Most Brandstack users know him as LogoGuppy. To many others he is John Mascarenhas, a witty, charming, friendly gem of a guy who because of his willingness to help others and learn from others, stands out in this overcrowded world of logo designers and brand creators. With a background in marketing and a penchant for doodling that evolved into amazing illustrations at an early age, John’s passion for creating logos is very recent. It was very nice of John to take out some time from his busy schedule to answer some questions for us and give us an insight into how he creates logos.

Thanks John for doing this interview. We really appreciate it.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Where you are from and what you do?
I’m from all over the map but currently living in Bangalore, India. I am a hyperactive, chain-smoking, coffee addict. I do A to Z of design work to feed my various addictions.

How did you get into the wonderful world of logo designing?
By a freak accident! My wife stumbled upon this contest site which had contests running for $20! And because I have a flair for artsy things she thought I might be able to translate my sketching skills onto the digital medium, as well and the rest as they say is history. And before I knew it I was seriously contemplating a career change from the big bad marketing world to the even more complex designing world.

What is the hardest part of being a logo designer according to you?

This is complicated world with fragile egos, confused clientele and cut-throat competition. Especially for someone coming from India where there are more online logo sweatshops than creative hot shops, it takes persistence to be taken seriously by the creative community around the world. As for the work, I love the designing part almost with an evangelistic fervor especially the challenge of getting the typography right.

When you are designing for a client, what is your process from start to finish?
Since, my roots are in marketing I rely heavily on understanding the market, the brand and the product/services that my client wishes to sell. I begin the process by doing extensive research on the competitive landscape of my client’s business. Very often a study of the immediate competitors,  helps me identify the core qualities that I need to depict in the mark and typography. I believe that a strong brand positioning goes a long way in establishing the company and helps capture a sizable part of the market share. This means that beyond creating an identifiable mark and an aesthetically pleasing typography, the logo should have direct relevance to the industry/product it represents and should help enhance the brand positioning. Once I have these basics worked out, it’s a beeline to the drawing board where I come up with as many ideas as possible.  Then comes finding the right type for the marks that I create.

How did you chance upon Brandstack? What draws you to it?
I might sound like a broken record when I say that Brandstack too was my wife’s discovery. I find it very invigorating and relaxing that in Brandstack I have the freedom to come up with my own ideas for brands – a completely unregulated creative experience, it’s an even bigger high when the work gets appreciated by fellow designers and prospective clients.

Take us through the process of designing a logo exclusively to be put up on Brandstack. What are some of the key things you have to keep in mind?
While Brandstack gives us a platform to give free rein to our creativity, sometimes we do tend to get overly attached to concepts that might not be viable as brands. That is why I always make sure to get a fresh perspective and a peer opinion to make sure that the brands I create are sound in concept and will prove to be a valuable asset to any business. And the final acid test, I try  to put myself in the place of a prospective client. I often try to see if I would think twice before using it to brand my company, if I were in that particular line of business. And sadly, this is quite effective as several illustrations that I create, never make it past this stage to become brands.

What are your hobbies? What do you do when you are not designing logos?
My wife and I share our home with 3 dogs and they are my inspiration for everything so most of my free time is spent pampering them. I also do enjoy cooking and photography. And have recently discovered the joy of fishing.

What is your favorite logo on Brandstack [by another designer] and why?
There are way too many to create a shortlist, but top of my head there are 5 logos which I’ll never forget.
1.    MoonWalk by BarbaRoja – for the sheer simplicity and the execution of the idea.
2.    OYA energy by Designabot – An outstanding mark and even better typography.
3.    Fengshoe by Logoholik -  Brilliant brand idea  & an amazing mark.
4.    Colossal Pictures by AM – coz its one of those logos that make feel like a kindergarten student sitting in a Calculus class.
5.    TORO by Veep – Easily the most artistic logo in Brandstack.

Tell us about a logo that took you a very long time to make? What obstacles did you meet?
That’d be LionHut – many-a-time I come up with these crazy ideas…while the image you have is really clear in your head, you hit a bump translating it the way you want on paper… this took me quite a while to get it right… The toughest part was to do the thatched roof and also make it resemble a lion’s mane… 

Favorite typeface of all time?
ITC Barcelona Std. I’ve used this one countless time… practically every logo I create I try to see if  this font would work for that particular brand

5 softwares/applications/websites you couldn’t live without?
Photoshop, Skype, CorelDraw, WinAmp and Extensis Suitcase Manager

If you weren’t a designer, what would you be?
I’d be a corporate ladder-climbing, marketing junkie brushing up on my Kotler and being the one client that agencies love to hate… “the one who thinks he can design!”

Shout Outs? People you admire?
Two designers whose work inspired me to stick with logo designing even though I wasn’t any good at it initially are Raja Sandhu & LogoMotive Mike. I pretty much start my day by going through  their portfolio. And also a big shout out to JennyB, she’s been a constant inspiration in my good times and bad.

Best piece of advice to keep in mind when battling in this overcrowded, ever growing field of design?
1.    There is no place for ego in this industry – you’re only as good as your most recent work.
2.    Listen, Learn & Observe – there is so much talent here that you never stop learning.

To what do you attribute your success?
Don’t think I’m that successful to read out my “thank you” speech yet.

Thanks Sneh.

Thanks once again John. We wish you the very best for logo sales on Brandstack and all your future endeavors. You can also follow John on Twitter [http://twitter.com/LogoGuppy]

Sneh Roy is a designer and creative trends blogger. You can follow her @LBOI on Twitter and keep up with her at her site, Little Box of Ideas.