The heart of this project is strengthening our sense of connection to each other, despite the distance and separation many of us feel right now. Without a strong visual identity that would help people know a CoVictory Garden when they see one, this project wouldn’t do much to create connection!
People have to have a simple, visual way to feel connected. Imagine, walking through your neighborhood to stretch your legs and observing the budding flowers in someone's yard. You don't know them, but you appreciate the growth. Your whole walk is filled with small observations of plants and natural spaces, but for many of us the connection ends there: in appreciating small beauties around us.
Now imagine, walking through your neighborhood and seeing beautiful gardens, some of which are marked with a V-shaped green sprout marking the plants growing there. You may not know the person growing the plants, but you clearly can see that this is a CoVictory Garden. These Gardens, far and wide, celebrate one thing we are all doing together: connecting with the earth, nurturing growth, and connecting with each other.
This move, to feel connected to our neighbors, is everywhere as COVID spreads across the country and as we are increasingly confronting isolation. Rainbows are popping up in windows and hearts are joining them as well. CoVictory Gardens join this simple movement with a few key additions: that the growth continues. In nurturing plants we care for ourselves and nurture each other and maybe even create something nourishing for our bodies over time, well past the point of putting up a sign. Seeing a CoVictory Garden will help us not only feel connection to our neighbors, but also will ensure we meet our need to find a deep connection with the earth and each other throughout the seasons.
So: the trick here is making sure everyone knows a CoVictory Garden when they see one! And how do we do that? Through thoughtful and creative graphic design. I feel pretty pleased with where the logo landed: it is a pretty, fresh and clean design. Folks can print or paint their own signage with our DIY kit, get some handmade signage for their garden, or even hang a Manifesto over the plants in their home. And with a recognizable design, we all will know a CoVictory Garden when we see one!
Flip through the pictures below, to see a process of designing a logo that went all over the map before landing in the spot it did now.
Looking to create your own logo or poke around with some designs yourself? My bud Alan (graphic designer at the Greenway Conservancy in Boston) gave me some hip tips, provided a bunch of guidance and feedback (Thanks Alan!!!) and shared some resources. Check out:
the Die Line - for amazing packaging designs and project inspiration
a great article about logos - scroll down and check out the Shell Logo and how it changes over time! The apple logo is fascinating also.
Lost Type - a designers type co-op where we got our font (Edmondsans!)
the noun project - a great lace to find icons of literally anything
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