“Taiwanese Elite Network Association (TENA) is an organization created by a group of Taiwanese students that have studied abroad in the United States. The purpose of the Association is to provide a platform for networking and business interactions between qualified members. The Association promotes a positive sharing and learning environment for career development, while organizing various events to enhance the social experience.”
After reviewing the ideology and the functionality of the organization, I researched a series of icons, images, and symbols for inspirations: 
↑ Including “networks,” “graduates,” “students,” “Taiwan,” “career”..etc
During the development stage, I decided to deviate from the traditional mark and go with the style that gravitates toward web 2.0, a logo that looks friendly and innovative, yet maintains the professionalism of an organization. It may come off too playful with bright color combinations and smooth edges, so it was crucial to balance the design by utilizing proper fonts. 
The first concept:
↑ Idea was to joint forces between individuals, with overlapping region forming the shape of Taiwan.
Green and blue was chosen for neutral, peaceful essence: 
↑Turn out, there were strong associations between the two colors and should be avoided at all cost. Also, some mentioned the bottom edge of Taiwan come off just slightly awkward for certain eyes. I don’t blame them.
Moving back to sketch book.
Now prioritizing the “career” aspect of the organization: 
↑I designed a series of tools that associates with various fields across the board. I also include diploma and cap to represent the students.
Combining the icons into the shape of Taiwan. 
The final design: Gradients of various colors, retaining the web 2.0 feel. Also, most people may also have relation of it with the original “Taiwan” logo. 
It was important that the logo can be presented in single color: 
And in different placements: 
’til next time,
-Benson|| Twitter || the movement|| The Imaginary Zebra website || Shop of Imagination ||
