It started with the phrase: “Can you do a map for us?” It quickly morphed into a logo, oh wait, maybe two logos. Hortus Conclusus and Hortus Landscaping. After the legal setup for the two entities, one being a non-profit and the other an LLC, and some additional name research, Hortus Arboretum & Botanical Gardens was born. The somewhat complicated start is not unusual since this branding project started from nothing, and the two co-owners, Allyson and Scott, have their roots in the arts and not business.
The foundation was in place with a new logo to create the botanical garden’s map, plant signs, and website. What makes this project fun is the product that a botanical garden produces: Plants and the endless beauty captured in photos. Hortus Arboretum & Botanical Gardens has been growing ever since, with more visitors, plants, and events. I’m very proud to have designed the foundation of this local gem in the Hudson Valley.

I was over the moon when the Meridian Center for Global Leadership associate program officer contacted me and asked if I was interested in designing a US Science Envoy Program logo. After the first presentation, the project elaborated on different possible design solutions, with the big question looming: Was it possible to design a logo that included all science or scientific achievements? The layouts showing an atom highlighting Enrico Fermi and Robert Oppenheimer’s accomplishments seemed outdated with a hint of toxicity. The layouts that reflected on
James Watson and Rosalind Franklin’s discovery of DNA symbolized by the double helix looked more contemporary but did not reflect upon all sciences. As for the logo’s colors, could multiple colors make a point of science being a multifaceted field, just like the colors in the Olympic logo represent all continents? Or would red, white, and blue be more important to reflect the color of the nation?
At one point during the layout process, I had a long conversation with my son Emmett, who is a computer engineer. After telling him that my first logo presentation, where I created some repeating abstract patterns like circles and drop shapes that would form a logo, failed because they had no scientific reasons other than beinh a bunch of pretty logos and that I needed to find a science or math-based pattern that could create a logo.
With his mathematical knowledge, Emmett mentioned Roger Penrose and his 1974 tiling project. At first glance, the never-repeating tile samples on the internet search looked great as tile patterns in lobbies of schools for higher learning and airport floors, but they were too busy to form a logo. Until my mind zoomed in and saw a five-pointed star; once I started colorizing the 2/3 ratio of red and blue, a logo began to emerge. All Graphic Designers usually base their logos on a grid with a visual geometric logic that is math-based. The final logo for the US Science Envoy Program has its underlying structure solely based on Roger Penrose’s never-repeating tile math.

When I designed the logo for Habitat, none of the competing local realtors used a house in their logo or branding system. Graphically speaking, it made a lot of sense to use a house as part of the realtor’s new logo since the primary purpose of a realtor is to advise clients to buy or sell a home. I envisioned the preliminary logo layouts with signal-like happy colors to appeal to young families with kids. The rounded graphic house was chosen with a three-colored color scheme; marine blue, barn red, and green were the proposed colors until someone remarked that it looked like a Kid-Fun-House party rental place. The unfortunate remark led to a dail down of the colors to slate blue and grey, reflecting more on the fact that buying or selling a house creates transactional value.

I still like seeing the sign when I drive past it in Stone Ridge.

A Modular Concept Proposal
My new Pinocchio logo proposal aims to be iconic, modern, and kid-friendly, with a broad appeal to young and old.
With today’s electronic devices, the logo must be recognizable on a small scale. To further achieve the simplicity and recognizability of the new Pinocchio logo, I reduced the full figure to his face to feature his trademark cap, smile, and Pinocchio’s famous nose. The fact that Pinochico is a wooden puppet with hinged joints is barely recognizable in the original drawings or the currently used version. These facts and the need for reduction helped me to make an informed choice to propose a logo version that focuses on Pinocchio’s head by itself.
I chose the Italian color scheme of bold green and red geometric strokes to form Pinocchio’s face and created the base logo for “Fondazione Nazionale Carlo Collodi.” Pinocchio’s face looks from right to left, the same direction we read and associate with looking into the future or moving forward. Just like in the original drawings by Enrico Mazzanti, he features a long nose in the new logo version, but it’s not extended. In other words, Pinocchio looks forward to going to school and becoming a good human being.

My modular concept proposal accommodates all branches and locations of the Fondazione Nazionale Carlo Collodi by using the principal “Pinocchio Face Logo” and adding specific elements to it.
Pinocchio + Book = Scuola Delle Fondazione Nazionale Carlo Collodi
Pinocchio + Snail = Parco Degli Amici di Pinocchio
Pinocchio + Flower = Giradino di Villa Garzoni

I proposed a modular logo/icon system similar to the smiley icon we use daily on our phones. A system that could easily be extended to Pinocchio + Gelato = Gelato Bar or any other new configuration that would be needed.

Typography
The modern geometric font Futura will accommodate the new logo, which is also circle and triangle-based. Its high readability will ensure this versatile branding project’s large and small-scale use. The design of this modular solution has multiple typographical positions of the “Pinocchio Face Logo” in anticipation of all possible design challenges dictated by format or media.

Colors
The color schema for the entire project is based on the national colors of Italy and Pinocchio’s original dress colors to reflect Pinocchio and the Foundation as the national treasure of Italy. The additional slate grey
is for typography and gives the project gravitas.

Do you have a specific logo design job for me, and do you not see a similar logo here? No worries; I love a design challenge. Click on any of them below to see all the logos in this presentation.