In 1991 an artist friend of mine told me, ‘You look, but you don’t see’. Years later during my coaching training I learned to analyse things in order to glean as much information as possible from any given situation. When we analyse we see just how much information is available and how much we can learn about something or someone.
To highlight this, let’s take the C-volution logo as an example. Before you read on, I encourage you to take a good look at the logo at the top of this page and determine for yourself what it means for you. What do you see?
The logo represents the work I do. I spent weeks perfecting the current version, trying all sorts of combinations, sizes, rainbows (although, strictly speaking, it’s not a rainbow). Most of the considerations and observations listed below were intentional. Others appeared in the final analysis.
The Name
Firstly, the name C-volution comes from a combination of Coaching and Evolution. Two words which sum up very well what my work is about. Furthermore, it is a satisfying element of the name that it is taken mostly from the second of those two words. This is because the coaching aspect is only a fraction of what is needed. The majority of the work is done by the client and that is where the evolution (personal growth) lies.
Evolution
The logo has been designed so the ‘C’ also looks like an ‘e’ (as well as a prism). I wanted the name to look as much like evolution as possible, because of the importance of that subject in my own development. I find it a fascinating field of study and one which helps me to understand more about how we came into being and, therefore, why we are the way we are.
The Prism
The prism depicts the process we go through in our personal development. A prism takes the incoming white light and splits it up into its constituent colours. Put simply, the client is represented by the white light and, through personal development, is able to see his/her colours in all their beauty. Interestingly, a former bank colleague of mine, when I asked him what he thought of the prism, said he hadn’t even seen it as such. To him it represented the greek letter delta ∆ (which is used in mathematics to denote change).
It’s About the Development, Not the Coaching
The refracted light moves through the first ‘O’ and shines onto the words at the front. This gives the logo more depth and also reinforces the first point, because the light is shining on the Personal Development, not on the Coaching. The work I do is not about the coaching. It is about the development of my clients. Without their commitment there can be no progress.
You and I
The refracted light shines across a number of the letters of C-volution: namely o, l, u, t, and i. Of those letters, there is one which has more light shining on it than any of the others. That letter is the ‘u’, whereas the ‘i’ has the least light on it: a reminder that the work is about the client (you), rather than the coach (I). This does seem a somewhat corny point to make, but it is nevertheless valid. And it made me smile when I noticed it.
The Journey
Finally, I like the way the light travels from the back of the depth of field, through the ‘O’ of C-volution and on to the front. It signifies the (long) journey of personal development.
We can analyse anything and everything in this way. Sometimes we may over-interpret things, but if we do no analysis at all, we miss out on a wealth of useful information. Sadly, that friend of mine is no longer with us. But, when I look at things now, I see so much more.