Under the working name Qualified Plan group, the startup came to Evolve seeking a full brand design suite, starting with a new company name. They wanted a name that was less of a literal connection with finance and more of an abstract metaphor for "trust," "integrity," and "faith". We settled on "Virtus", a Latin word meaning manliness, excellence, character, worth, courage, and boldness.
The logo design presented many opportunities and challenges at the same time. As you can see above, we had a lot of fun with the letter "V", and we also explored a variety of options that mimicked a checkmark, to tie in with their checks-and-balances type of work. But in the end we had to push through the obvious to find something more unique and abstract.
The final logo is a blend of many different ideas that arose along the process. It still has hints of the checkmark and V-letter shapes, but each person and each glance might produce something a little different. It's a shield, a knight's faceplate, a location indicator, a medal of honor, and much more. All of which represent Virtus as a trustful and professional company, with a strong, bold foundation and confidence. Gold was used to represent the top-notch nature of the company's work, while the Black-grey color was utilized to bring a more strong and serious tone.