My Logo Design

Today I finalized my own logo and have included the sketches that led up to the final design. Since my background is graphic design, I thought that creating my logo would be easier than it was, but I found that creating my own logo is no different than creating any other logo: it takes creativity, intentionality, and time. I still really enjoyed it because it was an opportunity to be the designer, creative director, and the client, all in one.  

My Christian faith is a large part of my identity, and since triangles have long been used in art to represent the Holy Trinity, I wanted to incorporate a triangle shape in my logo. Using a simple shape is challenging, however, since there are many logos which utilize the triangle in some way. I decided that I wanted to show the triangle protecting me and leading me, which is something that I feel God does in my life, so I placed my initials in the center of the triangle. The triangle represents the Holy Spirit, while the white shape makes a triangular “D,” and the line through the “D” is part of the implied “P”, which is subtly created through the use of negative space. The “D” and “P” are my initials, and they are at the center of the logo being protected by the outer triangle shape representing the Holy Trinity. The top of the logo, the line of the “P”, and the angle of the bottom part of the “D,” all point to the right and upward, implying a sense of movement. My thought is that any progress made in my life is a product of the Holy Spirit empowering me in various ways; God will not to do the work for me, but He does bless me with the health and opportunity to do it. As a result, success (hopefully) comes. 

The most important discovery I made in creating my logo was that it is very difficult to use simple shapes, since no person or company can truly own a simple shape. Since I cannot own a triangle, I realized the importance of incorporating a “D” and “P” in the middle, creating a new shape altogether via positive and negative space. Also, the necessity of rotating the triangle helped to make it more ownable. While the orange of the logo can be seen as pointing to the left (similar to a rewind icon), I think that the direction of the lines ascending at a forty-five degree angle in the logo create enough movement to overcome this perception. 

The most important information that I learned from the videos, PowerPoint, and readings is that the best logos are simple. The initial idea of the DA Group’s “circle of sparks” was very interesting and featured motion and energy, but it was too complex. In the end, they ended up with a logo consisting of three concentric circles, which still show energy radiating out from the center of the logo, just in a much simpler way. Also, the differences in the definitions of an icon and a symbol (according to the DIY Design & Logo pdf), was very helpful to me: an icon is an image representing something by resemblance, whereas a symbol is an image that represents something by association, but not necessarily resemblance. Also, the definition states that a symbol can depict an idea that is abstract, which is what the triangle shape does in my logo by representing the Holy Spirit. 

Until next time!