Dakota Ridge Equine, a business owned by my boyfriend's sister Grace, is dedicated to offering top-tier equestrian services. When approached to create a logo for this startup venture, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to combine my passion for design with those I care for. Our primary objective was to create a logo that authentically captured the spirit of Grace and her beloved horse Dakota, while specifically highlighting horseshoeing.

To achieve this, I delved into the design process with a clear vision: I wanted to incorporate Dakota's actual head into the logo. Knowing that Dakota holds a special place in Grace's heart, and understanding how her distinctive hair makes her stand out, I aimed to capture this unique feature in the design. So, I dove into Illustrator and got to work with the pen tool. 

Despite attempting to integrate a horseshoe around Dakota's head, I found that it cluttered the design and distracted from the intended simplicity. After careful consideration, I opted for a more elegant solution, replacing the "D" in Dakota with a horseshoe symbol. This not only maintained the focus on Dakota's distinctive features but also subtly emphasized the importance of horseshoeing to Dakota Ridge Equine. I opted for a fancier font to further enhance the logo's aesthetic appeal and to portray sophistication. 

Grace's preference for purple inspired the color selection, infusing the logo with a touch of her personality and creating a connection between the brand and its owner.

Through this project, I learned the importance of infusing personal elements into designs to create a meaningful visual identity. Additionally, I reinforced the idea of simplicity and minimalism when crafting logos, ensuring that every decision was made carefully and intentionally. This was especially crucial considering that the logo would be utilized across a range of mediums, including apparel, hats, and business cards. A simple and clean design not only ensures that the logo remains visually impactful on these diverse surfaces but also allows for easy scalability and adaptability to different sizes and applications.