New Leaf Paper
DW)
ge:14
Job:12-84823 Title:RP-Graphic Design That Works (LDW)
175# Dtp:120/163 Page:15
Text (DS)
Client
New Leaf Paper manufactures and distributes paper
made from recycled material.
ART DIRECTOR
Jennifer Jerde
DESIGNER
Nathan Durrant
FIRM
Elixir Design, Inc.
Process
To reflect its intention of becoming a big player in the paper industry, New Leaf
Paper wanted a logo that felt corporate. And yet, to distinguish itself as being more
environmentally responsible than its competitors, the client also hoped for a logo
that had a natural feel. With these parameters in mind, designer Nathan Durrant
created sketches based on the double meaning of the company’s name: “leaf” refers
both to plants and to pages. From these sketches emerged the idea of combining
both meanings into a single image of a turning leaf. But Durrant was not satisfied
with the illustration-based renderings that followed, feeling they were not corporate
enough. So he shifted his attention to photography. He began searching for a leaf
that had clearly visible veins, so that an image of it would be readable at reduced
sizes, and had edges that met at a right angle at the tip so that it could later be
inserted into a rectangle. He eventually chose a hydrangea leaf, photographed it
with a digital camera, then scanned the image into a computer and retouched it in
Photoshop, adding highlights and shadows to create the sense of a curling leaf.
The result is a logo that is at once slick and elegant and, as Durrant puts it,
“enviro-groovy.” However, like all photography-based logos, this one does present
challenges in reproduction. To ensure it works well in different sizes and media,
Durrant created a variety of versions, ranging from micro-versions where the leaf
has wider veins and fewer scalloped edges to outline versions for black-and-white
applications.
What Works
The logo, a white rectangle whose upper corner curls downward to reveal a photo of
a leaf, is based on both the client’s product and its mission. While the logo’s shape
suggests a sheet of paper, and the leaf the paper’s recycled content, the mark’s
curled edge evokes the phrase “turning over a new leaf,” which in this case refers to
switching from non-biodegradable products to environmentally friendly ones.
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