A hand holding a calligraphy brush, painting a stroke of ink
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duō, the Duo studio wordmark

多, duō in Chinese

Logos with an idea inside.

Made for the people you sell to.

有想法的标志,为您的顾客而设计。

New logos, bilingual lockups and Chinese names, for companies anywhere in the world.

Two ideas, one mark.

We take your name apart, find two ideas worth keeping and draw them as one shape, so you can explain your logo in a sentence. Our own name was the first: duo is a pair, duō is 多, more, and one stroke, 一, turns one into the other.

From name to mark.

A study of a made-up brand: Lighthouse Learning 灯塔学堂, a tuition centre. Not a client.

  1. Lighthouse Learning is a tuition centre. The name hands us a lighthouse, a light that shows the way, and the tools of learning.

  2. We keep two: a pencil and a lighthouse. Side by side they're two pictures, not one idea.

  3. Where do they rhyme? Both are a tall tower with a point on top. Paint the pencil's bands red and its tip becomes the lamp.

  4. The pencil is the lighthouse: learning that lights the way. It reads on the shopfront and as a tiny app icon.

What we make.

  1. Logo

    You need a logo.

    We decode your name, find two ideas worth fusing and draw one mark you can explain in a sentence. In English, in Chinese or both, designed together from the first sketch. Three directions, each with the story behind it.

    About 3 weeks · 3 directions · 3 revision rounds · full vector pack

  2. Bilingual Lockup

    You have a logo in one language.

    We design the other-language name to match your mark: the same stroke weight, the same contrast, sized so the Chinese doesn't shout over the English, or the other way round. You get horizontal and stacked lockups, and every file for signage, print and social.

    About 1–2 weeks · 2 revision rounds · vector files

  3. Chinese naming

    No Chinese name yet?

    We create one with you: five candidates with their meanings, checked by a native speaker for unlucky sounds, for how they read in Hokkien, Cantonese and Teochew, and in simplified or traditional script.

    An add-on to either product

Checked before you see it.

A logo has to work for the people who read it. Every design is tested against your market before it reaches you.

  1. The idea

    Can you explain your logo in one sentence? If we can't, it isn't ready.

  2. Meaning

    Every word and character carries its own meaning. Together they should say something you're glad to repeat.

  3. Sound

    4 sounds like 死, death. 8 sounds like 发, prosper. We listen to every syllable before you see it.

  4. Dialect

    A name can be fine in Mandarin and awkward in Hokkien, Cantonese or Teochew. We check all four.

  5. Script

    Simplified or traditional: the people who read your sign decide, and we ask before we draw.

  6. Balance

    Set side by side, Chinese characters read heavier. We size two names so neither shouts, and agree which one leads.

  7. Small sizes

    A stroke that looks elegant on a shopfront can vanish on an app icon. We test both.

  8. Lookalikes

    We look for obvious lookalikes in your market before you fall for a concept.

Brief

Tell us your name, your customers and where the logo will live. A short questionnaire, then a call.

Draw

We sketch directions, each with the story behind it, and show them on a private page.

Refine

You pick one. We refine it and set every name you use, in one language or two. Two or three rounds of revisions.

Deliver

Every file you need: vector logo, lockups, colour and mono versions, ready for your signmaker and printer.

Questions.

  • Working with companies anywhere in the world
  • Everything happens online
  • By email, in English or 中文
Do you only design bilingual logos?

No. We design logos in English, in Chinese, or both. Bilingual work is a strength of ours, not a requirement.

Do I need a Chinese name already?

No. Our naming add-on creates one with you. If you already have one, we design it as it is.

Can you keep my existing logo?

Yes. That's the Bilingual Lockup: your logo stays, and we design the other language to match it.

Simplified or traditional characters?

Either. We'll ask who reads your signs and recommend one.

Do we need to be in the same country?

No. Everything happens online: a questionnaire, a call, and a private page where you review the designs.

Do I own the final logo?

Yes. Ownership passes to you when the final files are delivered.

Can you register the trademark?

We don't promise registration; that's decided by the trademark office. We check for obvious conflicts and can refer you to a trademark agent.

How much does it cost?

Every project has a fixed price, agreed before we start. Write to us with your name and what you need, and we'll reply with a quote.

Tell us your business name and who you sell to.

hello@duostudio.work

Working with companies worldwide