Gap
In 2023, I was commissioned to design a badge-type logo for the city of Cullman, AL, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the founding of their city. They wanted the German flag colors to be dominant in the logo, to reflect the strong German heritage of the area, as well as to have the following components represented: agriculture, railroad, and the Bavarian blue and white check pattern. This was my first draft:
After reviewing my first draft of the logo, the City of Cullman decided they wanted to go all-in on the history of Cullman, and fit as much as possible into the logo. As large as that new list of needs was, it was actually exciting to be challenged with hiding that many "easter eggs" into this new logo. The new requests included:
Community / Unity, Poultry, Religion, Education, Industry, Parks and Recreation (reflecting Quality of Life)
Also requested for the revised logo was to have it look more like a traditional Coat of Arms, and for the items represented to be more symbolic rather than iconic representations.
In the last few rounds of edits, we were able to nail down the really important features that would remain in the final logo. Incorporating a Phoenix (rather than a Griffin from a previous draft) made sense as the man that founded Cullman was run out of Germany, but was quite persistent to create a new thriving community. He intended to start a vineyard community, but strawberries grew better in that location, so the strawberries replaced the rooster icons; also because there was uncertainty about the timing of the rise of poultry there.
Inside of the final version of the Coat of Arms, you will find these historic representations:
German Heritage – Bavarian Blue and White Check Pattern; Black, Red, and Yellow Colors
State Heritage – Red and White Alabama Flag
Religion – Cross
Transportation – Railroad Tracks
Agriculture – Strawberries and Leaves
Strength and Community – Oak Leaf and Acorn
Resurrection – Phoenix
Education – Torch
Industry – Hammer
State Heritage – Red and White Alabama Flag
Religion – Cross
Transportation – Railroad Tracks
Agriculture – Strawberries and Leaves
Strength and Community – Oak Leaf and Acorn
Resurrection – Phoenix
Education – Torch
Industry – Hammer
Gap
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