Update ***************************

Cleaned up the spacing and balance a bit more on the thin version, and set it up with both a straight and arc baseline. . . Figured it might be easier to decide on this one, than on the heftier version. And additional point to mention is that we're toying with the idea of adding "& Company" or similar to the business name – since it is named after me, but I'm not the only person making up the business, we thought it might be nice to broaden people's expectations. So I mocked up what that might look like with the curved version.

Lori Danelle – Logo redesign - image 1 - student project

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Lori Danelle – Logo redesign - image 2 - student project

Update 5/26****************************

I worked a lot on the vector over the weekend – and as someone who usually embraces the wonkiness of hand lettering, but is a perfectionist – geez! Getting everything perfect/right is crazy tough!!! :)

That said, I'm having a few internal struggles:

There's something about the thin version that really appeals to me, yet I'm afraid that in larger sizes it will just get lost – and makes me feel like I'm cheating on a logo. Within my field there are numerous cases where companies utilize a couple (or more) variations of their logo for different uses, so I'm trying to decide if there's a case for me doing the same – fundamentally, it goes against everything I typically would establish in a logo, but like I said, this is a more creative field, and multiple logos styles definitely has a precedence. . .

Plus, on the thick version, I really like how "Lori" all fits together, and I know I haven't dealt with spacing completely, but it still just loses the cohesiveness for me on Danelle. My goal is to get the first E to nest in the N, and the second E to nest in the L, but I'm not sure if that's enough when compared to how fully merged Lori is. . . ??

Additionally, I'm waivering between keeping the baseline arc or going with a straight baseline. . . I like the arc, but am nervous that it will create awkwardness in use.

Mackey, thanks so much for your earlier feedback & would definitely love to hear your thoughts! And everyone feel free to be ultra-critical – but constructive! :) I've got thick skin & only want to get better!

Lori Danelle – Logo redesign - image 3 - student project

Update****************************

Lori Danelle – Logo redesign - image 4 - student project

I choose this to work on further and used it as a skeleton & put some meat on the bones this evening. I'm not sure how I feel about the D specifically, so if anyone has thoughts, I'd love to hear them.

I'm also not sure if it's too thick now. I want it to have weight, but there's a chance I've overdone it. I think I'm going to go ahead and create the vector version and see how I feel once I have it cleaner.

Lori Danelle – Logo redesign - image 5 - student project

updated 5\21 **********************************************************************

SKETCHES

I've been thinking and sketching for awhile now before finding this class, but here's some of my pages.

Refined (but not stuffy or too serious)
Competence/Expertise
Down-to-Earth
Fun
Whimsy
Friendly

Lori Danelle – Logo redesign - image 6 - student project

Lori Danelle – Logo redesign - image 7 - student project

Lori Danelle – Logo redesign - image 8 - student project

Lori Danelle – Logo redesign - image 9 - student project

Lori Danelle – Logo redesign - image 10 - student project

There are some in there that I like the shapes that are being created, etc., but just haven't been right for the brand.

5\20 ******************************************

I'm going to be working on a new logo – perhaps it would be better to call it our first REAL logo – for my husband's and my stationery company.

CURRENT LOGO

This is the first time I've really taken the calculated approach I would follow for any client's work/logo for my own logo, so while I'm a bit embarrassed to share it with logo designers, this is what we're using right now. Be kind – I already know all it's faults. ;)

Lori Danelle – Logo redesign - image 11 - student project

SOME HISTORY

I accidentally started my business about 6 years ago when I started offering cut paper fingerprint portraits for sale through my blog, and then suddenly my blog became my shop.

In the last 6 years, my shop has ceased to offer my fingerprint portraits, but we do offer reproductions of my other original cut paper designs. The biggest shift came about a year and a half ago when I began to, and fell in love with hand lettering. Up to that point, the shop was something that kept me very busy, but was on-the-side and didn't really have structure or a real vision for where I was going with it. Once I started hand lettering – and discovered I wasn't horrible at it – my husband and I both knew that we had become a stationery and art print brand.

So that's what we've been doing this last year.

In addition to the greeting cards I create, my husband is also making hardwood frames, with high-end details such as spline joints, and is working on other products like recipe boxes with finger joints and carving boards. We also have plans to soon offer tea towels, and other homegoods and dream of expanding the line of homegoods someday into products such as honey, spice rubs and marinades, and who knows what else!

In short, while we believe paper/stationery will always be the biggest part of our company, we don't want it to be the only thing we do.

STYLE/VISION/CONCEPT

When someone buys a recipe box from us, we want it to get better with time, and for their grandkids to one day inherit it and use it as well. A card might just be a piece of paper, but we want it to feel like a small piece of art in your hand – from the thickness of the paper, to the lettering/illustration on it that was thoughtfully crafted and considered for hours upon hours before ever being printed.

We don't take ourselves too seriously though, and incorporate a touch of playful whimsy wherever we can and hope our products make people smile when they see them.

Lori Danelle Wilson

Graphic Designer & Letterer

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