Common Grove
About the Project
Common Grove started as something small and personal. Andrew Collins of Coldev Enterprises wanted to build a corner of the internet where his wife could meet new people - a place to find good conversation without the anxiety that so often comes with walking into a room full of strangers. What began as a passion project for one person grew into something bigger: a safe, well-monitored platform that brings strangers together around the interests they share.
The brief for the logo carried that same spirit. Andrew asked for a mark that represented two things at once - nature, and the joining of people and ideas. It needed to feel calm before it felt clever. For an audience that might arrive a little guarded, the first impression had to be an open door.
Process
The answer grew out of the name itself. A grove is a gathering - separate trees standing together - so the mark became a gathering of leaves. A broad sage leaf anchors the composition, with a smaller navy leaf stemming off of it: one growing from the other, distinct but connected. A third leaf at the base completes the cluster and gives the whole form a quiet sense of growth.
Color did a lot of the heavy lifting. Sage green is soft and welcoming without losing its roots in the natural world, and navy brings steadiness - the feeling that someone is keeping watch. Together they say exactly what the platform promises: come as you are, and you'll be safe here.
And there's a little something hidden inside it. Invert the curves and points of the leaves, and the shape resolves into a heart - a small way of showing the love that started this whole project in the first place.
Color Palette
#7C9E8A
#1B2A4A
#C8A96E
#123524
Typography
- Cormorant Garamond Regular - Common
- Cormorant Garamond Bold - GROVE
A classical serif that reads warm rather than formal. "Common" sits in a regular weight and navy - approachable, the everyday half of the name. "GROVE" steps up to bold in warm gold, giving the place itself a little weight and glow. One typeface, two voices - the same idea as the leaves: different, but clearly together.
Primary horizontal lockup - mark and wordmark together
Color variations - phthalo, navy, and sage marks in horizontal and stacked lockups
Tools Used
- Adobe Illustrator