IBLYARC Logo

A few months ago, I was asked to help lead the Art and Design team for the IBLYARC (International Buddha's Light Young Adult Regional Conference) held in Toronto this year. This is a fairly big project, containing (and will probably grow), a logo, posters, banner, souvenirs, all print media, handbooks, signs, stage decoration, all event decorations, and etc. And not just designing everything, but getting the right suppliers, people to help with production and logistics of everything coming together, looking good and being on time. (August 2013)

Illustration isn't my thing, I'm an industrial designer I say, not a graphic designer, but I took the proposal anyway seeing it as mini side project for myself and creating a temporary brand identity package for a five day event. It could be fun!

There are a few key items that were important in the making of the logo:

1. The theme is "From the ground up" and so it should play on that

2. Strike a balance between both a traditional and modern idea at the same time. (The temple being very traditional and the youth bringing it's modern touch)

3. Don't look the same as the Toronto youth conference in 2005!

4. Simple, clean, versatile because we'll need it on everything and everywhere

Below are the concepts from my team:

1. A lotus root. The seed of a beautiful flower, which grows from the muddy ground, up and out!

2. A ladder means you go up, a snake means you go down.

3. A calligraphy dot. A single calligraphy stroke begins and ends with a dot.