I recently completed a new logo design for the Open Gate Church in Victoria. I made nearly a dozen draft logo designs with open doors and gates of various kinds. But the final design ended up being a visual metaphor.
The three rings in this logo depict the initials of the Open Gate Church (O G C), while also making a maze-like pattern with a cross at the centre. This reflects the beliefs of this Anglican community that “the cross breaks through the maze of life and opens a gate to heaven.” This circular pattern has also been likened to an overhead view of semi-circular seating or a labyrinth.
Logo design at its best is a distillation of the essence of an organization. In this case, the various visual metaphors implied by this design convey the modern and historic roots of the community.
The final design is in black-and-white as it will primarily be used on the cover of the weekly bulletin. But color photos can also be placed behind the logo for visual interest.
