Sound Tax and Accounting Brand Development
Sound Tax and Accounting is a women-owned and operated small business that specializes in tax planning, tax preparation, and accounting services for businesses in the Puget Sound region.
They came to Sands Costner with a desire for a refreshed brand image that better reflects their modern, cloud-based approach to accounting. Discovery revealed that they were preparing for growth so core brand positioning became integral to the process.
This started with leading them through an exercise that would define their mission, purpose, and values. This led to positioning, defining their target audience, and how they stand apart from the competition.
This foundational work uncovered a couple key things that would influence the visual design of the brand: first, that their favorite clients worked in creative fields such as architecture or design and, second, that their brand needed to pair well with the cloud-based accounting platforms like QuickBooks, Gusto, and Dext⸺the same apps that Sound Tax & Accounting clients were accustomed to using every day.
Sound Tax and Accounting’s previous logo was well designed, but of a previous era, and not flexible enough for use on social media or other modes of communication of the twenty-first century.
The Design
Their previous logo emphasized the region where the company does business. I felt that it would be more advantageous to de-emphasize the region and, rather, play up the strength of the word “sound” when applied to finances. I chose a bold sans serif type that would feel modern and ground the design. Next, I added color, energy and openness to the three lines above.
In addition to being fun, the three lines are also a nod to the three levels of engagement that the company offers. They can be used standalone as an icon or as a repeating pattern as an added design element.
