Logos / Visual Identities by 45th Parallel Design
Visual branding and identity design are cornerstones of an organization's success. We work with you to learn about your business' values, unique offerings, and industry position to provide you with a congruent identity design that communicates effectively with your audience. If you would like to find out more, please contact us.
Oregon Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health and Aging (OCEBHA)
OCEBHA at Portland State University addresses growing mental health and substance use disorders among older adults. A primary goal in developing OCEBHA's logo was to emphasize the positive aspects of aging, such as increased wisdom. We selected the douglas aster flower to represent OCEBHA because 1) it is symbolically associated with wisdom; 2) the OCEBHA name begins with "Oregon," and the Douglas aster is native to Oregon; 3) the Douglas aster spreads by rhizomes, or interconnected roots, which underscores OCEBHA's goal of connecting older adults with resources and community; and 4) asters bloom into the fall, thus symbolizing flourishing late into the season of life.
The logo's accompanying acronym shows the O and C joined together to communicate caring and connection. The lines of negative space in the joins echo the lines of negative space between petals in the flower, helping tie the wordmark to the logomark at the same time as helping to create a more distinctive visual brand. The letterforms have a high x-height, which allows for large counter spaces inside lowercase letters like e and a. The large counters assist with readability, while the height combined with slight variation in stroke width elicits a sense of professionalism. The short, gentle descenders on the letter g have a bit of softness and quirk, lending the typeface an approachability that provides equilibrium with the otherwise more elevated appearance of the letterforms.
Teacher Residency Program (TRP)
Washington Education Association's Teacher Residency Program is distinct from other teacher residency programs in its emphasis on paying its residents, and on exposing new teachers to multiple teaching environments, giving them the experience they need to flourish in their careers. TRP's image is modern and boundary pushing, with a focus on excellence. This geometric logo is designed to showcase TRP's unapologetic modernity, and to contrast with the branding of its competitors.
The composite shapes of the letters in the logomark that form TRP are dynamic building blocks, suggestive of learning and "putting the pieces together." The pieces are united as one cohesive whole, as disparate units coming together in a team. The block forms are simultaneously playful and sharp, in reference to TRP's demands for excellence and its bright outlook on its teachers' futures. Konnect, the wordmark font, is a geometric sans-serif that complements the TRP letterforms well, and that underscores TRP's message of modernity. Here, the uppercase letters communicate acumen and excellence, while the generous letter spacing relaxes its appearance to subtly convey its confidence in a calming (and more readable) way. Uppercase letters also complement the TRP acronym with their similar shapes and proportions.
Geospatial Center for the Arctic and Pacific (GCAP)
GCAP, housed at Oregon State University, provides educational and research opportunities for geodesy and geospatial professionals on a multitude of topics in geology, geography, satellite positioning, topography, surveying, and oceanography, among others. GCAP's logo renders the top of the globe, using lines to represent meridians and parallels. The 24 meridians have a subtle "twist" to them to communicate the dynamism and innovation of GCAP's myriad activities. The 4-pointed star in the center (at the "North Pole") symbolizes several concepts related to geodesy, including space, cardinal directions, and GCAP's undertaking of NSRS modernization.
The icy, light blue-gray used for the "globe" lines, and a dark neutral gray for the lettering, suggest the relatively cooler climate of the Arctic and Pacific. The overall design conveys math, science, geography, earth, and space, with some humanistic/organic elements thrown in to communicate the underlying reasons that scientists actually conduct scientific research. The humanistic/organic elements include the curves on the meridian lines and the idiosyncratic curve of the letter E in the text. The curve of the meridians serves several other purposes, including communicating dynamism, change, innovation, and action.
Oregon Campuses United for Suicide Prevention (OCUSP)
OCUSP is a consortium of Oregon colleges and universities working to reduce suicide risk on campus. We selected a tree swallow to represent OCUSP for several reasons. First, swallows in flight are on a mission, whether they're migrating or nesting or feeding. This is symbolic of OCUSP's mission: the very important and urgent mission of suicide prevention. Second, flight conveys a message of freedom, empowerment, and self-determination. In OCUSP's logo, the swallow is depicted flying forward, which is intended to symbolize leaving the past behind and focusing on a better future. Additionally, swallows signal spring's return in Oregon with their northern migration.
The logo capitalizes on the recognition of teal and purple as suicide prevention colors. The acronym is rendered using Resolve Sans Extrabold Narrow Italic, and the full name is rendered in Resolve Sans Semilight Italic, chosen to complement the sporty look of many Oregon Universities' brand typefaces. Italics underscore the forward movement of the bird, and emphasize the importance of OCUSP's mission. The angles of the terminals of the letter C in OCUSP are tweaked to create negative space that matches the shape of the tip of the bird's wing. The angles of the terminals of the S are adjusted to match the angles on the C, for consistency. This detail helps visually tie the wordmark to the logomark, gives it a dynamic feeling, and also adds distinction to the wordmark for branding purposes.
Human Services Implementation Lab (iLab)
The iLab at Portland State University works with community partners in a variety of social service areas to build their capacity for self-evaluation. First and foremost, though iLab works in social services, its emphasis is data and program outcomes. This logo centers the ilab acronym as part of the logomark itself, with the dot on the letter i initiating a line on a line graph trending upward over time. The focus is on evidence, reliability, and improvement, while the smaller details emphasize partnership and ongoing support.
The counter spaces inside the letters a and b in iLab are perfectly circular, which echo the dots on the line above the acronym. The corner edges of the letterforms in "iLab" and "Human Services" are slightly rounded for a more humanistic appearance. The H in "Human" that begins the wordmark gently curves under the letter u that follows it to emphasize the "Human" part of an otherwise logic- and data-driven enterprise. This detail communicates partnership, collaboration, and ongoing support. The dot on the letter i in the full wordmark is enlarged slightly to echo the dot on the i in the acronym, which helps visually tie the wordmark to the logomark.
Educator Career Pathways Center
The Educator Career Pathways Center offers career development and coaching opportunities to k-12 teachers in Washington State. The organization is characterized by innovation, inclusivity, empathy, service, and “rigor and joy.” The owl face in the letters “p” and “c” symbolizes wisdom, as well as both teaching and learning – a metaphor for teachers who are also students undertaking professional development opportunities. The owl's forward glance is anticipatory of the future – looking toward innovation, progress, and improvement.
Visually, the logo is clear, minimal, harmonious, and open, with sharp edges that are softened by the perfectly round curve of the letterforms; the sharp/soft dichotomy insinuates “rigor and joy.” The shape of the crossbar in the “A” calls back to the shape of the owl's beak for extra cohesion. It adds a bit of character to the logo and alludes to the uniqueness of the program.
Upper Valley Forest Management
Upper Valley Forest Management is a forestry company that prioritizes ecology, sustainability, and long-term stewardship of forests on the land of the clients it serves. The goal of this logo was to communicate ecology/conservation, genuine respect for trees, and the warmth of the foresters behind UVFM. The soft color palette, lettering, and curvature of tree limbs and buds communicate UVFM's appreciation for trees, as well as their approachability. The "springtime" theme suggests renewal and regeneration, which speaks to UVFM's stewardship of the land. The branches reach up and to the right, implying growth and a prosperous future.
Halcyon Hosting
The word “halcyon” derives from the kingfisher, which has been fabled to have calmed the seas during its nesting season. This logo is based on the blue-breasted kingfisher (halcyon malambica), which boasts a mark on its back resembling the letter “H” – apropos of the company name. The kingfisher character is a sort of mascot for the hosting company's servers and service: fit and speedy, but also friendly. The tech-themed typeface also contains some shapes that complement the logomark, such as in the “C” that parallels the shape of the kingfisher's head, for example. The tiny notches off the corners of some of the letterforms echo the “notches” out of the bird's wings and tail as well.
The Institute for Educational Studies (TIES)
TIES is an accredited institution of higher learning for Montessori and Holistic Education. This logo gives equal weight to the ideas of ecology and cosmology, two core focus areas of Montessori Education. The green “leaves” reference the earth, and the “star” in midnight blue references the cosmos. The “dot” in the center of the logo provides a point of focus, as in a Buddhist mandala, and also unites the center of the logo with the exterior (the “star”). The abstracted shapes incorporate a blend of the organic and the geometric, and accentuate the balance incorporated into the logomark's symmetry, color, and meaning. Lora, the typeface for the primary “TIES” part of the wordmark is a serif, which is associated with academia and contributes to an aura of authoritativeness. The “x-factor” of this typeface that suits TIES well is the slight curve seen inside a few of the letter corners and serifs. This small detail adds a bit of flair, dynamism, and humanistic touch to what is an otherwise staid appearance of a traditional serif. The secondary text for the full name is set in Akwe Pro Regular. It has similar proportions to Lora but is less adorned so it is easier to read at smaller sizes. Its smooth forms complement the shapes in the logomark as well.
Inclusionary Practices Project (IPP)
The goal of the Inclusionary Practices Project is to integrate students with disabilities into typical classrooms. This logo communicates the ideas of integration, community, and inclusion with its rotating, overlapping design. Alternating colors "wrap around" their neighbors using a playful overlapping motif. The overall circular shape shows a cohesion among the constituent parts. The points meeting at the center of the design are individual units coming together “face to face,” as in a community. The round elements of the design reference IPP's child-centered purpose. The IPP wordmark repeats design elements from the logomark to underscore the brand ideas of integration and community. The two “p” letters are rounded and interconnected, mimicking the logomark. The letters are lowercase to appear accessible, warm, and friendly.
Athyrium Capital Management
Athyrium is an investment company focused on global healthcare investment. Athyrium's goal in re-branding was to project its strength and stability, while also emphasizing growth, dynamism, modernity, and partnership. The hexagon shape was chosen because of its association with organic chemistry and because its crisp edges communicate strength. The hexagon is comprised of thin lines for a modern, lightweight appearance and is situated on one of its points and split at an angle to create a sense of dynamism. The split creates 2 halves that convey the idea of partnership. Capitals were chosen for the wordmark to connote strength and a quiet conservatism, while a modern look compatible with the logo mark was achieved with a geometric sans-serif font. The A and R reach outward to underscore the ideas of dynamism and balance/partnership.
RAIN Software Technologies
RAIN is a Portland-based software development company with a large toolkit capable of creating a wide variety of software solutions. The logo pays homage to both the company name, via the “sideways rain” raindrop alluding to the weather we often experience in Portland and the dark hazy-blue that we often associate with our sky, and computing via the binary code spelling out “RAIN” inside the raindrop. The accompanying wordmark is confident and geometric, alluding to the logical aspect of programming.
Frontier Series of Pipeline Risk Software
Frontier Series of Pipeline Risk Software is an application designed to help reduce the potential for dangerous and environmentally damaging gas pipeline accidents. This logo combines the “F” for “Frontier,” the flagship nickname for the software, and a pipe with a control valve, a reference to real-world pipeline construction and to the additional control over safety afforded to the user by this application. The shapes are thick and strong, hinting at the improved strength and stability offered by the Frontier software; they also tilt forward, apropos of the software's forward-thinking concept.
Three Guys Grilling
3 Guys Grilling is a gourmet mobile food truck specializing in sausages and sandwiches that appears at Portland metro-area events such as art festivals and concerts. The “3 Guys Grilling” text in the wordmark is in all caps, thick, and immediately readable. The heaviness of this text indirectly implies “meatiness.” Making the font all caps and creating two lines for the text creates a clean look for this symmetrical “crest” style of logo. The banner has been added behind the tagline to help balance the weight of the text at the top and add to the “crest” appearance of the logo (the crest style conjures the idea of craftsmanship and artistry, harkening back to smithy shops). The script font for the tagline hints that the product is high-quality and refined. The logo appears modern to appeal to modern audiences, but pays tribute to craftsmanship at the same time.
Shenfield and Associates Attorneys at Law
This San Francisco-area personal injury law firm required a logo appropriately conservative to represent its profession, yet fresh and modern enough to suit its urban, design-savvy geographical location. The dark, rich, earthy colors in the logo can be immediately associated with the serious, age-old profession of law. The darker color stands out more while the complementing gray recedes, placing an emphasis on head attorney Shenfield and connoting the lesser role of the Associates. The logomark projects steadiness and confidence by being situated on a stable base and minimizing curves, and conveys strength in partnership by joining the S and the A together. The strongest feature of the logo is the contrast in the negative space that results from the way the letters fit together, which creates a unique and memorable shape.
Special Education Support Center (SESC)
SESC requested a wordmark-only logo, so the acronym's letters themselves are tasked with conveying SESC's core values of support, leadership, competence, and compassion for the communities they serve. To create a literal sense of support and connectivity, the two S's were constructed to wrap around the e and the c. The terminal ends of the S's have also been softened to give them a more organic, “human” feeling, to communicate the idea of people working together to help others. The S's lean forward in a dynamic way, and even though all the letters are separate, the letters fit together and seem to “move” together. The soft, “muddy” blue is relaxing on the eyes (and therefore psychologically relaxing) while also also conveying dependability.
People and Cats Together
People and Cats Together is a non-profit cat shelter that has been operating since 1981. The cat paw print inside the human hand print symbolizes the symbiotic “partnership” between people and cats that can be attained through adoption and guardianship. The pink color was selected as a nod to the playfulness of kittens and cats, and the celebratory act of adopting a pet.
Dr. G. Joji Yoshimura
This logo was modeled after Dr. Yoshimura's family crest, which serendipitously visually symbolizes Dr. Yoshimura's focus of work in the field of psychology. Its visual allusion to the complex patterns of the brain are coupled with a calming symmetry and relaxing, natural pastel color.
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