Logo design in Philadelphia
Custom logos for Philadelphia businesses, brands and artists, designed by Paul Vu. Wordmarks, monograms, badges, mascots and graffiti lettering, built to work on a sign, a shirt and a phone screen. Every logo is drawn for you, never pulled from a template.
[ What you get ]
A logo that works everywhere.
01 / The package
Every version you need
A logo isn't one file. It's a small kit that keeps your business looking the same on a storefront, an Instagram avatar and an embroidered hat.
- Primary logo
- Stacked & horizontal layouts
- Icon or monogram for small spaces
- One-color & reversed versions
- Color codes & font names
- Short usage guide
- Vector, PNG & JPG files
[ Logo styles ]
Drawn for your business.
S.1 / Wordmarks
Wordmarks & lettermarks
Your name as the logo, set in type or drawn by hand so the letters fit together like nothing off the shelf. Monograms for when the name is too long for a small space.
- Custom wordmarks
- Monograms & initials
- Stacked name lockups
S.2 / Badges
Badges & emblems
Circular seals, crests and patches that work as stickers, shirt hits and stamps. Great for shops, crews and brands with a story.
- Circular badges
- Crests & patches
- Sticker sets
S.3 / Characters
Mascot & character logos
S.4 / Lettering
Graffiti & custom lettering logos
Hand-drawn throw-up, bubble and chrome letters from the designer behind the Throwie and Fat Finger graffiti fonts. More on my custom lettering page.
- Graffiti logos
- Bubble & chrome lettering
- Names & tags
S.5 / Symbols
Icons & symbols
A simple mark that can stand alone on an app icon, a door decal or a favicon, like the three-eights gear triangle for Triple Eight Auto.
- Icons
- App & social avatars
- Favicons
[ Logos I've designed ]
[ What makes a logo work ]
Six tests every logo has to pass.
It reads in a second. People see your logo on a passing van, a phone screen or a shop window. If they can't read the name or get the shape in a glance, it isn't doing its job. Simple shapes and clear letters beat detail every time.
It works small. Your logo will be a 32-pixel avatar, a stitched hat and a favicon. That's why every logo I design gets a simplified icon or monogram, so the brand still shows up when there's no room for the full mark.
It works in one color. Vinyl, embroidery, screen printing and stamps often allow one color. A logo that only works in a gradient breaks the first time you order shirts. I test every mark in solid black and solid white first.
It fits the people you serve. A detail shop, a pho spot and a streetwear label talk to different crowds. The style comes from your customers: the car culture behind Triple Eight's katakana stickers, the club crowd behind Cafe Vu's bold red circle.
It's yours. Templates and AI generators give the same shapes to everyone. A custom mark, especially one with hand-drawn letters, is something a competitor can't download from a logo site.
It can grow into a brand. A good logo is the start of a system: colors, type and patterns that carry it across menus, merch and social. When you're ready for that, it becomes a brand identity.
[ By industry ]
Logos for Philly businesses.
Auto shops & detailers
Triple Eight Auto and A&J Prestige Detail. Marks built for vinyl, vans and shop shirts.
Restaurants & cafes
Cafe Vu. Logos that read on a takeout lid, a menu board and a dark room.
Streetwear & merch brands
Defiant Origins. Logos, badges and lettering made to be printed on a tee.
Makers & studios
Garrixon, a Philadelphia custom footwear maker. A tool-shop mark with real craft.
Musicians & artists
Lettering, logos and marks that match the music, for covers, merch and stages.
Businesses ready for a redesign
Keep what people recognize, fix what doesn't work. A&J and Netcost are good examples.
[ The process ]
From sketch to final files
01 / Brief
Your name, your customers, where the logo will live and the looks you love and hate.
02 / Research & sketches
A look at your competitors, then rough sketches so you can pick a direction before anything is polished.
03 / Design
The chosen direction built in vector, with type, color and spacing worked out.
04 / Real-world tests
The logo on mockups of your sign, shirts, social profile and packaging, at real sizes.
05 / Versions & files
Every layout and color version, organized and exported, plus a short usage guide.
[ Budget ]
What affects the cost of a logo
Scope
A single wordmark is a smaller job than a logo with an icon, a badge and a full set of versions.
Illustration & lettering
Mascots, characters and hand-drawn lettering take more drawing time than a type-based mark.
Brand system
Adding colors, fonts, patterns and guidelines turns a logo into a brand identity.
Applications
Signs, vehicle graphics, merch and packaging each need their own files and checks.
Timeline
A rush schedule changes how the work is planned.
Every project gets a written proposal with the scope, deliverables and timeline before anything starts, so there are no surprises. For a deeper look, read what drives brand identity design cost.
[ Why work with me ]
Local, in person
Based in Philadelphia, so we can meet, walk the space and shoot on location.
15 years in
Including five years leading the look of Kicks USA, a 200-store sneaker retailer.
Drawn, not downloaded
Every mark starts as a sketch. No templates, no stock icons.
One designer, start to finish
You work directly with the person drawing your logo.
Logo work
All work
Triple Eight Auto
Logo & identity for a performance auto shop
A&J Prestige Detail
Logo redesign for a car detailer
Cafe Vu
Illustrated logo for a late-night pho spot
Garrixon
Logo for a Philadelphia custom sneaker maker
Defiant Origins
Logo & badges for a streetwear brand
Netcost
Logo redesign concept for a grocery chain
[ FAQ ]
Good questions
What's the difference between a logo and a brand identity?
The logo is the mark. A brand identity is the whole system around it: colors, fonts, patterns, packaging and the rules for using them. Many small businesses start with a logo and grow into the full identity. I break it down in logo vs brand identity, and the full system lives on my brand identity page.
What do I get with a logo?
A primary logo plus the versions a real business uses: stacked and horizontal layouts, an icon or monogram for small spaces, one-color and reversed versions, your color codes and font names, and a short guide on how to use it all.
What file types will I get?
Vector files (AI, EPS, SVG and PDF) for print, signs and merch, plus PNGs with transparent backgrounds and JPGs for web and social. Here's the full list of files you should get from a designer.
Can you redesign my existing logo?
Yes. A redesign keeps what people already recognize and fixes what doesn't work. For A&J Prestige Detail I rebuilt the logo with a mascot car and versions for dark and light backgrounds. For my Netcost concept I kept the globe and the N from the old mark.
Can you make a graffiti or custom lettering logo?
Yes. Hand-drawn letters are my specialty. I built two graffiti typefaces, Throwie and Fat Finger, and I draw custom wordmarks for brands and names. See custom lettering.
Can you design a mascot or character logo?
Yes. The Cafe Vu logo is two illustrated chefs, A&J has a red car mascot, and The Banana Cartel started with a hand-drawn monkey that became the logo.
Will my logo work on shirts, signs and vans?
That's part of the job. Every logo gets simple and one-color versions and is tested on mockups of where it will live. For Triple Eight Auto, the mark went on tees, stickers, the front desk, the door and the sign on the building.
Do you work with businesses outside Philadelphia?
Yes. I'm based in Philadelphia and meet local clients in person, and I work with clients anywhere remotely.
How long does a logo take?
It depends on the scope: a single wordmark moves faster than a logo with a mascot and a full set of versions. Your proposal lays out the timeline before we start.
Can AI design my logo instead?
AI can help you explore ideas, but it can't give you something original, trademark-safe and built to work in every size. More in can AI design your logo?
What do you need from me to start?
Your business name, what you do and who you serve, where the logo will be used, a few logos you like and don't like, and any old files. A design brief helps but isn't required.
How do I get a quote?
Send the details through the contact form: what you need, your timeline and where the logo will be used. You'll get a proposal with the scope, deliverables and timeline.
From the Design Dept.