Birds Connect Seattle repeated logo pattern
Birds Connect Seattle is proud to introduce a new visual identity for our organization, produced by nationally recognized designer and illustrator Gabriel López of pley.ground, “a graphic design practice for the people.”
Gabriel’s work with El Centro de la Raza for immigrant rights and sensitive locations has been added to the permanent collection of The Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture.
During his 10 years of visual design and illustration work, Gabriel says he has endeavored to collaborate with “organizations with a sense of purpose and that aid in the betterment of people and the environment.”
In his creation of original concepts for Birds Connect Seattle, Gabriel was inspired by the photography and videography of Professor Dennis Hlynsky from the Rhode Island School of Design. Hlynsky’s project, Tracing the Ephemeral, featured striking time lapse images of migrating birds tracing the sky.
The curved lines of the birds’ flight paths are echoed in the shapes of the letters in a custom font Gabriel created exclusively for Birds Connect Seattle. The curvature of the letterforms provides a friendly and approachable nature to the overall logo.
The logo’s primary image is an abstract representation of a bird in flight, conjuring movement and forward progress, according to Gabriel. The mark also signifies connection by repeated use of the shapes that create the
Gabriel López (courtesy of Gabriel López)
logo. It is a reminder that everything connects, Gabriel says, and that the most important things in life are the connections you make with others and all inhabitants of the environment.
The geometric forms are an intentional departure from representing a specific bird, generating a call to protect all birds.
All the Who’s, What’s, How’s, & Why’s About Our New Name >>
Our color palette was chosen to represent a bright future and hope. The primary color is a deep green, evoking the forests of the Pacific Northwest and their beautiful evergreen canopies. This color is immediately grounding and familiar, bringing a calming serenity to where it appears. The secondary colors, while contrasting, also appear in nature.
Eagle eyes may recognize one of the shades as a carryover connecting this new identity to our past: A bright yellow-green mirrors the fresh new growth on Douglas-fir trees. These tips stand out strikingly against the forest green background. Finally, the warm salmon brings out the connections birds make between ecosystems on land, air, and sea and the fish that are so important to this region and its people.
Taken all together, like our new name, this new visual representation will welcome more people into our future-focused and inclusive community for the conservation of birds.
For more about Gabriel and our other Creative Partners: Click Here
Read about our video storytelling with Brave Space Media: Click Here
Read about our commissioned artwork, Community Emblem: Click Here
Line Bird 2 from “Tracing the Ephemeral” (courtesy of Dennis Hlynsky)
Birds Connect Seattle brand colors.
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