I am using a method that I developed myself for this design. The design method is R.A.D.F. which it means: Reflect-Research,Analize,Design,Feedback.

Reflect

Before studying and applying permaculture in my life,I always had some difficulties to individuate permaculture products and services,for a lack of clearance of appearance of informations. It seemed to me that people involved in permaculture were shy to state clearly what they were doing. I firmly believe in biodiversity and in particular in the permaculture principle "Use and value diversity",so all the colorful logos,marks and graphics that now appear in many permaculture organizations are an invaluable capital to me. I also believe that people that are not directly involved in the movement they would like some help in recognising permaculture products and services,that's why I am proposing with this design, a mark that can be applied to products and services, and that follows permaculture ethics and principles. I think it could be a mark that rappresent only a process. The permaculture process of design,produce and provide services. I don't think there is any needs of certifications because there are ready certifications that can be used like organic and biodinamic certifications. I will not discuss in this design the methodology of the application of this mark to products and services because this design is only to produce graphically a sign, that can be used in many ways and I would like to give the freedom to use it to everyone, that follows the permaculture ethics and principles under the creative common or copyleft. I,also would like to intend this design as an open source that everyone can modify in anyway possible to make the mark more rapresentative of the wide permaculture comunity.

Research

I have researched the logos,signs,graphics etc. of the permaculture community worldwide,on internet,leaflets,magazines,newsletters etc. as much as I could. Of course, I certainly missed a lots of them but this design is only a process and even if it can't include all the possible logos,graphics etc. around the world,it is still valid to understand the process how I arrived to certain choices and decisions that will make me design graphically this mark.

I have grouped all the different logos,graphics,marks etc. under four categories in relation of what kind of elements were prevailing in the images. Those categories are: Plants, human elements, natural patterns and miscellaneous. If in some images doesn't appears any text, is because the text was omitted from the graphics and this is not a research based on the geography or the types of organizations,where those logos belong, but it is purely image based, it is an image analysis.

Analysis

Comparing all the logos,graphics etc. above, I can destructure them individuating the most important elements that form such logos,in more details. Below, I have arranged them in a function-element analysis.

* It is a sign representing a specific culture.

Design

From the analysis above I will choose the elements with most connections,that appear more often in the research and with more functions. Those elements are: Human figure,hand,circle,spiral,tribal signs. I will include the image of the sun in the circle. I will exclude the plant elements because they are overused and because it is possible to include the plant concept in the spiral and circle which are natural patterns where often plants are part of them or work with their energy flow. Below are the first drafts.

Human figure

With those designs I wanted to concentrate on the human element,using the "Leonardo's canone" to represent a new idea of human being through permaculture. A human within the cycles,the elements,the flows of life. Also,not to forget that permaculture has been thought by humans for human survival. The words "within permaculture" mean that whom it is using this mark act within the permaculture ethics and principles.

Hand

The hand elements that I have used below is a track of a human hand, that it is also a tribal sign,because many of this kind of signs has been found in caves milions of years ago all around the world. It is a universal sign of humans,sometimes can be a signature as well. I have enclosed the hans sign in circles and circles with arrows representing a cycle.

Spiral

Below I have enclosed the hand and the Leonardo's canone in a spiral. This spiral is a tribal sign of the Hopi nations of North America. This rendition of the Hopi spiral is also common among North, South and Central Native American Indian tribes. The spiral represents the number of journeys or treks a tribe or nation has made to the four corners of the earth. Engraved on stones, the spiral suggests an intricate journey made to the Otherworlds and back. Generally, the spiral represents a broadening of consciousness, which is the destination arrived after a long journey.