Northern Distance Project — Logo & Identity Design

A fun little Logo and pseudo identity design project that was never used. I might have never pitched it to the team now that I actually think about it.

As always, the party starts in the sketch book, and then onto a screen only after I’ve identified a strong candidate or two. The final logo idea I run with comes together through a couple of the marks sketched out.

Ideas start on paper with pencil, or sometimes a pen, scattered across a floor.

A sketchbook showing two pages of various small sketches of logos that look like spruce trees, northern pointing arrows, the letters NDP in various forms, and an idea of a long line matching the Trans Canada.
There is a flow from raw idea, to individual parts tinkered with from the idea, then starting to take shape into the final version. This is a super clean and obvious example of that process.

Side note, in the sketches, I also come VERY CLOSE to their final logo done by someone else. It is always so fascinating when I see that naturally happen with zero connection.

Logo wordmark locked up in colour & icons.

I have a wildly universal icon and word mark locked up sixteen ways from Sunday. Toss in some muted natural colours, and before too long I am putting together a mock Northern Distance Project identity is getting pretty tight.

Brand & identity kit with fonts & styles.

Jamie stands with a running vest, a Ciele running hat, her arms on her hips, and a stern look of accomplishment on her face. The Norther Distance Project logo is in the bottom left, seemingly behind Jamies arm, and on the right hand side is the NDP illustrated mountain logo with the text: Berg Lake Trail, DIST 37.7 kms +/- GAIN 1274 m MOVING 4:55:10, Berg Lake Trail out and back on a perfect August afternoon.
Post Berg Lake Trail long run for the week, I snap a quick portrait of everyone that comes in handy when mocking this identity up. Lauren’s pain train of left hand loops at the oval office works nicely as well.

A logo & identity open for options.

Even when the work is not going to be used, I still want to jump into After Effects and do a little logo animation. In addition to the four surface icons, this identity can roll in new icons, and thus new word marks for infinite flexibility. Obviously my first alternate icon is … ice cream. 

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