Alza Learning and Development

Alza Corporation, headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., is a research-based pharmaceutical company with leading drug delivery technologies.

Alza Learning and Development, a division of Alza Corporation, is a leader in the development of intranet online training for it's employees. Mark Cordeiro Design was contacted to develop a unique, yet simple, logo that reflected the division's mission statement and attitude towards personal and professional growth.

"As a corporate training function, we have worked hard to create a reputation that promotes learning and professional growth. We looked to Mark [Cordeiro] to help us visually represent these departmental values in the form of a logo. We feel that Mark has created a corporate identity that is absolutely perfect for us. We're thrilled at his work and amazed at his talent"
-Kari Reitzel
Performance Consultant / Trainer, ALZA Corporation

Details: When asking "What kind of tree would you be?" is not enough.
It goes without saying that it is extremely important to get to know your client. However, 99% you are not working for one just person. In most corporate situations, you work with a team of individuals whose demographics are as diverse as their ideas and agendas.

So how do you begin the process of designing a corporate identity for such a group? One way is to discover what each individual of the group finds visually appealing. In Alza's case, employees were shown four different logo samples. These samples were original artwork purposely designed to appeal to different tastes. Below are the actual designs presented to the Alza team:

NOTICE
The purpose of this first stage was two-fold. Initially, one must discover the style of logo the Alza team wanted. Next, the team must begin a conversation with one-another regard ling their likes and dislikes in a corporate logo. Through this process, it was quickly discovered that the Alza Learning and Development team did not want the name "Alza" to appear in their final logo. Equally important was the realization that they preferred free-form designs similar to the brush-stroked logo at the lower left. 

Initially creating a style panel, similar to the Alza panel above, saves a significant amount of time and money for the client. For example, the Alza logo -- from initial style panel to final design—took a mere 14 days.
NOTICE: Style concepts are owned and copy right protected by Mark Cordeiro Design. Under no circumstances are such designs, or portions of such designs, to be duplicated or copied for any purpose. 

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