New year, new site, new logo – Clarifying Complex Ideas, LLC

Last updated on January 12, 2023

Happy new year! Why not start the new year off with an all-new look?

Last year, I reached out to my longtime collaborator Brett at Type Orange to discuss a new logo. The evolving work of Clarifying Complex Ideas meant that the identity needed to change with the times. We talked about all of the things that I like in a design many of which seemed contradictory to me: natural themes reflecting my sustainability work, but also geometric shapes that just appeal to my aesthetic sense. A sense of focus and detail that correspond with the “clarity” concept of the brand, but also a sense of growth and expansion. Something that’s clear enough to be a distinct mark in small scale, yet can have elements that can carry to the back of a ballroom during a keynote talk.

Fortunately, he didn’t run away screaming.

The result is below: a sense of focus, but also reminiscent of sunbeams. It’s very geometric and suits the brief.

But the unexpected joy came from the patterns that the logo formed.

I can’t wait to find new ways to incorporate those patterns into slides, business cards, and notecards for the coming year.

New site

If you’re a longtime collaborator, you probably noticed the change to the site. In keeping with the sustainability theme, the site is now lean, minimalist, and easy to navigate. It’s also one of the cleanest out there, according to WebsiteCarbon.com. I’m using a green host to further minimize the impact.

You can learn more about sustainable content and why it matters right here on my site. Hopefully it will inspire you to make some changes to your website as well.

Making some updates

You might notice some wonkiness with the blog archive. Those files didn’t transfer smoothly in the site upgrades, so I’m manually updating them a few at a time each day between Zoom calls. I’m matching the original publication dates, but not changing any of the content except for updating broken links. With any luck, things will be 100% back to normal by the end of January.