Los Cerezos Logo
Client: Cascadia Poetics LAB/Los Cerezos Literary Festival, Seattle, WA
Scope: Logo design and visual identity development
Role: Brand identity and logo designer
Platform: Print and digital applications
Timeline: August – September 2026
Context: Los Cerezos Literary Festival is a Cascadia Poetics LAB initiative celebrating Latinx and Chicanx poetry, literature, and cultural expression. Conceived as a gathering place for writers and communities, the festival seeks to create opportunities for literary exchange, experimentation, and connection.
The identity needed to establish a distinctive visual presence while reflecting the festival's cultural and literary foundations. Central to the original brief was the image of a blossoming cherry tree, with roots expressing duende—a concept associated with Federico García Lorca that evokes the emotional struggle, spontaneity, and creative force underlying artistic expression.
The goal was to create an identity that felt culturally resonant, expressive, and contemporary, while remaining adaptable across festival communications, print materials, and digital platforms.
The Challenge: The challenge was to translate several interconnected ideas into a coherent visual identity:
The blossoming cherry tree as a symbol of growth, creativity, and renewal
Roots as an expression of duende—the deeper emotional forces underlying artistic creation
A visual language informed by Latinx and Chicanx cultural expression without relying on conventional or overly literal imagery
A distinctive mark capable of functioning across multiple formats and scales
The design needed to balance organic expression with structural clarity, exploring how the cherry tree could become an integral part of the festival's identity rather than a separate decorative element.
The Solution: The final Los Cerezos logo, developed from a concept titled The Living Z, integrates a flowering cherry tree directly into the festival's name. The tree's trunk and roots suggest the letter Z, transforming a natural form into a typographic element that connects the identity's visual and verbal components.
The composition balances the expressive, irregular character of the tree with the strong geometry of condensed, bold typography. Branches extend above the wordmark, carrying red blossoms and muted green leaves, while the trunk descends into exposed roots below.
The contrast between the structured letterforms and the organic tree creates a visual tension that reflects the festival's relationship between language, nature, and artistic expression. The roots reinforce the concept of duende, connecting the visible expression of the tree to the deeper creative forces from which artistic work emerges.
Key design decisions included
Integration of Typography and Symbol
Using the tree as an implied letterform rather than a separate illustration, creating a unified relationship between the festival's name and its visual identity.
Organic Expression and Structural Contrast
Pairing the irregular, gestural character of the tree with bold, condensed typography to balance spontaneity and clarity.
Symbolism Through Natural Form
Using blossoms, branches, and exposed roots to suggest growth, creative expression, and the underlying forces that sustain artistic work.
Color and Adaptability
Establishing a restrained palette of deep red, muted sage green, and black, with variations designed for use across print and digital applications.
The Result: The final logo establishes a distinctive identity for Los Cerezos Literary Festival, integrating typography, natural imagery, and literary symbolism into a unified composition. The identity extends into the festival's website and supporting communications, providing a cohesive visual foundation for future applications.
What This Project Demonstrates:
Integrating organic imagery directly into typographic structure
Translating literary and cultural concepts into visual form
Balancing expressive illustration with bold, geometric typography
Using visual metaphor to connect a logo's form with its underlying meaning
Developing a cohesive identity adaptable to print and digital applications