mom jeans

Today, along with cooking up some delicious spicy Turkey Chili, I flexed my Adobe Illustrator muscle and designed a logo.

My nephew, Colsen (part Kindergartner, part Superhero,) attends Park Road Montessori in Charlotte, NC. His school is in need of a new logo design, so- I thought I'd give it a try.

In the list of specifications, the school was asking that the logo reflect the following:

-The Environment/Nature
-Love
-Peace
-Community/Togetherness

I spent this morning browsing the Internet for inspiration for the logo. I researched everything from kids' bedspreads & rugs, to sneakers & playground equipment, searching for patterns and colors that were vibrant and fun.


I found some colors that I loved:

-Rugs from Crate & Barrel's Children's St0re: The Land of Nod



Next, I decided to create a nature utopia, where the leaves were big and bright, and the environment was inviting. The parks in Charlotte during Spring and Summer were also an inspiration for this design. Like a park in the springtime, these children grow and flourish in school (especially this school. Colsen is a stinkin' genius!) So, I tried to envision what Colsen would describe about the park in the Spring/Summertime.

I began with the circle (representing community/togetherness), worked my way to the tree and added some leaves (environment), then decided to add some friendly creatures (nature), threw in some whimsical shapes (love), and before I knew it, it looked like a day in the park (peace).

I couldn't find a font that worked for the look I was creating, so I made the letters (time consuming!), but very fun.

Here's my final product!:



The winning logo will be used to advertise the school through car magnets, tshirts, etc. Even if my design isn't the winning logo, I can walk away from this project feeling accomplished, and somehow, a little bit more appreciative that Spring is just around the corner!

So, here's to The Alphabet, growing, lunchboxes, counting, Ice Pops, "paste", scraped knees, carpools, learning, field trips, and all things Crayola.