Arbor Talent was founded by Jen Rhee, a top HR consultant who partners with national and international brands to build high-performing teams. While Jen is “in no way a square,” she’s always considered the square her signature shape. A University of Michigan graduate living near Ann Arbor, she wanted her brand to subtly reference her alma mater — “Arbor” — while also nodding to Michigan’s iconic “Go Blue.”
Jen loved the name Arbor Talent not only for its connection to Ann Arbor but also for the symbolism of trees and organic growth — perfectly aligned with her vision of helping companies thrive by carefully selecting and cultivating their teams. After our initial brainstorming, we explored tree iconography throughout art history and studied existing tree logos to understand what felt timeless and what didn’t work.
From there, I sketched multiple concepts and sent Jen a range of directions to consider. Together,
moving into Adobe Illustrator we refined the strongest ideas, to polished the forms, experimented with layout, and explore color palettes.
For the final design, we focused on finding the perfect shade of blue. Jen was drawn to Ultramarine — also known as Klein Blue or International Blue — for its energy and sophistication. After testing variations, we chose a slightly muted version: vibrant, professional, and unforgettable — just like Jen’s approach to talent building.
