Shedding Light On A Logo Design

Last week, I worked on several tri-fold brochure cover designs for a medical practice specializing in radiation oncology. They don’t have a formal logo yet, so when DDA had a conference call with them to discuss the visual and written content of the brochure, we agreed that we needed to create a logo as well. Since their practice is located on the New Jersey shore, they wanted a lighthouse incorporated into their logo. They also liked the idea of arrows used in the logo, as representations of the laser light that they use in their radiation procedures.

I found many photographic lighthouse references to use to make mockups of a logo. But the best reference I found was visiting the real thing, Barnegat lighthouse, on Long Beach Island. Barnegat lighthouse is probably a medium-height lighthouse (172 feet high). We walked the 200-some spiral steps to the top, read plaques full of historical and technical information on the lighthouse, and then repeated one line of something we read “Cedar-shingle-siding-painted-reddish-brown” all the way down, just because it has a nice ring to it (try it!).

Since a lighthouse is conveniently similar to an arrow shape, I created a logo with a lighthouse in the shape of an arrrow. I also created a few realistic versions. The radiation client decided on the latter, and I proceeded to work on the final logo version.

Visiting Barnegat lighthouse confirmed to me that I should not give the lighthouse stripes, because I learned that the pattern on the outside, called a daymark, is unique for specific lighthouses, and the lighthouse in the logo is not specific to a certain lighthouse.

Entry by: judy