Founded in 1992 by Johnny Schillereff, Element is a favorite brand among skateboarders. They are known for creating skateboard decks and other parts in a variety of styles, and they also sell some apparel and footwear for skaters. Element gear is easily identified due to its iconic logo. You can read this article to learn many interesting facts about the Element logo. We will take an in-depth look at the logo’s design over the years, and we will share some fun trivia about the logo and the company.
Element Logo Design Elements
Element’s logo combines a red tree emblem with a bold black logotype. This is their brand name, “Element,” in all capital letters. Each letter is the same height, and the font used for the letters consists of straight, even lines. Most of the strokes for the font are the same exact width, though the diagonal lines in the M and N are slightly smaller.
On the left side of the logo is a red, circular emblem that is just slightly taller than the logo lettering. The outline of this logo is made up of a single semi circular line on the bottom, and a series of dashed lines of the same thickness around the top. Within the main outline is another line of the same thickness that draws a complete circle. Inside of this circle is a single vertical line connecting several chevrons to create the shape of a tree.
Changes and Evolution
1. Shape
Element has used the tree emblem on their logo for years, but the overall logo shape has changed quite a bit. It was originally a logo with the company name on the left side and a square that contained the tree symbol on the right. After a little while, Element made the square much larger, and placed their brand name beneath it in small lettering. This was too hard to reproduce as a website banner or print advertisement headline, so they eventually went back to the more linear logo shape.
2. Color
Element’s red, white, and black color scheme has remained the most consistent part of their logo for years. The only change has been that the tree emblem is now a red symbol on a white background, instead of being a white symbol on a red background.
3. Font
Element’s old font was quite different from the current logo font, even though both are a sans-serif style. The previous font was an all lowercase font with very rounded, squat letters.
Influences/Inspiration
The Element symbol is meant to represent a tree. Dashes along the exterior represent the sun and clouds overhead, while the chevrons and vertical line look like a pine tree. This symbolizes the company’s desire to remain connected to nature and manufacture skateboards in an environmentally friendly manner. Using a nature-themed logo also helps connect the emblem to the company name, since the stylized image of a tree beneath the sun represents earth, air, water, and fire elements.
The redesign of the Element logo allowed it to better represent the company in the internet age. Strong, capitalized letters are visible even on small smartphone screens, and using red instead of white for the tree symbol makes it easier to view. Despite some changes, Element decided to stick with the same tree symbol. This allows them to maintain brand continuity, and still appeal to older fans of the company.
Trivia
- Element was originally a company called “Underworld Element” that primarily marketed to those in the hip hop subculture. This proved unsuccessful, so they changed their name and began marketing more environmentally based products.
- Famous skaters who have represented Element include Ray Barbee, Chad Muska, Darrell Stanton, Mike Vallely, and Brent Atchley.
- The first version of the Element tree was hand-designed by company founder Johnny Schillereff.
Conclusion
Due to the unusual shape of the logo, Element is one of the most recognizable brands among skateboard manufacturers. The tree shape of the Element logo helps highlight the company’s reputation for being environmentally friendly. Its strong color scheme and simple linework allow the Element logo to be used on skateboards, websites, and advertising. This logo is both versatile and recognizable, so it does an excellent job of representing the company.
Recommended Read: Volcom Logo Design History and Evolution
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