As a designer of many, many, logos, I bring a lot of experience to the task of distilling ideas down to the essential message.

But this one, having a deep personal connection, has been a bit more of a challenge.

I have had so many ideas on how to incorporate the story of my grandfather into this identity.
You see, my grandfather Appleton was a multi-faceted man.
He was best known as a publisher, but he was also a trained architect and designed the family home, which still stands in Toronto.

This is where the name house of appleton comes from, to honour the two parts of him … and I love the double entendre in the name, since publishing companies have historically been referred to as publishing houses.

The white circle represents one of the ambitious pieces that my grandfather undertook in his career, creating over 400 books
under the White Circle Series imprint.

Although the tree seems like a cliché, it also serves many purposes, especially the root system! So many people said
“the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” when I introduced them to this new project, that I thought, well, it just has to be there!
I also started to like the whimsy of this design, especially in contrast to my very serious looking grandfather photo.
(I’ve never seen a photo of him that he didn’t look serious, but I understand he was a jovial fellow.)

And yes, the font chosen, Core Rhino, came after a good long look at dozens of other choices. It offers a soft, gentle and friendly presence, while still holding its rightful position in the world.

There was the option of designing a logo that had the look of something that had been around for decades, a more historical sort of design. I tried this and it felt wrong. If I had worked directly with my grandfather, then maybe … but I am starting from scratch, and an ethereal connection to a man I never met.

If you would like to read more about my grandfather, and see why I am so taken with the legacy of this man, here’s a longer story.

Franklin Fletcher Appleton Publishing History