The word “nanooq” translates in english to polar bear and Nanooq Inuit Art asked to be represented by this animal. Our challenge was to create an icon for a Canadian art gallery that stood out from the heavy competition of Canadian polar bear imagery.

 

The most recognizable details to tell a polar bear from another sub species of bear is their distinctive face shape and features. We focused on the head to bring Nanooq to life.

 

The logo process was greatly influenced by the Inuit art provided by the gallery. Much of the art used patterns and shapes within animal figures. Our solution was to distill those details down to geometric shapes which form the structure the bear.