It's been quite some time since I updated my blog with discussions about my recent creative outputs. A few months back, Archie David commissioned me on a project to create a logo for his center's newest endeavor, Abelardo's Diner. Not a lot of people know that the logo of Independent Living Learning Center (ILLC), a center that aims to promote the optimum potential of children with developmental disabilities and to facilitate their community integration through contemporary and functional approaches, was one of my early creative projects. The logo indeed underwent a lot of revisions until we finally hit the final one. An obsessive-compulsive client combined with an equally obsessive-compulsive artist is not exactly a speedy project. Here are the iterations of ILLC's existing logo.
Abelardo's Diner started off as a canteen for their students, faculty and guests. Now what makes this dining place special is that their students are assisting as dining and kitchen staff, part of training them for community integration through gainful employment. The logo should be able to represent the mission of ILLC through this service. Since they have upgraded the diner to a full-pledged restaurant, the logo should also be able to evoke a touch of class. With a clear brief which also included the color and design limitations I will be working with, I knew that the logo should be a text-based one, with very minimal graphic elements. I first provided some font options. Here is just a sample selection of the actual list I provided. I had my own preferences, but I wanted them to choose first themselves, based on their preferences.
Archie allowed his staff to vote on their top 3 font choices, which somehow coincided with his personal preferences. I then provided him with my preferred choice which features the P22 Arts and Crafts Hunter font, which also happened to be one of their top choices. The reason why I found this font so special is that it has the right amount of balance between class/formality and casualness. Just look at the way the "a" and the "s" are formed, and you can say that this is indeed a special font… as special as the people who run the diner. With the font chosen, the next step would be the enclosure. Again, I provided some options with another font choice.
We went for the oval treatment. I then applied some colors and matching leaves as ornamentation. Here's the final design.
By the way, ILLC and Abelardo's Diner was featured by the Probe Team. Here's the video.
