Planning

Mother nature is vast. So many beautiful locations to go out and explore. Some regions can be severely remote. However, there are many populated and well-traveled locations. Either way, one needs durable gear when traversing the outdoors.

Hiking is a huge passion of mine. I’ve been hiking since I was a teenager. Being in my thirties now, I’ve come across plenty of hikers and the gear they use. We’ve all seen outdoor type brands and what they bring to the table. Naturally, I wanted to come up with something different. I wanted a brand that brings conservationism and new “heights” to the game. What I mean by new heights is the connotation of Industrial Hemp.

Hemp derives from the cannabis plant and often gets a bad rap because of it. Although it may be the case, this plant often times produces insanely durable materials. Fabric included.

Cannabis may get you to figurative heights. However, hemp materials can withstand the elements to get you to literal heights.

Composition

I wanted to reach new heights. Figuratively, and literally. First thing was to start sketching up concepts and ideas. I started drawing mountains and trees. Boots, tents and bears. All kinds of things that resembled hiking. Some of the peaks I sketched resembled the local mountains where I reside.

Cuyamaca Rancho state park is located in Cleveland National Forest. The park houses the infamous Cuyamaca Peak. Along with it’s neighbors Stonewall, Oakzanita, Middle and North Peaks. Cuyamaca Peak stands at a monolithic 6,515 ft. above sea level. Making it the second highest peak in San Diego County. Its neighbors all over 5k in elevation. All of these mountains have incredible views of the surrounding landscape. All worthy of a solid logo.

Stonewall and Oakzanita would have been fitting names for an outdoorsy hiking brand. But somehow it still didn’t feel what I wanted to convey. After thinking for a while, I thought of Hight Point for the name. Logically it was perfect to bring my idea to fruition.

With the name chosen, I began drawing multiple concepts around it. Using the HP motif on some of the drawings helped with creating the final rendition.

Final Rendition

Most hiking brands have an easy to read logo. Conveying their message in a simplistic way. In some of my work, I tend to incorporate a theme, mascot or object of some kind. This often leads to a more illustrative logo. Because of the simplicity in hiking logos, I too wanted to keep it fairly simple.

After hours of typography and illustration I was able to come up with the above referenced image. I hand-drew the text and added a roughen/distort filter to give it a grittier look. Slanting the text slightly gives it the sense of going uphill.

Adding the location pin was a neat little touch I thought of for replacing the “O” in “POINT”. Because the I’s were matched up on top of one another, I decided to combine them to make them one whole arrow pointing up.

Keeping it one color is versatile and helps when using it in multiple applications. For web based media, I found charcoal brown being the best alternative. Apparel mostly in white or a reflective ink as an optimal choice.

Hopefully you’re an investor reading this. This is a great idea, and you know it.