Automotive Clinic team came up with a logo that checked off all (4) four goals we set out to accomplish.

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