Saul Ashbridge | Game Developer

As an avid graphic designer, my logo is a very important part of my image. It is how I represent myself and my brand to the world, and has been an ever-present yet ever-changing icon since 2013, when the first crudely-drawn 'Ashbridge Co.' logo made its debut.

Since then, my logo has changed every single year, with each iteration being completely different to the last. Whilst this may seem impractical, and they may appear incongruous with one another, I feel that each logo represents me as a person, and highlights either my experiences of the preceding year or my anticipation of the year ahead.

Read on to learn more about each logo, or simply flick through the image carousel on the right.

2013 - Humble Beginnings

In 2013, I was a mere secondary school student. I had many passions at that time, one of which was logo design (though my enthusiasm far exceeded my skills at this early stage). While the prospect of forming my own business was still a million miles from my mind at this age, I was fascinated with the idea of creating my own brand image, and specifically my own logo. Eventually, this fascination would result in the first ever 'Ashbridge Co' logo. A crude affair of stark, black lines and Times New Roman, hastily thrown together in MS Paint, the design was a mess, to say the least. Nevertheless, it was a crucial starting point in my journey as a graphic designer, and as such deserves a mention.

Soon after the debut of the black and white logo, I was already painfully aware of its flaws, and later went on to refine it into a much neater (but still decidedly simplistic) red and gold design. The most glaring issue with these earlier designs is, of course, the separation of the 'A' from the rest of the word 'Ashbridge', which scans very poorly and was frequently mistaken as a typographical error.

2014 - The Third Dimension

2014 saw the first significant change to the 'Ashbridge Co' logo since its inception the previous year. This design was intended to represent a three-dimensional plaque with the previous logo carved into it. Of course, my skills were still quite limited at this stage, and the resulting logo is filled with rough linework and inconsistent perspective.

At the time, I considered this design to be a significant improvement over its predecessor. However, the major flaws of the previous design persisted. When the time came to take a look at the logo in 2015 and consider how to improve upon it, I elected to scrap it altogether and take things in a radically different direction...

2015 - Name Changer

In 2015, I completed my secondary education. My passion for graphic design had grown enough by this point that I elected to study A-Level Product Design, and as a result, my knowledge of graphic design software would greatly increase over the coming years. This logo was developed shortly before the course itself began, and I would consider it to be my final "amateur" design.

Poorly contrasting colour scheme, difficult to read font, and slightly asymmetrical linework aside, this logo represents a major shift in my brand image with the introduction of a new name: "Ashbridge Industries".

2016 - A Bold New Look

As an avid fan of science fiction, I have always been fascinated by the logos of fictional tech companies. This niche subject marries two of my greatest interests, and so, in 2016, I sought to pay tribute to one such logo, that of the Yutani Corporation from the 'Alien' franchise.

Although derivative of an existing design, this logo still shows just how much my skills had improved over the previous year. Funnily enough, despite this being the year that I began to learn Japanese, and the fictional Yutani Corporation being a Japanese company, I never designed a Japanese version of this particular logo.

2017 - My Japanese Journey

2017 was a hugely significant year in my life, for many reasons. I completed my A-Level education and enrolled on a course in Creative Computing at Bath Spa University.

Before all that, though, I made another important step, as I began to teach myself Japanese. While I have long been interested in Japanese culture and the Japanese language, it was only now that I made the conscious decision to study it. At the time, I set myself an eventual goal of living and working in Japan, a goal I came very close to reaching in 2020 before the unfortunate timing of the COVID-19 pandemic. Japanese has gone on to be a huge part of my life, and almost every logo I have created since 2017 has incorporated some Japanese text.

2018 - Self-Improvement

In 2018, I entered my second year at Bath Spa University. This was perhaps the most formative year of my life, both professionally and personally. I learned how to design, develop and publish video games, founded the BSU Japanese Language Society, and formed friendships and memories which I will cherish for years to come.

My logo for this year was again derived from that of a fictional tech company, this time the formidable Aperture Laboratories of the "Portal" franchise. It also featured a new motif, the crossed 'A' and 'I', an iconic symbol which would go on to feature in subsequent designs.

2019 - A Corporate Affair

As I entered my third and final year of university, the time had finally come for me to publish my first games under the 'Ashbridge Industries' banner. But to do so, I needed a new logo, one that was not derivative of any existing design, but a truly original creation. The result was the 'kuromaru', or 'black circle', a simple yet eye-catching circular emblem with the name 'Ashbridge Industries' underneath in a simple, legible typeface. Though my 'main' logo has changed several times since, this design is still used in the opening credits of my games today.

This was also my first logo to have an entirely separate Japanese version, affectionately titled the 'beijumaru' (you can probably figure out what that one means).

2020 - Moving On

2020 was a difficult year for us all. The COVID-19 pandemic saw my last two months of lectures move to Zoom, my graduation ceremony postponed to 2022, and most disappointingly, my dream of going to Japan put on indefinite hold as the world closed its borders.

It wasn't all bad, though. This was also the year that I would participate in an industry placement with Aardman Animations, publish my first personal game project, and graduate from Bath Spa University with a 2:1 in Creative Computing. My logo for this year was another simple yet elegant design, bringing back the crossed 'AI' motif set against a wonderful "Great Western" green (please note that although the colour scheme was inspired by that of the GWR, the design itself is completely original).

2021 - Finding Myself

Who am I? Deep down inside, who am I really? This was the question I found myself asking in the summer of 2021. And after much soul-searching and deliberation, I finally had the answer: I, Saul Ashbridge, am a woman. Finding my true gender identity was without doubt the single most significant event in my life so far. Naturally, I had to celebrate it in my own unique way: by designing a logo.

Of course, I had already designed a logo for 2021, my first 3D design since 2014 (and technically my only truly 3D logo to date). A simple recolouring turned this bold, new logo into a symbol of pride in my newfound identity, a pride that will never falter and never fade. 🏳️‍⚧️

2022 - Nine Years Later

Commemorating nine years of Ashbridge Industries with the nine-sided nonagon.

2023 - Return to Form

Ten years down the line, this logo combines my favourite elements from previous years.

2024 - The Minimalist Approach

In 2024, I want to breathe new life into my brand. Stark, bold lines and wordy slogans make way for fresh, simple iconography.