Modifying a logo is always an interesting question… for some companies, their logo is a well recognized part of their identity or product and an extreme change could jeopardize business. Apple Computers or Nike are good examples of such brands. For others, a change poses little risk for business because the company is more well known by non-visual characteristics like reputation, great service, etc., which allows the business more freedom and flexibility when updating it’s logomark.
I decided to freshen up Graphic Nature’s logo to better suit our current identity. Businesses change over time and it is important to keep your image inline with your services and brand message. I recently set up the studio to be 100% powered by renewable electricity via Bullfrog Power and wanted Graphic Nature to better represent itself as a graphic design studio promoting environmental awareness and action. I think the lighter, more energetic colours provide a clean modern look with an underlying natural theme.
The new logomark comes from the notion of fractals. Just what is a fractal, you ask? A definition from wikipedia states a fractal as being a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole. So basically, they are patterns that repeat or replicate, and when you look at one part of the shape, you find that it is made up of tiny versions of the same shape. Very cool. I am fascinated by fractals. They are found everywhere in the natural world. Ferns are a great example of fractals, as are trees, insect eyes, snowflakes, crystals, mountain ranges… even our circulatory system follows this fractal phenomenon.
The symbol I choose to use the logomark is based on the first iteration of a T-square Fractal, which is a two dimensional fractal that has a boundary of infinite length bounding a finite area. I thought this was suitable for design work since I design in two dimensions, and the bounds of the media in which I design are finite though the possibilities of what I can create in that space are infinite. I choose the first iteration or step of this mathematical fractal to represent Graphic Nature as your first step towards a creative design.
