With the school and its playground equipment so connected to the treed city park location, I chose to make leaves the primary graphic element in the design. A trio of elm leaves was positioned over the word "Childpeace," creating a situation where the descender of the "p" letterform hinted at being part of a tree branch. By extending that descender a bit, space was made available for the words "Montessori" and "Community" to fit in easily, forming a tight identity for the facility.
Making use of a gradation in the leaf elements gave the image a sense of warmth and energy. However, for ease of reproduction in some applications the logo was also produced in a version with solid leaves.
The Childpeace Montessori Community identity received a 2000 American Graphic Design Award.
With a move to a new location in the summer of 2003, and adoption of the name Childpeace Montessori School, the short-lived logo was retired.
(Note: My book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands, contains case studies from 35 designers and firms located around the world. Learn more about the book on the Identity Crisis! blog.)
© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives.
