First Experiments in Logo Design

I’m relatively new to vector graphic design, and especially to logo design, but I needed something to use on the Laylock website and on patterns. Laylock is an old word for ‘lilac’, so the lilac flower and colour were my chief inspiration. I began by looking through photographs of lilacs on Flickr. I particularly like the slightly upturned tips of the petals of the lilacs, and I thought the simple corolla of the classic four-petal lilacs would translate well into a logo. I began with a few fussy details, like the crease lines on the petals, and the shadows around the edges where the petals curl; then I began to simplify the design, trying my best to incorporate negative space into the image, since white and lilac are the most common colours for lilac flowers. But I felt the pattern wasn’t working; it looked very flat and almost too symmetrical. The fat petals also did little to represent the grace and delicacy of the flower, so I abandoned the motif and went back to the photos to see if I could find a more lively and appropriate representation.

As is often the case, the final design I decided on was not the end of my tinkering. The two designs above were an attempt to better incorporate the ‘L’ that’s formed by the right petal and the corolla tube (I wish I’d studied botany but I believe that is what it’s called), but the first is not particularly functional, and the negative space is somewhat confused in the second. For some reason it also reminds me of a hotel logo.

So below is the “final” logo, to the best of my current abilities. I’m not entirely satisfied with it; in fact I’ve stared at it for so long that it looks like nothing but a blob, but I think it will suffice until I a) have a brainwave, b) make a leap in my drawing/graphics skills, or c) actually hire someone to do it for me!

I will likely play around with kerning and proportions as the mood takes me, and depending on the project. Patterns, for example, may come emblazoned with a more compact logo like this, which should also work well in black and white when printed: