The Cobbler’s Children Go Unshod

You know how it goes…the landscaper’s yard is the messiest, the doctor’s kids are the sickest, and the designer’s logo is the most outdated.

Well, hopefully mine isn’t the most outdated.

For the last year I’ve been working on giving things a new look—my logo, my website and my blog. Oh, but it’s going slow. All for good reasons, of course, since I credit awesome clients to keeping my own projects at bay. But, when it really comes down to it, I’m afraid the proverbial cobbler’s children syndrome applies all too well to me.

Sigh…

When I started Adunate in 2005, I didn’t have a definite idea of the direction I wanted my business to go. I didn’t know exactly what it was to be.

For that reason, I purposely designed my logo to be generic in style.

Now, five years—almost six—and many business plans later, Adunate is growing and developing. My markets are the building, preservation and energy industries; plus non-profits and religious organizations. I’m also looking to do more for food, coffee and wine businesses. These days I’m feeling confident in my identity and I’m ready for a new logo!

Here’s my thought process throughout this sometimes frustrating, other times productive creative exercise:

The word Adunate (pronounced A-doo-nah’-tay) is a Latin verb meaning unite, or integrate. I chose this for a business name because I unite words and design, the very elements of successful communication. Naturally, I want my logo to convey this thought. I want it to show the uniting of parts to equal a whole—a whole that is greater than the sum of all its parts (artists refer to this as gestalt).

With this thought in mind, I’m sticking with a variation of the identifying element of my first logo. Quilters know this as a log cabin pattern. Builders use it in hardwood flooring and tiling. With its simple, geometric lines, this pattern represents the Arts and Crafts movement of which I’m so fond.

Yet, as I examine my business and my clients, I realize I need further beauty to this logo. Not frilly beauty, but something organic, graceful and fluid. I need some Art Nouveau.

So, this is my new logo so far. What do you think? (It’s still in the greyscale stage because a logo must first work in one color before it can work in multiple.)

The challenge now is coming up with just the right typeface for the name Adunate. I’m playing with scripts, san-serifs and everything else. Well, if it goes like it’s gone so far, this may take a while.

In the meantime, any ideas?