Update: 4/22/2009
Because of economic concerns, the client decided to keep the companies old logo – but I will still be designing the website, so when that is finally underway, I will post another update here!
The Business:
CK Designs is a landscaping business in Southern California that provides sustainable, “green” landscape designs.
While the logo and website are not yet finalized, I wanted to use this project to highlight my logo design process. I will be sure to share updates when the project is complete.
The Design:
The client expressed the need for an attractive, aesthetically pleasing logo, invoking a sense of serenity. Also desired was a simple design, easily recognizable by current and potential clients. Before I began to sketch out ideas, I decided on a style and a few choice colors. Many of those initial concepts are shown in the mock-ups below and, as you can see, the options I chose for the final six mock-ups are more or less true to their analog counterparts, shown left.
While in the sketching stage, a few more ideas came to mind based on the client’s description as well as a general understanding of vegetation and sustainable living. 
The fact that I have been a strict vegetarian for many years also been a contributed to my more eco-focused approach.
Inspired by the client’s mention of serene design, the word harmony also began to float around in my head. That word lead me to thoughts of Zen and Eastern symbolism. I attempted to draw upon some of those base elements while providing a more streamlined, balanced design.
As harmony is a key component in many genres of music (particularly in more calming compositions), my first idea (top left) was based on a musical half-note.
My fourth design embodied not only the idea of newly sprung petals, but also of sun rays – a very important factor for most forms of vegetation and something that is particularly abundant in the state of California.
