French National Parks Logos
The Ecosystem
Rising the consciousness about the environment as well as because of Covid-19, it seems that people tend to go to nature much more than before. We are not that case but from this July, we started to live in Le Parc national des Cévennes (Cévennes National Park, PNC), a national park located mainly in the departments of Lozère and Gard, France.
Since my wife works at the archive center of the park, she brings a lot (a lot!) of books about it. One day, in an old hiking routes booklet I saw the old logo of the park, which made me want to explore the history of the logo of the park.
Regional Parks were one step ahead
Officially established on the 2nd of September 1970, PNC is the 4th national park in France after la loi du 22 juillet 1960 (the law of 22nd of July 1960) passed. Back then, according to the article written by Michel Rossignon —the former official graphic designer of the park— on the official periodical of the PNC published in 1974, les Parcs naturels régionaux (regional natural parks, PNR) had already created a logo system, which evoked a need of creating a logo for the PNC.
The creation of the PNC’s logo
Like the logo designers of PNR did, designer(s) first took 1–2 motif(s) representing the park. However, it revealed soon that using only one certain motif would get antipathy. For instance if the logo has only pine trees, it might not show enough the biodiversity. The bridge over the Tarn river might evoke Protestant religion image, which would not be welcomed by Catholics. And after considering the legibility, simplicity, and uniqueness, which are required to make an “effective” logo, finally they decided to make a logo with just “PNC”. But apparently, even though the direction was decided, the road was not easy, like the ones in Cévennes. The inclined one was used once, during the summer in 1971, but it was not clear enough, or rather beautiful enough, on the sign with arrows. Then it was straighten and fixed finally. Squared leaf, with each letters also having leaf shape, is simple enough to use and memorize, and appropriate for a park covered with massive forests.
New Ecosystem
I already mentioned above that the PNR was one step ahead. It was not only because that every PNR had already logos, but also it was created along with a system.
In 1990, it was the time for les Parcs nationaux to have a system. Grapus, a collective of graphic designers and artists which had been working together between 1970 and 1991, proposed a new logo system in responding to the request — seven logos for seven national parks.
The spiral new logo shows clearly the biodiversity of the national parks. Honestly, I didn’t like it at first because it’s too detailed so I thought it would be difficult when it’s used in small size. But actually, it looks more like leaves blowing in the wind when it’s in small instead of showing each species, which shows the movement of lives.
Pierre Bernard, a co-founder of Grapus and Atelier de création graphique, had been still working with the parks to create total design system, after the group disbanded. Today, walking in the beautiful park by nature leads you to see the beautiful works by human.
-Edit-
According to an article on a French regional newspaper Midi Libre, 20th September 2020, Julie de la Celle, a graphic designer and an ex-member of Grapus, says she was the very designer.
“C’est ma première vraie réalisation. Je venais de finir mes études à l’École nationale des Arts & Déco. J’avais eu la chance de rejoindre le collectif Grapus…… On m’a alors chargée de répondre à l’appel d’offres des Parcs nationaux de France. Moi qui ai toujours été sensible à la nature, je trouvais le projet très beau. Cela a été une aubaine…… Il y avait cette idée de spirale qui me trottait dans la tête. J’aimais cette forme pour son mouvement, sa symbolique de la vie qui se régénère. Il m’a encouragée à poursuivre sur cette voie”.
“It is my first real work. I just finished my study at l’École nationale des Arts & Déco. I had a chance to join to the team of Grapus…… They asked me to take care of replying to the offer from the French National Park. I was always sensitive about the nature so the project sounded cool to me. It was a windfall…… This idea of spiral was in my head. I liked this form because of its movement, its symbol of the life which regenerates. He encouraged me to follow this way.
Source:
Cévennes 2, 1974 at Centre de documentation du parc national des Cévennes
Julie de la Celle, au cœur de la spirale, on Midi Libre, 20th September 2020
More on:
Atelier de création graphique project page
Pierre Bernard & Grapus, “Graphic design of public utility”, 1942/2015 by Graphéine
