a logo for PlanetJune!
I thought I was being pretty clever when I designed my blog header in 2007: 7 pictures, to give an idea of the variety of crafts I do (crochet, polymer clay, sewing, sketching) and tied together into a ‘patchwork’ using the same zig-zag ‘stitches’ I used to make my Japanese-inspired patchwork lunch bag.
When I designed the shop, I used the same header, but swapped the non-crocheted items for more crochet patterns you can find in the shop.
It was all very clear and self-explanatory, in theory, but it didn’t quite work out that way. Over the years, I’ve had several enquiries about each of the crochet patterns in my blog header that aren’t available in my shop, and I’ve had to explain over and over again that the donkeys are pencil sketches, the tiny flowers and avocados are polymer clay, and the poinsettia is sewn from fabric – they clearly aren’t as obviously non-crocheted as I had thought…
The obvious solution to replace the old design was to design a real logo for PlanetJune: a symbol to represent me and to use throughout my website. I started the process in 2009. I read books and articles on good logo design and I knew exactly what I wanted, but I had problems drawing it without adding too much detail.
I’m too stubborn/controlling to ask for outside help: PlanetJune is my baby and it just wouldn’t feel right for the symbol that represents me to be created by somebody else. Then life got in the way, and it wasn’t until I was forced by circumstance (I discovered that my old zig-zag template is no longer on my computer!) that I thought much about the logo again.
Long story short: I drew 2 pages of sketches, made 15 digital prototypes, and now, 3 years later, it’s finally ready. So here it is: the PlanetJune logo…
I hope it’s obvious what it represents!
As you can see below, I’ll be changing the text for the various parts of the site; I have a square version for avatars and anywhere I need a smaller logo; and I even have two teeny tiny ones for my favicon (the tiny square image you see next to a website’s name in your browser):
I was planning to wait until the whole site was ready to relaunch before announcing the logo, but I have some new web projects that I want to launch in the next couple of weeks, and I can’t use the old design now I’ve lost the zig-zag source file. Redesigning the blog and shop while putting my new projects together and running the rest of my business would be a huge job, and I don’t want to delay the exciting new projects until I can redesign everything.
So: a compromise. The new pieces will have the new design, and the homepage, blog, shop, mailing list, and everything else will get their redesign when I have time. (Although the whole site looks the same, each of those things is built with a different structure going on behind the scenes, so updating each one will be a large individual project.)
I do care about looking professional, but at the end of the day, I am a one-person business, and maybe the rules of professionalism that apply to a larger business should be a little more relaxed for an indie business. Until the day I can clone myself so I have a web designer/developer, a customer service rep, and a creative director, I still have to wear all those hats, and, as my business grows, it’s becoming more difficult to fit everything into my day and still have some sort of a life! I’ve realised it’s compromise or collapse at this point, and so I choose to compromise – the world won’t end if my logo takes a while to spread throughout my website!
I’m so excited to finally have a logo for PlanetJune! I hope you like it too. (And, just in case it wasn’t immediately obvious to you, it’s a yarn planet – what else would PlanetJune be made from?!)
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K. Wagner said
Wow, looks great! I remember your previous planet site layout – but only when I saw this! Great use of old and new ideas. 🙂
June said
Wow, you have a good memory – I got rid of that design years ago! I’m very happy I can have a planet back in the site design again, but with much more relevance this time around 🙂
sue said
Brilliant, brilliant logo June, says it all!
Look forward to Planet June taking over the world!
Haakdraakje said
Well done! It looks really professional! And totally represents what you stand for!
I understand you want everything to be perfect, but after all, you’re a yarn designer. Who cares if you don’t have a real logo/banner, as long as the patterns are adorable 🙂 That’ts what we visit your blog for after all.
Richard Rose said
The logo looks great. I would offer my services as Web Designer but I’m only 4 weeks into my course so I’m not ready to hang that shingle just yet.
June said
Good for you for learning, Richard – web skills are always useful! My site uses html, css, php, mysql and javascript, so it’s pretty complicated, and there’s not much chance I’ll ever be able to afford anyone (other than myself) to be my web dev! Luckily I enjoy doing the coding too 🙂
Shannon Lewis said
I love it. Fits perfectly and very creative use of the yarnball. My day job is in the printing industry and I see a lot of designs. You’ve done a good job. Sometimes it’s the simple thing that is the best. Having several versions of it will serve you well over the long run. Best of luck on all of your new endevors.
Heather Hoover said
LOVE it! I feel the same way about logos and such. I want to design it myself so it truly represents what I am and what I want! BUT, it’s so much more work! Now you can add this to your ever-growing list of outstanding achievements! : ) I’m cheerin’ for ya!
Sandy G. said
June, it’s lovely. You are such an inspiration! I know this isn’t really the right place for this comment, but I just wanted to tell you that I started to make a new creature that uses the loop stitch. There was a photo explanation of the stitch in the pattern, but I didn’t quite get it, so I tooled right over to your PlanetJune videos, watched it twice, and off I went! Thank you so much for helping to make the world of crochet so much fun!
Lynn said
I love the logo, too. It is perfect. If I had just seen the logo without the words I would know who it belonged to. 🙂 So cute.
Andie said
Ugh, Logos are hard. Looks great knew what it was and what it represented right away and 1 color printing is a huge bonus! 🙂
June said
Yay, thanks, Andie! I intentionally kept it in one colour so I could print in black and white and still have it look good – I didn’t know about any of this before I started, but all the background reading I did before I started really helped. (Never underestimate the power of research!)
Melissa Langer said
i LOVE your new logo june!
it is perfect!
🙂 melissa
Sunny said
It looks awesome! I love it! I was thinking it was going to be planetary (given the name and all) and was like watch she’ crocheted the Earth and put that up there. 🙂 I am delightfully surprised. I love it.
June said
Haha, I’m glad to have delightfully surprised you, Sunny 🙂 I did think about a crocheted Earth at one point, but I think having a photo as a logo would have been a terrible idea!
Simone said
I love it! So simple and authentic, clearly one of your designs!
Susan said
Love it! I’m so clueless that I just thought that it was a ball of yarn. Which would be awesome, then read your description… OF COURSE, it’s a planet of yarn!
camelama said
Love it, it’s just perfect for you and your blog. 🙂
Theresa said
Perfect for PlanetJune!!! Jupiter and June start with the same letter too! very clever! Crochet for the “Future”!!! and beyond! LOL
Trystan said
very awesome new logo!
Carina said
Hooray for the new logo and hooray for compromising! Compromising isn’t easy when you’re a bit of a control freak, right? I know, ‘coz I’m one too. 😉
June said
Not easy at all! I want to do everything and I want it all to be perfect…
Stacey Trock said
Beautiful!
PurpleJ3nn said
I love it! Silly me, assumed you would have already had a logo.
It is fun and yes, I believe it is self explanatory to any yarn lover, I think. I also like that it is simple and can be interchanged and used various ways.
June said
Oh, I know, this was loooong overdue! But a lame logo is worse than no logo, so I’ve been waiting until I could do it justice 🙂
clara tebeau said
way to go June, congratulations, keep up the good work, i do love the Logo it says it all!!!!
June said
Thank you so much, ladies! Graphic design is really not my forte, so I spent a huge amount of time trying to making the logo look so simple. I was 100x more nervous about launching this than I am about a new pattern, so I’m very, very happy you like it 🙂
Carol said
I love it! I think it’s perfect 🙂
clara tebeau said
this is lovely… i am so happy and grateful for you!!! way to go keep up the good work!!!
Haley J. said
I love it! It’s simple and memorable. Nicely done as always, June. 🙂
Silverlotus said
I really like the new logo, June.
Monica said
Looks lovely!!! Although I will say I will miss the picture banner 😀 But I do really like the new logo!!! Yay, PlanetJune!!! Hope the ‘redecorating’ will go smoothly!!! Good Luck!
June said
Thank you, Monica! The pictures won’t be going away completely; when it’s finished there’ll still be something pretty to look at in the header – that’s the next part of my grand redesign plan! 🙂