People are visually inundated with logos every day, but do you ever find yourself wondering why the designers chose this color, those fonts or that design? Here’s the breakdown for a logo project that jhP recently completed for The Marian Clinic to promote their new fundraising event, “Art from the Heart.”

a. The logo began with the simple shape of the heart. The heart already has a widely understood list of positive associations, providing an instant connection for the audience.

b. Spring green was chosen as a high-energy alternative to the traditional red, helping dissociate the logo from Valentine’s Day paraphernalia.

c. The edges were roughed up to convey the feeling of a stamp or hand painting. This touch of traditional media provided the link to personal artistry the logo needed.

d. Contrasting fonts – the blocky Futura and flowing Berthold script – helped create a sense of emphasis and elegance. By punching the words out of the heart shape instead of overlapping them in a different color, the simplicity of the shape was maintained and the weight of the mark was lightened, enhancing the feeling of optimism.

Art from the Heart is a fundraiser for The Marian Clinic, which provides health and dental care for the uninsured in Shawnee County. Students and faculty from five area high schools donated art to sell. Artwork was on display at different locations across the city during the First Friday Art Walk in March, as well as at The Topeka Art Guild.