WORK: LOGOS
On this page, I have gathered some of the logos I’ve created with and for clients over the years. They are presented in random order—some are old, while others are very new. Each logo includes a brief history of its creation and its owner.
Examples of work in other areas, such as website design and visual branding,
will be added to this page soon.
Your business in heels!
By refining your graphic profile and visual identity, your mindset shifts, and your self-confidence grows. You stand taller and stride confidently into new challenges!
One of my clients has embraced this concept quite literally. Swedish lecturer, moderator, and author Anna Dyhre always wore green heels on stage (though these days, her heel colors may vary!). In 2013, we created a logo featuring a green high-heeled shoe to reflect her unique style.
annadyhre.se
Inspired by the Balancing Rocks of Zimbabwe
Theodora Rondozai is the owner and CEO of BESA Connect, based in Harare, Zimbabwe. The company provides Quality Management Systems for small and medium-sized enterprises worldwide. The logo draws inspiration from Zimbabwe’s iconic Balancing Rocks, reflecting key values essential to the business: simplicity, alignment, balance, and consistency. The global aspect is symbolized by the circle, while the layered design conveys BESA Connect’s central approach to making ISO standards easy to understand, implement, and audit.
Thanks for allowing me to showcase Theo’s logo on my website.
Lifting the building industry
One of my long-time clients, Ellen Øiesvold Palsén, is now the CEO of a news site and internet hub for the Norwegian building industry. We collaborated on this logo in 2021 when the business underwent a name change and rebranding. Through her business, Ellen aims to elevate the industry to new heights, symbolized by the upward arrow (can you spot it?). She also wanted the logo to reflect her commitment to environmentally friendly, “green” standards. I added the sun as a personal touch. For someone who signs her emails with “Sunshine greetings” and brings light to every room she enters, it only felt right to include a sun in her business’s logo.
After much consideration, Laura Templeton, CEO of 30 Second Success, finally asked me to redesign her logo in 2022.
(You know what you have, but you don’t know what you’ll get, right?)
This was a fun and rewarding project where we managed to retain much of the essence of the original logo while creating a modern design that meets the demands of the digital age. I’m confident the business remains instantly recognizable. If you’d like to learn more about our process, see and read more here.
In 2022, Judy Kane asked me to redesign the logo for her business, Aligned Consciousness. The main problem with the old logo, as she realized, was that it did not withstand digital downscaling well. These days, we have to use our logos in so many different locations online, and the spot allotted to the logo is often tiny. If the logo consists of very small details and thin strokes, which was the case with Judy’s logo, it will literally disappear in small sizes. If you want to see how we went about making this logo more adapted to modern digital use, you can see and read more about it here.
“Bevisste Valg” (translated to English as “Conscious Choices”) is a Norwegian recruitment and career coaching business. Their main focus is to “put competence in the right place,” which can mean different things to different people. There is a Norwegian proverb that says, “hang your coat on the right peg.” This means being in the right place at the right time for you, no matter where the peg is located. With this in mind, we decided to use an illustration of a peg in the logo. The graphic is a simple vector drawing of a very common type of peg used for hanging clothes, found in workplaces, schools, and homes throughout Norway—quite recognizable and unique as a symbol in their niche.
He recognized his business.
When Geir Bodin entrusted me with creating a new logo for his business, “Bookingkoden” (The Booking Code), one specific idea immediately came to mind. Geir’s passion is bringing people together. He is the ultimate networker—always keeping a close eye on his connections, introducing the right people to one another, and, with great satisfaction, checking them off his list of “great matches.” Check!
What kind of icon could symbolize this? I immediately envisioned a bold checkmark, but could it really be that simple? A checkmark is one of the most generic symbols—it’s used in countless contexts and designs and appears in many logos.
However, I couldn’t shake the idea of the checkmark. I “wrapped” it in a package of ten different logo icon suggestions, sent them off to Geir, and the answer came back quickly: He wanted the checkmark! That’s when I realized—sometimes, trusting your gut is truly the thing.
Taking on the assignment of creating the logo, visual branding, and website design for both the customer and student portals of the Celestial University, founded by Jill Celeste, was one of the most comprehensive tasks I’ve undertaken. With a plethora of visual touchpoints for both internal (student) and external (potential student) use, it became a veritable “card deck” of graphics, all carefully crafted to maintain brand consistency. You can see more (though not nearly all) of them here.
The choice of the butterfly as the logo icon was deeply personal to Jill. Even though she has, at the time of this writing, paused the Celestial University, the butterfly continues to take flight with her as she follows her calling and passion for female online networking. She continues to grow her Virtual Networkers community, adding new members every month. The new Virtual Networkers logo will soon find its place on this page. Stay tuned!
Creating the logo for CHAPTER ONE Bookdesign with Catherine Williams in 2023 was a thoroughly enjoyable process, not least because the logo owner-to-be had prepared so well and knew exactly what she wanted. Her old logo featured a desktop computer with a book on its screen, and Catherine wanted to continue this theme of “digital book design.” We drew inspiration from the “MacBook” concept, leveraging the idea that an open laptop can also resemble a book.
At Chapter One Bookdesign, Catherine specializes in designing the interiors of books! Have you ever considered that the pages of a book need designing? Oh, yes! I’m sure you’ve noticed that some books are easy to read—the text flows effortlessly into your eyes—while in others, the words seem to “stand in their own way.” Catherine makes books beautifully easy to read.
Charging abstract visuals with meaning
Some people want logo icons that are very concrete, while others prefer a more abstract approach. This was the case with Christiane Barho, a Spanish leadership coach living in Germany, for whom I created this logo in 2020. We went through quite a process to find a way to abstractly depict the dynamics of a coaching process, where one part helps the other lift themselves in an upward spiral.
A process like this highlights how essential a co-creative approach is to logo design. The client must work to articulate what she “sees” with her inner eye, while the designer needs to ask the right questions and translate the client’s intention and vision into a visual that reflects her idea. Using an abstract visual language makes this both challenging and fun!
She loves old typewriters.
In addition to being the Chief Inspirational Officer of the publishing house Highlander Press, Deborah Kevin has a personal brand as an author, editor, and speaker. Debby has a “thing” for old typewriters, so the choice of a logo icon was an easy one—as was the main font, “American Typewriter.” That said, according to my logo design standards, I still wanted the typewriter icon to be one-bit, which posed an interesting challenge in Adobe Illustrator.
We used the brain!
Here is the result of working with Tracey Uhrig on a logo for her business, “FLIP YOUR MINDSET.” Tracey helps people process their traumas by flipping their mindset and reframing their story—both for themselves and others. This is all about transformation, and it happens within people’s consciousness. How do we visualize that?
We chose the brain as the central symbol, with the transformation in mindset represented by a sad hemisphere and a happy hemisphere. This idea was the only element that remained consistent throughout the process, though its appearance evolved significantly. We also tested typography extensively and ultimately landed on a typographical combination that reflects the duality of Tracey’s approach. She is passionately bold in her expertise while also being an informal and empathetic listener.
Heather Hansen is a “global speech coach” who dreams of a world where people from all corners of the globe can speak and understand one another. She contributes to this vision by helping people master clearly pronounced “global English.” I’ve taken some of her courses and worked with her one-on-one, and if anyone in the English-speaking world can understand what I’m saying, it’s entirely thanks to Heather.
In 2015, we collaborated on creating a logo and visual brand for her “Global Speech Academy.” It was an incredibly exciting process. Almost 10 years later, Heather wrote this post on LinkedIn, and I was moved to tears.
Creating a logo, visual branding, and website design for the Highlander Press project was another comprehensive process. Given the name and the owner, Deborah Kevin, being of Scottish descent, incorporating a Scottish angle was a must—but kilts and castles were off the table. 🙂
The idea came to me while visiting some close friends who travel to Scotland every summer. When I asked them what they considered to be a quintessentially Scottish symbol, they answered, “The thistle.” I nearly grabbed a napkin to sketch the idea on the spot, but luckily, the inspiration stayed with me until the next day. Back at home, I created a draft, turned it into a vector drawing, and sent it to Debby. Check out the testimonials on the front page to see if she liked it!
Working together to achieve goals
Trish Jordan, CEO of Jordan Consulting, had never had a logo for her business before. She is a leadership coach who supports and guides individuals in their pursuit of success and fulfillment in their careers. At the start of the logo design process, she shared this with me: “…what I really want to portray is working together to achieve the goals and that you can dream big and achieve what you want with a little support from a coach.” The tagline incorporates key words that are essential to her business.
I was trusted with this logo assignment by the agency MIST Digital.
Thanks for letting me feature this logo on my website.
Lily Woi is a people and culture catalyst who works with organizations. She says: “Transform your workplace culture, unlock your team’s true potential, and elevate your executive career. Behaviors and habits are contagious—change them for the better to unlock greater performance in your organization, your team, your career, and most of all, in yourself.”
After a deep dialogue, we clarified that she wanted to express this visually using abstract shapes rather than recognizable realistic figures. We ultimately designed an icon where the pieces of an organization come together to form an upward arrow—a symbol of success.
I was trusted with this logo assignment by the agency MIST Digital.
Thanks for letting me feature this logo on my website.
Since 1988, the Mackintosh family has been growing the tastiest fresh-picked fruit on their farm in Berryville, Virginia, USA. They cultivate strawberries, cherries, blackberries, peaches, flowers, apples, many vegetables, pawpaws, pumpkins, and more! Varieties are chosen for their flavor and grown on dwarf trees for easy picking.
Designing a logo with an apple is risky business, as a certain computer company has already claimed that territory. However, apples are a central crop for the farm, and the owners were adamant that an apple had to feature in the logo. I think we succeeded in ensuring no one mistakes them for Apple! 🙂
This logo was created in 2023 for the National Buffalo Museum in Jamestown, North Dakota, USA, as they transition into the North American Bison Discovery Center. I never imagined I would spend hours studying bison! While we don’t have bison in Norway, where I live, I found it surprisingly helpful to have a herd of cows grazing just outside my window as I worked on this project.
Creating the impression of a “herd” within the limited space of a logo icon was challenging. Aligning the animals behind one another by size proved to be an effective solution, and it also complements the stacked typography of the business name, which is quite long. And now, of course, I love bison! 🙂
I worked with Regina Kleinhenz on her logo, visual branding, and website in 2021. Regina is an expert in inner clarity and a Certified Clarity® Coach, helping her clients achieve greater ease and success in life, career, and business. The process we went through together was one of the most satisfying professional assignments I’ve ever undertaken. She fully committed to the work, sharing her honest thoughts and ideas while embracing my professional advice with gratitude. Regina has a wonderful sense of humor, and early on, we discovered a shared passion for ice cream! 🙂
SVARTAAS LANDBRUKSTJENESTER translates into English as Svartaas Agricultural Services and is run by two brothers who live locally in Gran, Norway. In fact, they are my landlord’s sons. I created this logo for them in 2019, not long after returning to Norway after living in Sweden for several years.
Only later, after spending more time in this farm-dominated environment, did I come to fully appreciate the symbolism of this logo. As the short Norwegian summer progresses, the produce emerges in the very fields where the tractor tires left their marks only weeks before.
Grace Muir, of Tailored People Development, works with individuals seeking growth and transformation. Her goal is to help people unlock the enormous potential within themselves—potential they may not even be aware of.
The transformation of a caterpillar into a pupa and, finally, into a colorful, free-flying butterfly is one of the most widely used visual metaphors for personal change. Grace wanted to incorporate this idea into her logo, which presented a unique challenge. We both recognized that visualizing the entire process would require a format similar to a comic strip, showing each step of the transformation. However, we were designing a logo—not creating a video. 🙂
Eventually, I found faith that we could make it work. By focusing solely on the first and last stages of the transformation, we were able to create an icon that captured the essence of change while meeting the requirements of a modern logo: scalability and clarity.
This logo, created for the Norwegian business Valdmanis & Co in 2020, is a great example of the importance of a tagline. This one translates to English as: Networking and Visibility. Without the tagline (and the icon, of course), it would be nearly impossible to discern what industry Valdmanis & Co operates in. Consequently, the role of the icon is to visually support the tagline.
That being said, there’s only one man passionately engaged in Norwegian networking with the name Valdmanis, so it was pretty clear who we were talking about here. 🙂