the story behind the graphic

This graphic, created by the HPCO Creatives Commission, tells the story of Harper County, Kansas. The graphic needed to be something that was simple, modern, appealing….and most of all, a true representation of our community.

This landscape with horizontal lines, something quintessentially Midwest, represents our geography and topography. The square shape of the original design reflects the shape of our county, but the design also provides lots of flexibility (as shown on the downloads page).

Each color and segment of the design represents an important piece of Harper County:

• The big blue sky shows the open space, but also the potential and opportunities here.

• The rising yellow sun represents a new dawn, looking forward into a new day.

• The grey stripe depicts the highways connecting us, but also represents the manufacturing industry that is thriving here.

• The two green segments show the growth happening here. This growth is multi-faceted: in new wheat, in fresh ideas, in local entrepreneurship.

• The yellow land stands for wheat and sunflowers, for harvest, and the history of the land. It also represents the economic opportunity found here, and its hue reflects back the golden optimism of the rising sun.

One last detail has been worked into the design: Many of these elements can be found in other places. But here in Harper County, they all come together to make a very specific place and community. If you turn the graphic clockwise 90 degrees, you’ll find HP embedded into the landscape.