Logos are something I truly enjoy. The completeness of them, a neat little package. When I spoke with Brandon and Erin at the amazing Gore Design Co. they gave me a clear directive on style, to think of vintage patches and wilderness explorer camp design. National park art and design of the golden age. Bold and fun, I went off the beaten path, but my compass was true.
The Process
Sketches and early comps here. I was given plenty of leash on this design, so I played with ideas and shapes I found interesting. Took it and ran!
Two of the early designs made the cut. Combining the script from #8 with the classic seal of #3. I spun out some different options of the seal and type combination to get the right design. It’s truly an art and not science, there’s a lot of pushing and pulling, actively trying things to get the right balance of elements.
A few different treatments
OUR WINNER
Here’s our winning design. Get your backpack and pack your butt crack, you’re headed to Concrete Design School! Seriously though, you better have your shit together if you’re going to pick up fabric-forming and all the other crazy concrete casting knowledge in just a few days. I enjoy the blend of script and sans-serif type and thick linework here. It lends itself to many applications.
MAKING IT WORK
I typically make variations of the logo for use on a dark background. Colors are last on my list. It’s more about collaborating with a client to find a nice, complimentary palette to their own personal style.
Clean final artwork. Clear message with an official look. Now get to class!
ALTERNATE DESIGN
I developed this drippy-fun concrete float design to use as an alternate mark. I just liked it too much to let it fall by the wayside.
Maybe a woven patch or a cool sticker?
Another alternate design here with the float-style trowels.
This project, like so many, is ongoing so updates are forthcoming. I’m sure there’s will be some touchable items soon, might just have to print something up myself!
if you like this article, you’ll also enjoy Midcentury Phoenix Lives! and the Vintage Coaster Set.