Menstruation Station
Overview: Branding and Logo Design
Role: Graphic Designer
Tools: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
The Health Promotion and Wellness Department on the campus of San Francisco State University commissioned my fellow graphic design partner, Yancy Martinez, and I to collaborate on creating a minimal, yet inclusive logo design for a new program they were planning on launching. The Menstruation Station is a new initiative to relieve students of the burden of purchasing expensive menstrual products, such as pads, tampons, and liners, by giving them away for free.
Inspiration
Our client made it clear to us that this logo should be inclusive to all those who own vaginas. In our research, we observed the relationship between the moon cycle and the menstruation cycle and wanted to highlight it in our logo.
Sketches
My partner and I collaborated on the sketches for this logo with the intention of communicating the phases of the menstrual cycle in a subtle way. By combining the four phases of the menstural cycle and the symbol for a drop of blood, we were able to create a shape that resemble both the anatomy of a vagina and a flower blooming. Once this was established, we brought the sketch into Illustrator to finalize the design.
Iteration
We began by setting a serif text to bring maturity to the logo and topping it with four blood droplets in a deep red. It then evolved into multiple shades to highlight the phases more, however this began to give the sense that all vaginas are pink. By playing around with the pathfinder tool, I was able to develope a multi-toned logo that emulated both the moon phases, as well as, the origin of a period.
The final logo for HPW’s Menstruation Station is both symbolic and inclusive for those who experience periods and need access to free menstruation products on the campus of San Francisco State University. As of Spring 2020, various marketing materials were developed with the logo on it, including sidewalk A frames, stickers, table clothes, etc.
