I love watching other people work. I take every chance I get to ask other designers about their personal creative process. Recently an awesome video done by Aaron Draplin for Lynda.com circulated through my network of design friends. Check it out:

Watch more like this at lynda.com/vimeo. Most logos aren't designed in fifteen minutes, but most designers aren't Aaron Draplin. Aaron's a Portland fixture by way of the Midwest, the owner of Draplin Design Co., and an advocate of "blue collar" design: design that works. Here he takes our logo design challenge, creating a dozen iterations of a logo for a fictional construction company. Not inspired? Just wait. Watch as he sketches, brings his ideas into Illustrator, and tests and tunes the different iterations. The logos Aaron creates prove design can elevate any company or brand. Along the way, he provides tips for freelancing, finding inspiration, and providing clients context for logos that won't just live in PDFs. Get a 10-day free trial at http://bit.ly/ldc-draplin

My biggest struggle when creating a logo is finding the middle ground between a clever concept and a beautiful design. So I gave myself a design challenge, with the goal being to create a logo that didn't sacrifice its beauty for brains - or vice versa.

The Client:

Initially my head was filled with "Discovery" imagery like the American flag on the moon and explorers claiming new lands by piercing the soil with the flags of their nations. I chose to use an apple to communicate the idea of academics. It works both as a wholesome image appropriate for the middle school age group as well as a symbol of appreciation towards teachers.

I was interested in the similarity between these forms so I started sketching, focusing on how these visuals could be combined. I came up with a base design I liked and took it into Illustrator where I played with line edges, font pairings and all that jazz.

Here's what I ended up with:

I wasn't very strict about the 15 minute time limit but I pushed myself to concept, sketch and complete a digital round of rough drafts in less than 25 minutes. The color scheme and playful font pairing bring the logo to life, enhancing its fun, youthful and modern tone.

I had a lot of fun with this and it might become a personal monthly challenge. We'll see!