Research:

After researching the city of Graz, Austria, I recognized its contemporary and historical qualities. I realized the city had natural as well as metropolitan elements, such as the historical Castle Hill and the contemporary Kunsthaus Graz.

Drafts:

I was inspired in my initial drafts by the Graz flag, the Castle Hill Clock Tower, and other famous natural and architectural landmarks of the city. However, I felt none of my variations perfectly fit the heart of the city, a beautiful connection between history, art, and nature. I began doing further research on the history of Austria, as Graz is the second largest city in Austria and the capital of the Austrian state of Styria. The Edelweiss is the iconic national flower of Austria, including being populous in the mountains of Styria. The flower symbolizes rugged beauty, courage, and devotion. The word for the flower comes from “edel”, meaning noble, and “weiss”, meaning white. It is a rare flower, growing in high altitutdes making it both romantic and a symbol of elite military units. It is an incredibly strong emblem of Austrian pride and culture, shown in many artworks and images of Austrian nobility.

Finalizing:

After further researching, I chose the Edelweiss as a symbol of Graz due to its strong connection to Austrian culture and history. I chose the key forms of the flower as the double star pattern and reduced the flower to its most basic form. I wanted to make the logo bold and modern to reflect the contemporary aspects of Graz while calling back to its history and culture as well as its stunning natural beauty. The flower perfectly symbolizes the heart of Graz, and the font chosen to pair with the logo is Arnika Variable, created in Graz, Austria. The colors chosen to pair with the logo are red, white, green, and black to reference the traditional Graz flag. The logo is appealing to both citizens and visitors who can relate to and understand what Graz stands for as a city.