Gilchrist Research

Concept 01

THE BLADE

Offensive / Aggressive

A knife cutting through code. Sharp, dangerous, precise. Not a defensive tool — an offensive weapon. The blood drop makes it visceral.

"We don't protect. We attack vulnerabilities first."

Sharp Dangerous Surgical Offensive

Concept 02

THE BREACH

Literal / Breaking Point

Lock broken, shackle snapped, crack running through. We show the actual moment of breach. The thing every security company fears — we make it our logo.

"We break in so they can't."

Breaking Penetration Literal Red Team

Concept 03

THE HUNTER

Predator / Targeting

Crosshair reticle with corner brackets. Target acquired. We're not waiting for attacks — we're actively hunting vulnerabilities. Predator energy.

"Always hunting. Never hunted."

Predator Targeting Active Relentless

Concept 04

TERMINAL

Hacker / Technical

Green phosphor terminal aesthetic. Command line, glitch art, matrix energy. The hacker's natural habitat. Technical, underground, real.

"root@deepthreat:~# find_vulns --all"

Hacker Terminal Technical Underground

Concept 05

VENOM

Organic / Natural Threat

Snake with fangs dripping venom. Natural predator. Danger from nature, not machines. The threat that evolved to kill. Deadly, patient, precise.

"Security threats are biological. So is our response."

Organic Venomous Patient Deadly

Concept 06

THE SEAL

Institutional / Authority

Research lab crest. University seal energy. Traditional institutional authority meets offensive security. The G in a shield. Est. MMXXVI.

"Not a startup. A research institution."

Institutional Authority Traditional Legitimate

Round 2 Direction Shift

What Changed:

Less geometric → More representational imagery
Less abstract → Literal objects (knife, lock, snake, terminal)
More aggressive → Offensive security mindset visible
More narrative → Each logo tells a story
More emotion → Dangerous, predatory, technical, institutional

Strongest Concepts:

1. THE HUNTER (#03) — Crosshair is recognizable, scales well, works in monochrome, communicates "offensive security" instantly. Strong icon potential.

2. TERMINAL (#04) — Most distinctive, owns the hacker aesthetic, impossible to confuse with corporate security. Polarizing = good for differentiation.

3. THE BLADE (#01) — Simple, sharp, aggressive. Works at all sizes. "Surgical precision" narrative is powerful.

To Refine:

Hunter: Simplify to work better at 32px (fewer circles, bolder lines)
Terminal: Make glowing green more vibrant, add animation potential
Blade: Could go even sharper/thinner, make blood drop more dramatic
Venom: Too complex for small sizes — needs simplification
Seal: Strong but feels too "corporate defense" vs "offensive research"

Recommendation:

Move forward with THE HUNTER as primary direction. Combine it with TERMINAL aesthetic for marketing materials (green + red color system, glitch effects). Keep BLADE as simplified favicon/icon variant.