On May, 6, Graphic design students were assigned the job of designing Connect Lake Elmo’s logo. Connect Lake Elmo is an organization based out of Lake Elmo and its mission is to get Lake Elmo more connected with its community. The organization came together to decide on a logo. They chose the students of Stillwater Area High school to design a logo for the company because Lake Elmo is in the Stillwater School district.

Creating logos is a large part of the graphic design job. This opportunity allowed students to work in tandem with a client to create a logo that is attractive and represents the client. In addition, the experience gave students a chance to have a feel of a career in graphic design.

“Creating logos is a big part of graphic design. It’s not all that graphic designers do, but it is a big part of what people need in society. So it’s perfect for career skills and real-life experiences, working with clients as you would for a job,” graphic design teacher Christina Weese said. 

Students had to design the logo using specific elements of design. For most students, this was the first time creating a logo. Students researched logos that incorporate elements of Lake Elmo and the different organizations that use the name Lake Elmo such as the city or the Lake Elmo chamber of commerce, to use as inspiration for their logo. Some students included significant places in Lake Elmo in their logo to help make it pop.

“I think the sun shining across the lake meant shining across all the people, connecting all of them,” sophmore Ben Lee explained.

After students designed the logo, the process of picking the logo came down to the client Connect Lake Elmo. Students submit their logos to the Weese, and Weese sends the logos to Connect Lake Elmo electronically. Connect Lake Elmo then analyzed each logo and decided which one or ones they would use to create their final logo. Clients have the ability to pick different pieces from each of the proposed logos to develop their final logo. Connect Lake Elmo is currently on version three of picking their logo. Within the next couple of weeks, students will be informed of the final choice of logo(s).

“It’s a client-based assignment, so it’s always the client who makes the decisions. So what we did is each student made a design, and then the client picked their shortlist. After they decided on what they would like revised on the logo and then they communicated that to the students who then created a second revision for their logo. I’m emailing the client. They said they would make a decision soon on which of the designs is going to be the final design. And I will tell the students that Connect Lake Elmo is visiting us in the next couple of weeks,” Wesse explained.

Connect Lake Elmo Chamber of Commerce is a group of businesses formed to help bring attention to the Lake Elmo community. Lake Elmo wants to help develop its local businesses. They want to help the community grow. Connect lake Elmo is looking for ideas and concepts to do to help bring the community together and having local students design their fit perfectly with the program.