Logo Development for a Web Design Project

I developed a logo for an online casino brand. The logo will be used primarily on a casino website. The project involved determining the identity of the brand and figuring out what casino name and logo best expresses that.
Adobe Illustrator
This work was a personal branding exercise. I had to come up with the initial concept and brand before designing the logo—I started by brainstorming on pen and paper. I allowed things to evolve organically.

Logos:

This project will document the process by which I selected these final four logos:

Doing the Research

I started by taking screenshots of popular online casino logos to understand what type of logo works in the iGaming industry — common colours, type styles, and iconography.

What’s in a Name?

I brainstormed different names and wrote notes. I found that I needed to define my brand before I could pick a name. In the end, I decided that the brand should be:

“Lifestyle-focussed. Current. Cool. Trustworthy.”

A Clear Favorite Emerges

While coming up with different names and sketching logos, I found myself drawn to one name in particular: CityBets.

It combines an urban, current feel with a clear betting reference. It’s serious and trustworthy without sounding corporate.

Research. Research. Research.

I grabbed screenshots of interesting logos from outside the iGaming industry — city skylines, retro sunset badges, and modern wordmarks.

Sketching My Way To The Final Logo

I began a process of determining CityBets’ logo. I used pencil and paper as well as Adobe Illustrator. Some visual elements jumped off the page and stuck in my head.

Thinking Laterally and Making Tough Decisions

I tried not to get too attached to one concept and always tried to take different approaches. With so many ideas, I knew I would soon have to make big decisions on which elements to keep and which to get rid of. Strong decision-making is a big part of logo design.

Staying True to the Brand

If I ever felt unsure about which direction I should go in, I’d go back to the beginning and think about the established brand: “Lifestyle-focused. Current. Cool. Trustworthy.”

After 50 sketches, it was time to start picking and choosing and narrowing down the list to a select few concepts.

Five Logos

Casino chip is a sun between the ‘tower blocks’ formed by the letters b and t.

The ‘Y’ in ‘City’ becomes a dice.

A highly stylized version with a dice placed within the ‘Y’, tower blocks formed out of negative shapes, and a window placed within the ‘B’ - all urban, recognizable forms.

The casino chip is a rising sun.

The arrows represent the circular spin button commonly seen in slot games and the shapes that are usually placed on it.

The Final Logo

This is the final logo. I moved the casino chip and ‘citybets’ to the same horizontal plane for more uniformity. I removed the underline to make the logo simpler and more open. The font isn’t corporate — it’s cool and playful while still being respectable and trustworthy.

The font has several interesting elements which can be explored further. The elongated ‘t’ and ‘b’ form a city skyline; the casino chip can be animated to make a rising sun; the ‘e’ is reminiscent of a face that can be animated to smile and wink.

Show Your True Colours

I began experimenting with different colors. I used Adobe’s color generator but also my own instinct. I tried and tested several ideas and concepts.

The Final Colour Combinations

Here are the final chosen colour combinations. For the most part, I wanted colors that balance seriousness and trust with fun and playfulness. I also wanted to have a calm feel to the logo, something that hints at a tranquil city life.

I prepared on-white and on-black versions.

The Final Colour Logos

These are the two final colour logos. The pink, blue and purple are trending, fun colours - but they are somewhat muted to reflect the serious and trustworthy nature of the brand.

Hex Codes

#92d6e4
#000000
#e94097
#a096c8
#ffffff