Project Posting: Stationary Set Kate Brunkhorst

For my design process I began by creating a “mind map” to expand my thinking on some expressive logo ideas. At first I intended to make a professional logo, but struggled with a simple yet effective design. What I came up with ended up being more of a hobby-oriented stationary set, but it will still portray who I am and the way in which I work effectively. I knew that I wanted to integrate a circle into the logo somehow because of our discussion in class about it being a placid, comfortable shape. Some of my earlier sketches incorporated my signature tree drawing (see sketches), because I have always been drawn to them and they have come to symbolize many things in my life (roots are where you come from, branches are where you are going, they provide shelter and shade, and grow from a tiny seed into something miraculous). However, my sketches started to become more and more “crafty” so-to-speak, and I ended up choosing another iconic item in my life: a simple button.
My mother raised me in a very hands-on, creative and crafty environment. She is a quilter, sewer, collector, and decorator, and instilled in me a sense of appreciation for thinking in original, non-structured ways. One of her favorite and most expansive collections consisted of thousands of buttons that she had accrued over the years from old clothes, friends, and craft fairs. She and I would make button bracelets, wreaths, pillows, and decorations for every season as soon as I was old enough to hold a needle and thread. Buttons have come to represent my relationship with my mom, and my desire to constantly create.
I thought it would be fun to make it seem as though the button had been sewn to the page, connected by stitching around the border. In this way, I am the button, and therefore attached to everything I put my name on. I have worked on it, perfected it, and added my own personal flair. I wanted to keep it down to a two-color scheme, so I ultimately chose a green that was bright and cheery. I considered making a series, so I printed the business cards in four two-color combos: green/black, blue/black, orange/black, purple/black. These are among some of my favorite neon and bold combinations.
I selected one of my favorite fonts, Gill Sans std, because it is readable, clean-cut and modern. If I could marry a font, this would be it! It also has an extensive selection of weights and postures in the family that can really add to a diverse and dynamic end result typographically.
I didn’t want the design to be too busy, but I wanted to include more information on the business card rather than less. My final creative element was to include the words “sew creative” on the back of my business card. This could mean that the card is creative, I am creative, and/or that I am handy with crafts and hands-on PR event planning. Also, it’s clear that I like to sew!