Brand Identity Designer for Vector Logo

Carolina Search Group is an established executive search and recruiting firm specializing in the construction industry. We are seeking an experienced brand identity designer to refine an existing logo concept into a distinctive, timeless, production-ready brand mark. This is not an open-ended request to invent a generic recruiting logo. We already have the core concept and several AI-generated visual references. We need a skilled designer to interpret, simplify, improve, and professionally rebuild the idea as original vector artwork. CORE CONCEPT The mark will feature a Labrador Retriever walking confidently from left to right while carrying a construction hard hat in its mouth. The metaphor is central to the brand: A retriever searches for, retrieves, and delivers something valuable. Carolina Search Group identifies and delivers exceptional construction professionals. DESIRED STYLE We want the dog to function as a simple, recognizable brand symbol rather than a detailed illustration or cartoon mascot. The preferred direction is: * Solid navy retriever silhouette * Confident walking posture * Head held slightly upward * One front leg stepping forward * Tail relatively level * Construction hard hat carried clearly in the mouth * Minimal or no interior dog details * No eye, fur texture, shading, gradients, or anatomical detailing * Clean enough to recognize at approximately one inch tall * Suitable for embroidery on hats, polos, quarter-zips, and jackets * Strong enough to work without the company name We are considering two hard-hat treatments: 1. White hard hat with a navy outline 2. Orange hard hat with a navy outline The designer should help evaluate which treatment creates the strongest primary mark. The aesthetic should feel premium, established, professional, and wearable. It should not feel cartoonish, playful, clip-art-based, or like a pet-company logo. PROJECT GOALS We need the selected designer to: 1. Review our existing concept images and current company branding. 2. Develop several refined variations of the retriever icon. 3. Improve the dog’s proportions, posture, silhouette, leg placement, head position, tail angle, and hard-hat positioning. 4. Reduce unnecessary detail so the mark reproduces cleanly at small sizes. 5. Create original vector artwork rather than merely auto-tracing an AI-generated image. 6. Pair the finalized icon with the Carolina Search Group wordmark and existing navy-and-orange color palette. 7. Develop a practical family of logo configurations. DELIVERABLES Final deliverables should include: * Primary full logo * Horizontal logo * Stacked logo * Icon-only retriever mark * One-color navy version * Solid black version * Reversed white version * Navy dog with white hard hat version * Navy dog with orange hard hat version * Small-size and embroidery-optimized version * Transparent-background PNG files * SVG files * EPS files * Adobe Illustrator source files * Print-ready PDF files * RGB, CMYK, HEX, and Pantone color specifications * Font names and licensing information * Basic logo usage and spacing guidance The final artwork must be original, commercially usable, and fully transferred to Carolina Search Group upon final payment. IDEAL DESIGNER The strongest candidate will have: * A portfolio of simple, iconic brand marks * Strong vector illustration skills * Brand identity experience * Experience simplifying animals, sporting symbols, outdoor marks, heritage brands, or embroidered apparel logos * Understanding of small-size reproduction and embroidery * Ability to explain design decisions rather than simply provide decoration Please include: 1. Three relevant examples from your portfolio. 2. An explanation of how you would simplify this idea for embroidery and small-size use. 3. Confirmation that you will create original vector artwork and provide editable source files. 4. Your recommended project process, number of initial directions, and included revision rounds. 5. Your fixed-price proposal and estimated schedule. Please begin your response with the words “Retriever Mark” so we know you read the complete brief.