Somerville Ecovillage New Logo Submissions

New Logo for Somerville Ecovillage - April 2005

Somerville Ecovillage has reached the stage where it now needs it's own identity and web site. The web site is in progress but we need a new logo.

A design brief was recently prepared and circulated to the community. A Kodak CX7330 (or similar) Digital Camera will be awarded for the winning entry which will be decided after people have had a chance to comment. Comments should be directed to Dominic Carlino.

In order to display the logos here in a consistent format, most of the logos have been rescaled and some file formats have changed. Colours and resolutions are therefore inferior to the original submissions and these copies should be regarded as a guide only.


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Design Concept Shape: Round or oval or curve – Sociocracy, curve design (Ecovillage), celebration ceremony in circle, harmony, wholeness Colour: Dominant background must be blue – abundance of water Orange word “Sommerville” – happy and warm place Green and blue “Ecovillage” – nature Black, white and yellow people – multiculture Elements: Central element - community of people together (holding hands) Wild life – kangaroo, red-tail black cockatoo, butterfly Permaculture, nature – tree, kangaroo paws Sun - sunny and warm place Star – reach for the star (dream) Wave – water Light (centre of logo) - vision


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Design Concept

After much contemplation about the many ways this brief could be approached, the point that I found to have the most potential was the Red-Tailed Black Cockatoos that live on the property.

The integrated type is a simple but integrated font which conveys traditional values without compromising standards or quality; I felt this would be a vital aspect that would carry throughout the entire Somerville project.

The colours are simple black and red - like the cockatoo and an earthy brown, making it easy to be converted into a monotone version as well as allowing the identity to carry through from very small to very large.

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Design Concept The encompassing egg shape denotes a new beginning. The egg contains everything required for new life and it's shape is one of the strongest and most enduring forms in nature. The spiral, common throughout the universe, is an ancient symbol of growth and evolution. “The living spiral does not begin or end, it is an ongoing process of innocence, discovery, community, and the essence that connects all things.” The triple spiral is a powerful symbol that has several interpretations. One such meaning is that it represents the search for harmony between the three dimensions of our existence - connection with earth, with self and with the divine. It also evokes “the Celtic concept of the domains of material existence - earth, water, and sky, and their interrelations.” The three 'leaf' symbol is formed from the intersection of three circles. This represents Somerville's triple bottom line of environmental, economical and social sustainability. The circles that formed these intersected shapes are much larger than that contained within the logo's boundary, and represents the interaction between Somerville and the wider community. Sustainability would be very difficult without that interaction. The leaves radiate from the centre, symbolising the growth resulting from the perfect union of earth, water and sky of the triple spiral. The central elements are connected firmly to the earth via a 'trunk', giving the whole design a tree-like shape, reminiscent of the thousands of trees that populate Somerville. Overall, this logo is a powerful combination of symbols and we believe it is in keeping with the significance of the Somerville Ecovillage. Design Variations As per the design brief, the logo is viable with different variations of size and colouring. A few examples are displayed but the design is open to many more colour combinations. In addition, it can be be made to look natural with wood and metal themes and 3D extrusions. If selected as the official logo, we can work on presenting some of these examples. The three circles represent Somerville’s triple bottom line of environmental, economical and social sustainability and the three-‘leaf’ symbol is formed from their intersection. The leaves radiate from the centre, symbolizing the growth resulting from the perfect union of earth, water and sky of the triple spiral. The central elements are connected firmly to the earth via a ‘trunk’, giving the whole design a tree-like shape, reminiscent of the dominant species that populates Somerville. The “Somerville Ecovillage” text grounds the concepts and ideas represented by the symbols and makes them a reality.


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Design Concept With each logo I have attempted to convey the three key areas of sustainability; Environmental; Ecological; and Social. The Somerville Ecovillage is a unique project so it is fitting to select a colour scheme that would be easily recognised yet interesting and different from juvenile primary colours we see much too often. The colour range I have experimented with is mature and rich with hues of the forest. If we were to look at the hills of Perth from a distance we would see the desaturated and harmonious colours of olive green, burnt orange, and golden yellows. Then if we were to venture closer and observe the details of the environment, we would find emerald greens from the leaves and deeper blues from running water. Design Variations The organic streak of green featuring at the top of the logos depicts the roof tops of the village houses that are to be built in the Somerville establishment. It is a canopy that shades and protects the residents in the same way the tree tops do for the habitats of flora and fauna. A few logos contain a 'leaf' emblem as an alternative to the triangular peaked shape. Another alternative feature is that of the streak which fades to blue which acts as a "splash" of water in motion - indicating the abundance of fresh water available. The small square windows portray the economical stance of this village project. With a soft glow in one window it demonstrates captions of saving electricity, solar power, and eco-friendly design with minimalist obstructions to the environment. The light in the window also represents that "someone is home" which hints warmth and friendliness. The shape of the property of Chidlow is represented in one of the logos by a simple line that travels to the far left. It is shaped in this way to give it the illusion of perspective and also represent the vast boundary of land. I would like to mention that my favourite version of the Somerville Ecovillage logo is number JW6. By curving the 'stem' of the leaf symbol upwards, it takes on the shape of the Chidlow land (bird's eye view) with its evident protrusion I understand this to be an important factor (however, not the main focus) in the identity of Somerville so I have decided logo number four encompasses the main elements of the Ecovillage and the environment it is situated amongst most effectively. Type Face I have created a special type face that features the 'leaf' shape as letter strokes which have been derived from the logo symbol itself. I believe the type face illustrates views of floral embellishment (linking to the trees and native bush), and a traditional "structured" stance (giving connotations of 'man-made shelter and strength). The type face is assertive yet modest with its smooth curves and clean, chiselled edges.


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