It's all a question of image

For most of my life I've been concerned with the nature of things, rather than how they make people feel. As an engineer I was interested in whether something "worked" (met its specification). In the IT (Information Technology) business, likewise, I am interested in whether something "does what the customer wants", although it has to be admitted, ergonomics, useability or "human factors" have a role to play here.

But now, maybe for the first time, certainly for the first time in ages, I'm most concerned with how something makes people feel. I'm in the process of starting up a small (probably very small) business. Tomorrow I'm going to talk with a graphic designer about the design for a company logo. Now, I'm not going to start waffling on about "brand value". When you are starting up a "one man band", that sort of talk shows you have your priorities wrong. But, I want a logo that does the right things. I want something that catches the eye, is recognisable (and distintive), and that makes people want to be interested in my product. The product in question is "Hypnotherapy".


I have ideas about what I want. I hope they are clear ideas. I can even justify why I want what I want. The question in my mind is: how do I guess what will work with the Customers (that is, my (potential) customers)?. In this context, whether I like something is irrelevant. What matters is the way the customers react to it. Now if I were a "big boy", I'd probably hire someone to run some focus groups (or something similar) for me. But I'm not a big boy, I don't want to invest that sort of money. So, is it just going to be me, me the wife and the kids or something else. How will I decide? For the next exciting (?) installment (and possibly a sneak preview), watch this blog!