Creative Process I began the process of creating a logo by sketching, both words and imagery. I flushed out the weaker ideas, including ones that featured the obvious, a lion image. It felt redundant, “lion” is in the name, you don’t need it twice. From there I thought of the feel I wanted to give. The Lion Habitat Ranch is a family activity, so I wanted something that was fun and colorful. I wanted to have a typeface that mimicked tribal lettering to bring the visitors into setting, and fully immerse them in an experience. Upon my research, I found the Proto-Canaanite alphabet. It is the earliest known alphabet system, found in Africa. The Latin alphabet we use now is derived from the Proto-Canaanite alphabet, which ties us to Africa, as visiting the lions do in a way. The ProtoCanaanite alphabet features bold shapes with uniformly thick lines. The style of their lettering influenced me with my thick, uniform lines that don’t immediatly scream Latin alphabet. The tones used are all eath tones, from the yellows to blues. They are not only a colorful pop, but play an important role in the legibility of the typeface, acting in places as a part of the typeface, such as the cross bar of the “H”.
Sketches Early on I played with the idea of a lion silhouette next to the type, as well as within the type, but quickly flushed the idea out.
I tested hand lettering to give it a fun, and warm touch. This felt too warm for the subject in the end.
Final Sketches
The initial concept for the current logo first appeared here.
Despite the playful look, this option felt less legible than I would like it to be.
Black & White
Color
Usage
Hunter Wallace GRC 140