New Scenic Byway Logo Takes Art to Heart Local Graphic Artist Designs a Logo for the Newly Designated Scenic Byway
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For immediate release: Media Contact: Mary Motiff, Director Bayfield County Tourism [email protected] (715) 373-6125 ext. 9 New Scenic Byway Logo Takes Art to Heart Local graphic artist designs a logo for the newly designated Scenic Byway Bayfield County, WI (January 20, 2015) What goes into developing a logo? First, a complete analysis and description of what, where, even why the Scenic Byway exists and how it contributes to the area. What is the Area? Find yourself in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, on the South Shore of beautiful Lake Superior. Wisconsin Highway 13 passes along the shoreline, giving glimpses of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Wilderness Area, taking you through expansive forests, meadows and farm lands. All sprinkled with quaint towns, spectacular natural features and fascinating historic buildings. So how do you describe all of that in one graphic image? Kelley Linehan is an artist and as such, she thinks, works and creates works of art. In order to convey what the Scenic Byway is comprehensively, Kelley applied all of her talents. She is the Marketing and Events Manager for the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Bureau and coordinates area events like the Bayfield Apple Festival, the Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race, and more. Kelley says that “a logo is the product of the design process and design is the marriage of art and communication. I like to say that a designer is an artist with their feet on the ground.” According to Kelley, “the Artist …must be an effective visual storyteller. Art can be very subjective while design is much more objective. If the work of the designer… does not communicate the necessary information, it cannot be considered successful, unlike art which can be very open-ended and remain successful.” By nature, a logo must be simple so it can be easily understood. It must communicate essential information at a single glance. However, to be truly successful, it must take into account multiple factors. “At the base level,” says Kelley, “the Wisconsin Lake Superior Scenic Byway Logo is a collection of shapes, arranged so as to present a balanced composition. Upon deeper observation of the Byway logo, the rounded forms represent the rolling hills of the Bayfield Peninsula, echoed by the Apostle Islands rising from the plane of Lake Superior. Layering the shapes and changing the sizes pushes the mind of the viewer to interpret that as distance and scale. A ribbon hugging the edge of the mainland represents the Scenic Byway itself, as it loops around the entire peninsula. The bottom bar of color also has meaning. It was chosen and carefully placed as a nod to the brownstone that once fed the economy and drove industry here. Its placement references the fact that it is literally the bedrock of this area, hence its placement on the logo. It serves a visual purpose, anchoring the entire logo in place.” And, what about conveying a sense of the experience each visitors may expect? It’s important to create an attractive, eye catching product. Today’s busy potential visitor has only a brief moment to evaluate the Scenic Byway and the Logo must convey as much as possible as clearly as possible in those brief moments. But, Kelley reminds us, “Within those parameters, a logo must also tell a story. It must get at the essence of an idea or character. To be successful, it must pique your interest and draw you in for closer examination. Many of the best logos tell a larger story than is immediately apparent. Some logos are very clever and embody visual puns, which can lead to an ‘aha’ moment with the viewer. When that happens, the idea or character will undoubtedly stick and that is what every designer seeks to achieve.” “There are also technical requirements that have to be considered,” says Kelley. “For instance, it has to look nice in both color and black and white because it will be used in both ways. It also needs to be scaleable, sometimes it might appear on a letterhead and other times on a billboard. So it has to function at any size.” In essence, the logo presents an overview, an idea, a story of the area and invites the viewer to explore more thoroughly on their own. It imparts the essence of the Wisconsin Lake Superior Scenic Byway through multiple points of reference. It takes an artist to accomplish that and what you see here is Kelley’s art. Thanks to Kelley for an informative description of the Logo producing process; and to you for taking the time hear her story. Please include us in your travel plans. Check out the Wisconsin Lake Superior Scenic Byway soon. www.lakesuperiorbyway.org # # # .