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SoftSquare · Origin Story

Behind
the Brand

Updating the SoftSquare logo to fit with new technology — and what it taught us about the perfect balance between AI speed and human instinct.

17
attempts
to get it right
↓
The full story

"I kept saying wrong. Claude kept guessing. My daughter looked at it for three seconds and pointed at the right one."

— Deirdre, Founder · SoftSquare Marketing
The Outtakes
1
The Script Wordmark
SoftSquare
"The script font looks like a wedding invitation. We are a marketing studio, not a florist."
❌ Rejected
2
The Swirl Above Text
SOFTSQUARE
"The swirl is too small — I can't even see it. Where is the butterfly I described? It's missing."
❌ Rejected
3
The Windmill
"C and D looks like windmills. I said curved C shapes at each corner — not a pinwheel. This is not even close."
❌ Rejected
4
The Blobs
"Mark 1 — just not as blobby. They look like four fat potatoes. Can we make them more elegant?"
❌ Too blobby
5–16
The Great C Shape Saga
"Nope. Each corner has 2 C shapes — ie 8 shapes total. The blue ones curved to the opposite side and slightly off centre. Also — the font is wrong. Also — the spacing is wrong. Also—"
❌ Many notes
17
The One
SoftSquare
Marketing Studio
"My daughter looked at it for three seconds. 'That one, Mom. The second one from the top.' Done. 17 attempts, solved in 3 seconds by a human eye."
✓ Finally!
The Takeaway

The synergy between AI and human

We built SoftSquare on the belief that AI and human creativity are better together — not in competition. The logo saga proved it perfectly.

AI gave us speed. It generated 17 variations in the time it would have taken a design agency to schedule a briefing call. Each attempt was technically competent, correctly coloured, properly proportioned.

But Deirdre had something in her head that she couldn't fully describe in words. And no amount of technical precision could replace the three seconds it took her daughter — with fresh, human eyes — to say: "that one."

That's exactly the service we offer our clients. The speed and scale of the latest design technology. The taste and judgement of a creative director with 25 years of professional experience. You bring the vision. We bring both.

"The human mind is still needed. I was worried AI would doom us. But it turns out, it just needs someone to tell it which one is right."

— Deirdre, Founder · SoftSquare Marketing Studio · Stellenbosch

And that's why every SoftSquare logo — every brand, every website, every deliverable — is reviewed and refined by a real creative director before it ever reaches your inbox. Fast, yes. But never just a machine.

AI brings
Speed.
Scale.
Options.
Unlimited concepts, instant iterations, 24/7 availability. The machine never tires.
+
Human brings
Taste.
Instinct.
25 years.
A qualified graphic designer who has spent 25 years learning what works — and now teaches AI to learn from us. Not to rule us.

AI is here to stay — and that is not something to fear. It is something to embrace, to grow with, and to guide. As humans, it is up to us to adjust, evolve and keep AI grounded. At SoftSquare, we are doing exactly that. With 25 years of professional design expertise behind every brief, we are keeping the human touch very much alive — while letting technology do what it does best. The AI makes it fast. The human makes it right. And for now, we are making sure it stays that way.

Ready for yours?

Let's get your brand right.

25 years of design expertise. Powered by the latest AI technology.
We promise it won't take 17 attempts. Usually. 😄

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