The Commission 00007-The Jefferson Notebook by Strathmere Leather

I thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with Aaron on the logo designs. His entire brand identity resonates with me, and I loved it so much that I began drafting ideas as soon as I saw his new projects, even before he requested them!

This time, I've worked on the commissioned logo for The Jefferson Notebook case, his latest product for Strathmere Leather—one that I hope to get my hands on soon. Being able to use a product for which you designed the logo will be truly remarkable, but that's a story for another time.

Initial concept

Initially, I aimed to capture the essence of spontaneous creativity that comes from taking a notebook everywhere. I wanted something that could be scribbled in at a moment's notice while still looking great.

Conceptualizing

However, once I received the actual brief from Aaron, which called for a design reminiscent of early colonial America—specifically Jeffersonian in style, look, and feel—I had to adapt my approach.

As a result, I decided to simplify it, opting for a smoother flow rather than a hurried scribble. I'd incorporated subtle decorations with simple calligraphy to reflect how writing can grant us freedom effortlessly—writing can truly soothe our souls. This design will reflects a smoother, more elegant flow, aiming to capture that soothing essence of writing.

He green-lit the design's concept and tone, so the next thing was about the handwriting style.

My first thought was to draw inspiration from Thomas Jefferson’s signature, but it turned out to be illegible! Instead, I decided to focus on the common handwriting style of that era.

After exploring historical documents and calligraphy samples from that era, I came across the handwritten Declaration of Independence, which truly set the tone for my project. This discovery inspired me to pursue a similar direction. Fast forward—I found the American Scribe font, which is inspired by Timothy Matlack's penmanship for the Declaration of Independence, a document authored by Thomas Jefferson. Now, we have a handwritten logo infused with such rich history! I felt like I had won the lottery with how fortunate I was!

Finalizing the Design

Next, I needed to incorporate this handwriting style into a suitable logo.

I traced the words "The Jefferson" from the typeface to understand the nature of each stroke. The final process involved stylizing certain letters to create a logo-like appearance and adding decorative elements. My goal was to draw attention to the center of the logo as much as possible; thus, every swash needed to point toward the center without being overdone.

To further enhance the traveler’s notebook aesthetic, I added a paper background inspired by vintage papers and included scratches resembling leather texture to align with Strathmere Leather branding. Additionally, I utilized the color palette developed for the brand.

And that's it!

In the end, I’m really proud of how it all came together!