By Peg McRoy
John Johansson’s logo design was chosen from among 38 entries as the symbol for Hendricks County’s Bicentennial celebration in 2024.
The call for entries came from a steering committee pulled together to plan the County’s 200th anniversary.
The committee’s co-chair, Pat Baldwin, said that the committee was stunned by the number of entries and the decision was not easy.
“We loved everything about John’s design and were thrilled someone who grew up in Hendricks County created it,” said Baldwin. “As an added bonus, because he has designed other logos, he provided all of the versions we needed and has become a great partner to us.”
The colors and designs within Johansson’s logo represent poignant segments of the County. Green bands represent forests and parks, blue for streams, yellow Indiana’s corn fields, and black for the county’s contributions to transportation and racing.
In a subtle nod to the Native Americans from the Miami and Delaware tribes that hunted and fished in the county, there is a red circle just inside the logo’s outer circular edge. That shade of red is used by those tribes within their logos.
The torch in the center, similar to the torch in the center of the Indiana State flag, signifies the County’s role in Indiana history and connects it to Indiana.
“I wanted something that was upbeat and colorful,” said Johansson. “When you think about designing a logo for this entire county, it is tricky because Hendricks County has so much to choose from and I didn’t want to pick just one thing, like the courthouse, to represent it. I wanted it to be something that everyone can connect to, so when people look at it, it reflects something positive about where they live.”
The county is named after William Hendricks who was governor of Indiana when the County was formed in 1824. While researching for inspiration on designing the logo, Johansson found a quote from one of William Hendricks’ political opponents.
“The opponent said that William Hendricks had a smile on his face and a warm shake of the hand,” said Johansson. “I thought that if one of your political opponents can say that about you it is pretty neat. That inspired some of the colors and cheerfulness in the logo.”
Johansson is no stranger to designing logos for the community. He designed the logos for The Children’s Ballet, Downtown Danville Partnership, Main Street Plainfield, and the Hendricks County Arts Council.
Johansson lives in Danville with his wife, Anne, and two daughters, Lily (age 14) and Cate (age 9). He is a project manager at Eli Lilly and a graphic designer on the side. He serves on the Danville Rotary Community Core and on the board of directors for the Danville-Center Township Public Library and the Hendricks County Arts Council. He and his family attend Westbridge Church.
To learn more, submit ideas, or to become a volunteer, visit the Hendricks County Bicentennial website at Hendricks200.com
