Sarah Swanson: Process Documentation
Corporate Identity, Fall 2017
Table of Contents
Project 4: Restaurant Process
Project 3: Museum Logo (Identity)
Project 2: Olympic Bid Logo
Project 1: We Stand Together
Restaurant Process
Final Identity
3 Crit Questions
I learned alot from the crit of my guidelines poster. I misspelled the word luxury, and could use better rag management on the mission statement. I also was told to include the pantone in the color category. Seeing examples of good photography use was suggested(3–5) and that I should remove the words “version of the logo” from my logos. Specify to reverse out in white on dark backgrounds, and say one inch in length when talking about minimum size. Mention that anything smaller than one inch drop the tagline. Show examples of stationery and collateral, to be more detailed. To show this I could put them in a mock. I accidentally switched the titles cases and colors under the type section, so I will fix that. It was said that I should flip the words brand guidelines and the logo, and perhaps make the logo smaller. In order to fit all this information I was permitted to change the size of the poster, which I didn’t know we were allowed to do. However I don’t want to tile my poster so I will find out the max size the roll printer can print. I could reorganize the information so that all the logo stuff is grouped together. Also since I only have one platter I should change the wording under the brand elements section to platter instead of platter(s). It is also nice to show both cases for myriad pro and trajan, like AaBb. Adding the rule that the icing can be altered, as long as the size always increases from left to right was also suggested.
I agree with the majority of the information and advice given during crit today. I will make sure I check for spelling errors next time as well, and make these changes to improve my poster. I don’t feel like I disagree with anything people had to say.
I plan on making these changes moving forward for the best possible design. I hope that these changes will make it a strong piece that will look good in my portfolio.
Brand Guidelines
3 Crit Questions
My classmates gave me good feedback during crit today. It was said that I should put the red pattern on the napkin. Also, that I should make the letterhead spacing equal. It was mentioned that I could use special paper to print my materials. The pattern opacity was too dark on the letterhead, and could be closer to the business card opacity. My table number cards could have the pattern on the back of them to relate them more. The email could be mocked up in a phone or tablet. Finally, a paper cupcake or real cupcake could be used to display the topper and wrapper.
I think that alot of the things said were helpful. I think that adding more patterns to the napkin and table number would help make them feel more connected. I also think that by lowering the opacity on the letterhead the body copy will become more readable. I think that making a paper cupcake could be difficult, but I am willing to try it.
I plan to move forward with these changes and change the napkin to patterned, use an interesting paperstock, change the opacity, add pattern to things, and use mocks and bakery items to display the collateral.
Business Card
Envelope
Letterhead
5 Collateral Items
3 Crit Questions
The things I heard in crit today was helpful. It was said that I should add the type specimen of the fonts I plan to use, and that I should think about how I can create better hierarchy. It was said that the logos I am using on the page could be half the size they are now. And that the horizontal ones could be smaller than the vertical ones. I need to label the black and white and color logos, and separate things into sections so they are easier to read. I need to add things like stationary use, collateral use, and photography information. Also, the patterns and icing are a part of the brand so they should be included as well. Adding a minimum size would be a good idea, along with more word based explanations for things. Improving the mission statment to be more specific to my company and using terms like affordable and decadent were suggested. Adding elements to the poster such as utilizing the icing and platter would help it relate, and rounding the background in the bad background examples as well.
Two students also critiqued my poster. Aubrey said that I should separate things into sections or hierarchy. That way it would look less crowded. Abby also critiqued my poster, and said that she doesn’t see it as a poster yet, and suggested a grid system to help organize information.
From what I heard I think that in general I need to reorganize the way I have displayed the information. I think that the suggestions made were helpful and I think that adding a better hierarchy will help the viewer navigate the information on the poster.
I plan to move forward with these changes, make a grid, section things, add elements from the brand, and increase the amount of text explanations. I think that this will improve the overall look of my poster and add additional information that will give the reader a better understanding about what my brand should communicate.
Brand Identity Guide
3 Crit Questions
I heard a lot of useful things from crit today. I was told to include the hours and days on my business card, instead of a name. People liked the back red on red letterhead, but said I should use the light red from the business card instead of the middle red. They also said that instead of the halfway color bleed on the back letterhead that I could do a halfway pattern in the light red and stop it halfway. It was said that I should get arid of the bar and cherries on the front of the letterhead, and instead use an opac pattern in the back instead. People said that I could do the pattern inside the blood on the envelope. Also, I could use white icing instead of red on the back of the business card, and then change the background to red. Another idea was to use photography in the email collateral. My letterhead needed better type hierarchy, and it was mentioned that in general I could use more of the browns from the logo. For the other collateral items I could do cupcake wrappers, napkin wrapper bands, cupcake toppers, and/or table numbers.
I agree with a lot of the things mentioned in crit. I think that one of the best pieces of advice I received today were suggestions on what my collateral should be. I feel that the white frosting will look like snow, so I don’t think I will use that suggestion. I also probably won’t put the pattern inside the blood, because as a visual that doesn’t make sense to me. Other than that I feel that the advice today was strong and really helped solidify my concept and brand.
I plan to move forward with the majority of the ideas from critique, for example using a lighter colored pattern and adding photography to my email. I also will remove the cherries and bar and rethink the type hierarchy on the letterhead. I plan on including days and hours on the business card as well.
Restaurant Identity and 2 collateral
Business Card
Letterhead
Envelope
Brainstorming Notes
Library Research
Crit Feedback
I heard good feedback in crit today. People said that I should scale the head and platter down so that they are not competing with the type. It was also mentioned that I should make the line quality the same as the typeface, and that I should chose the Trojan 3 font. They said that the head image itself is too big for the platter, and that I should scale it down. Adding a curve to the neck would give it some dimension. It was said that I should try a horizontal type alignment.
I think the comments today were useful in helping me finding the direction I should go in. I think that the suggestions about making the image smaller make sense, and that the line quality of the type should be reflected. I agree that the head looks too big on the platter, but didn’t notice it until now. I think the neck curve should be added and I like the font that was chosen.
I plan to make the changes I mentioned above, and I think that they will benefit my design. I like that the image I have chosen communicates alot of different possibilities, a cake wig or cake crown, blood or icing, etc. All of which say Marie Antionette and desserts.
3 Digital Logos
Crit Feedback
The pass crit today really helped me narrow down my ideas and gave me strong ideas on what to move forward with. The things that people starred the most were the cake guillotine, the cake hair wig, and the silverware set where the fork becomes a crown. The comments that were written mentioned that the cake head should be on a display platter, and that the guillotine should be simplified. I was surprised that the ones I thought would be chosen were not, but I will move forward with the ones my peers have chosen.
I think that the ideas that were chosen best represent both dessert and Marie Antoinette, which is what I was going for. I think that the cake wig will be much more logo-like than real hair would have been so I am glad I can still incorporate a woman’s face in one of my finals. I am a little worried about how to simplify the guillotine and still keep it recognizable, but I am willing to give it a shot. I think that silverware idea is nice; it doesn’t say dessert right away, however it does say all-you-can-eat so that’s good. Plus the word tart is in the logo so that implies dessert.
I plan to move forward with these three logos and make the changes that were commented on during critique.
75 Thumbnails
Read and Respond:
Urban Farmer
One of my favorite menus is the one for Urban Farmer. I like that they have incorporated leather, symbolizing that they have cow products. I also like that they have chosen browns and reds as a color palette because I think they compliment the earthy and dirt colors that you would see on a farm. I also think that the imagery is extremely effective, considering they used their logo to brand their images the same way you would brand an actual cow to show ownership.
Tillers
I also like the restaurant menu design for Tillers. I think that using a type of wood with a blue undertone or that has been tinted blue was appropriate for a seafood restaurant. I also like that the menu uses old almanac images as it creates a home like feeling and also contrasts most elements of modern society. The long vertical shape of the menu clipboard is perhaps a little ambiguous but I associate it with the type of long narrow cutting boards that is actually used to prepare fish.
Crit Feedback
The feedback about my restaurant concept in class today was very useful. People said that if am going to use the Marie Antoinette theme, I should get ideas by looking at footage from the french revolution and look at the fashion and imagery from that time period. Line patterns and highly decorated elements were mentioned, to add a sense of elegance and class. As far as names and taglines, the ones that people liked the best were name: Queen of Tarts and tagline: desserts to die for. The reason behind these were that calling her “Queen of Tarts” was appropriate because she was not well liked and tarts are sour. Also, the tagline desserts to die for represents her own beheading during the french revolution.
I think that the comments in crit really helped me solidify my ideas and helped me strengthen the direction I will go in. I think that researching the time period and Marie herself will be beneficial towards developing the best design. I also really like the names and tagline that was agreed upon because I think it reflects my restaurant idea well.
I plan to make the changes talked about in crit and apply the things I heard as I move forward with my sketches. I think that as I look into these things more I will have a better understanding and become inspired by the material I find.
Mood Board
Museum Logo Process
Final Identity
3 Crit Questions
I heard a lot of good feedback during the individual crit today. One of the things that was mentioned was that the bellyband should come off and be a die cut so the image can be seen through it. The folder itself should be a collage of trains in rows that would resolve pixelation issues. The flaps could also be photographic but one color. It was said that the gift card holder should also be die cut. The gift card should contain more information, like To: and From: information. As far as the letterhead goes, the leading of the names could decrease but the space between the title Board of Trustees and the first name should stay the same. The back of the letterhead should have the logo larger and centered. On the front of the letterhead, perhaps a lion inside the color shape instead. On the envelope, a monocolor photo would look nice on the flap. Brigette said she would give me some epson paper to do the folder with as well. It was also mentioned that I could do a photo on the back of the gift card.
Second Finish of Identity
Identity Feedback 3 Questions
The feedback I got on my identity system was good. It was said that for my folder, I should do a full color logo with a white background on a full bleed image. For my envelope, I should fix the flap style, align the address of the logo, and only do one seal in a low opacity. For the letterhead, I should make all the side margins even, but make the bottom margin wider like the top. I should also make the leading of the board members and the contact info the same. Aligning the type in the logo again was mentioned. Right now my logos are close in size in all of my materials, so I might as well make them cohesive and all the same size. I should bold my website on the letterhead. For the collateral, although my ideas were interesting, it was said that I should make a gift card sleeve and gift card. Adding an “about” line or two somewhere on the sleeve or card would also help people who don’t know about it become informed.
Business Card, Letterhead, and Envelope
Folder
Collateral
3 Crit Feedback Questions
I heard many ideas in crit today. It was said that I should add the title board of trustees or council members before the list of names. I also should shorten the website to start after the www. For the envelope back, I should keep the colored flap and reversed out logo with no other text. For the front, I should keep the info in the left corner and put a small double seal in the corner where the stamp goes. For the letterhead front, I should keep the orange curve but move it to the right a little to open up the space for the letter. For the back, I should make the logo small in the right corner and of the orange bleed. Along with that, I should use more leading between information on the letterhead. For the business card front, I should put the horizontal logo in the left corner and keep the information on the bottom, but clarify type hierarchy. Also, in all of my designs, I should take out the text that says Email:, Phone:, and Website: because that is implied. For the business card back, I should have a red bleed and just the logo with no text.
I think that the feedback from crit was useful. I like that it narrowed down my options so I could focus on developing just these finals.
I plan on making the changes mentioned in crit and I think it will benefit my identity system.
Read and Respond
I really like the logo redesign for the science museum. I like how it went from being barely readable to much more legible. I also like how the new logo shows change, as a lot of reactions and transformations occur in science. I don’t like the logo redesign for Tru tv. It looks like all they did was change the colors they used in the logo, and that is not new or original at all. If I were the client and that was my logo that I wanted redesigned, I would be very dissapointed.
A company with a strong identity system is Caffe Pagani. I like the dark browns and oranges to relflect the color of the coffee beans. I also like the shiny foil affect that makes the materials look very classy. I like that the type is in all caps in alot of their materials, as it makes it easy to read from far away.
30 Designs( Envelope, Business card, Letterhead)
3 Crit Questions Feedback
I heard alot of final comments on subtle changes to make to my museum logo. People said on the horizontal version that I should flush left the tagline instead of centering it. It was also mentioned that I should add an exclamation point at the end of my tagline. I learned that I should change my clearspace identification from a number to an element from the logo. Also, I forgot to change the bottom specifications so I will change that. I also saw others paper formats and I think I will change my horizontal logo to vertical paper.
I think that the suggestions made in crit today were useful. I think adding the final changes will benefit my design.
I plan to make the alignment changes and and clearspace changes. I will fix the paper formats and typos. I think the exclamation point will make it more fun and interesting.
Museum Logo 3 Critique Questions
I believe that a lot of good ideas were brought up in this critique. I was having a hard time deciding on the colors for this logo and fortunately people had some valuable suggestions. They said that I should create blue eyes, red seals, and an orange mouth. This way I could break up the image and leave the interpretation open as to which animal people saw. They said to move the eyes up slightly as well. They said to keep the type blue to match the eyes and connect it with the image. I still need to add a tagline and I will ask my peers which one I should go with.
I think that the feedback I heard today was very useful. I am glad that I found advice on the final colors. I think the colors allow for many shapes to be seen and hopefully people can see the double image.
I am excited to move forward with this logo and make it even more successful. I think that by adding these changes I can make a better connection to the circus and to my audience as well. I also think it will be fun to see which tagline people think is the best choice.
10 Potential Museum Taglines
- A wisconsin historic site (original)
- Endless historic entertainment
- Memories and magic
- Nostalgia welcome
- Preserving the magic of the circus
- Experience the excitement
- Engaging the audience since 1959
- The greatest museum on earth
- Family fun starts here
- Capturing the past and inviting the future
Read and Respond
Circus World is ment to be portrayed as a place of history and entertainment to its visitors. They want to convey a sense of nostalgia and reflect on warm memories associated with visiting a circus.
The company brings an opportunity to admire circus collections and allow visitors to get up close and personal to circus exhibits.
Circus World is the only place to view the history of the famous Ringling Brothers.
Unlike most museums when the experience is not interactive, the circus world museum holds live shows and events for visitors. It allows for a unique experience that is much more engaging than a traditional museum.
24 Logo Variations
Crit Feedback 3 Questions
I heard a lot of useful things in crit today. People said that although the top two sketches had better type management, that the concept of the bottom logo was stronger. They also said it worked as a double image, the seals and a lion’s face. They said to add a platform for the seals to enforce the lions mouth. People also said that the balls should not be touching the seals noses, and that they could be smaller and decorated with stripes or stars.
I think alot of this feedback is benefical to my future design. I think that the lion and seal concept was unintended but now very interesting and something that I will push further. I think that adding a platform/lion mouth will help this. The seal’s tails will also serve as the lion’s nose so moving the circus type to the bottom and leaving that space open will clarify readability and help when the logo is smaller. Separating the seal’s noses from the balls is also a suggestion I will likely use, and I think I will make them fit the curve of the nose better.
I plan on using the feedback I got in crit to day and have a pretty good idea on what I plan to do. I plan on doing the double animal image and plan on making that my main forcus moving forward. I am glad that my concerns about type placement were resolved as well today during crit and am excited that this logo will convey the museum in a fun and interesting way.
Read and Respond Question
I would say that Nike is another company that expands its branding into their products. Their logo appears on almost every piece of clothing or shoe that they create. Because their clothing is covered with their logo, this reinforces brand awareness because everyone that sees you sees the logo on your clothes. Then when people think about which brand they want for sports apparel, they remember the popular logo they saw on other people. This drives the brand even more, and so on and so forth.
23 Question Responses
- One example of a potential competition in this industry would be other museums. Why should a consumer visit my museum over another?
- I think I am identifying these questions as I design. In order to understand my client I have researched information in advance to answer these questions.
- I am staying flexible. I am listening actively to others’ feedback and when appropriate, using their advice.
- In order to respect this brand’s heritage, I have looked us past logos and read their history page.
- I think the logos I have created could be used in a variety of packaging and branding senerios. They are simple enough and can be scaled to may sizes.
- I have not picked a typeface yet, but plan on using a fun san serif font that reflects the playfulness of a circus.
- I do not know what type of tracking and kerning I will do yet, but will keep this in mind when finalizing the design.
- I do not plan on using a hand created typeface, as I feel that there are many suitable typefaces that I can use that already exist.
- I probably will not use a sole type logo, as I feel this subject needs more character and personality that comes with my images.
- There is not the time nor budget to have a custom designed typeface for this project.
- I think that a circus musuem is a hard thing to simplify because it could be mistaken as an actual circus itself.
- I will avoid using shapes that are too general for my logos.
- I do not plan on using a specific geometric grid for my logo, as I feel that will limit my ideas.
- I will use negative space effectively, as I tend to do in most of my designs.
- Humor and wit may play a role in my design, as it is a fun kid orientated event.
- I have not chosen colors yet, but when I do I will consider the impact of the color wheel on my design.
- Again, I have not worked with color for this logo so I will wait to use this advice until later.
- I will most likely use color to control mood in some way. I want people to be excited to learn about the history of the circus.
- I am not sure what color(s) I will use in my logo, but I am sure it will suit the subject.
- Right now my logos are black and white, and I think that is less distracting as we work through developing the logos.
- I think it is very important to get many opinions. Other people have good ideas and can see opportunities you may not have noticed.
- I do not believe we are creating more than the logo at this stage, so I will consider this advice at another time.
- Motion graphics are not necessary for this logo, as the subject does not change.
Critique Feedback 3 Questions
I got a lot of interesting feedback from the pass critique of my museum logo thumbnails. People commented on their favorite ideas and gave me advice as to which ones I should move forward with. Someone said that I should change the shape of the show thumbnail to use create letter forms. One person even said one of my sketches was already a logo for a rapper, which I never would have known. They also said one of the clown ones came off as too creepy. Overall, the said I should go with the double seal w, the unicycle, and the elephant with initials.
I think that I will make the noted changes to the top three as I think the advice is worthwhile. They said to think about adding type to the elephant one, to to change to the type size on the unicycle, and to detail the seals in the final set.
I plan on making these changes to the top three to improve my logo design options. I also think that these changes will help the viewer understand the logo quicker, and that will be beneficial in the end. I am excited to see how these turn out and look forward to receiving even more feedback and opinions in the next critique.
Revised/Additional Sketches and Mindmap for Museum Logo
Existing Logo:
History: Circus World Museum is located in Baraboo, Wisconsin, because Baraboo was home to the Ringling Brothers. Baraboo remained the circus’s headquarters and wintering grounds until 1918, when the Ringling Brothers Circus combined with the Barnum and Bailey Circus, which the Ringling Brothers had bought out in 1908.
Visitor Reviews:
A really fascinating place! One of the only places in the world where you can see the facilities where the animals were kept, the range of circus organs and wagons is so big, and the posters are comprehensive and riveting. - Katherine L.
Who would have guessed that Baraboo played such a significant role in the history of the circus in the US? The history shared here was fascinating — this is the place where the Ringling Brothers started their circus in 1884, and they wintered here until 1918. - Marissa C.
There are several attractions at Circus World. They have a beautiful newer building where they are restoring many old Circus Wagons from all over the world. If you are up for a walk there are old barns — one is full of costumes. - MoLi2269
“Preservation of American History!”
This is an important part of American History — the travelling circuses. For children, it is an eye-opening experience that they cannot get in a classroom. For adults, it is a look back at times before computer games and Smartphones. - PROF_CONSULTANT
Contact Info: 550 Water Street, Baraboo, WI 53913. 608–356–8341
866–693–1500 — Toll Free
608–356–1800 — Fax
ringmaster@circusworldbaraboo.org
Tagline: “A Wisconsin History Site”
9/7/17
Read and Respond
Question 1 : My initial reaction to the logo was that it was an interesting concept and I think the idea makes it a stronger logo. It makes you really think about it, instead of it being just another logo.
Question 2: Responsive design to me is a design that interacts with the viewer and uses motion to express the logo. The pros to this are being able to show movement, which allows the designer to provide more information to the viewer. The cons are that, you can’t show movement on the printed material, so you are limited in that sense.
Question 3: I do not think that this logo is boring at all. I think simple doesn’t mean boring, in fact simple is usually better in logo design. Especially in a museum setting, you want to keep a simple design not to outshine the art.
Olympic Logo Process
Future Reference Crit Comment
Change Baltimore text to the same dark blue as the dolphin.
Olympic Rationale
For this project I designed a logo for an Olympic games candidate city. The city I received was Baltimore, Maryland. I found that the city had a strong harbor culture due to its’ location, which I wanted to reflect in my logo. I incorporated elements of the boating experience and sea life to showcase this. I chose colors based on the ocean and traditional colors used with the brand. I created an abstraction of the iconic Olympic rings and used them as bubbles to compliment the theme. The font I chose utilized negative space similar to my concept, so it suited the style I was going for. I think the color and black and white versions of my logo could be used on a variety of advertising and promotional merchandise, and I hope to use it in my portfolio.
Final Set
Olympic Logo 3 Critique Questions
Today’s crit was very helpful in narrowing down the final details on my olympic bid logo. People said that they’d like to see all the type the same blue as is found in the olympic blue bubble. They said to remove the blue line in the type as it was lost from a distance. It was also mentioned that “Baltimore” should be a heavier weight, a little smaller, and then tracked out to align with the year. Also, I should darken the clearspace lines in that corresponding version.
I agree with my peers and I think that these changes will positively affect my final design. I like the idea to make the type a light blue, as it will be another way to connect the type to the image. I also agree that a heavier type will be more readable in all aspects.
I plan to make the changes mentioned above and see how it appears in my logo. I am very proud of the way this logo has turned out and I think that adding the final touches from this last critique will round out my design and balance everything nicely.
Olympic Logos
Answers to 3 Crit Questions
I heard a lot of useful opinions in critique today. People said that they really liked the different color variations but thought that a few of them could be combined for the final logo. They also said that I should use a heavier stroke on the ring bubbles and fill half them in and keep half rings. It was said that the image would be more balanced if the type was larger. And that blue should diffidently be the dolphin color. They said to try “Baltimore” in all caps and maybe fill in the year lines with a blue color to relate it to the image.
I agree with what was said in critique. I think that a heavier stroke and a variation of bubbles would be a good idea. I already liked blue as the dolphin so I am glad that is what everyone else thought as well. I will try “Baltimore” in all caps, and increase the type size.
I plan on making the changes mentioned above as I think it will improve the overall look of my design. I am happy with how far it has come and am satisfied with it. I think that these final changes will bring everything together and make a strong logo that represents the city of Baltimore. I could certainly see this as a professional Olympic logo that could be used on a wide variety of materials.
Read and Respond
I have done a lot of editing to my logo as it has gone through multiple stages of development. I think that the message is communicated well in my design. I have not added a lot of decoration to my logo, as I tried to be minimal and yet effective in my strategy. I went with flat design specifically to avoid looking old fashion and to avoid readability issues.
20 Color Variations
24 New Variations
Crit Feedback 3 Questions
9/26/17
I heard many things in critique today. It was noted that I should completely disregard the crab silhouette and change it to a larger mammal like a dolphin. They also said the positive space should reflect the culture of the city, like sailboats and lighthouses, etc. The deconstructed rings could still be used, as they help showcase the olympics. It was mentioned that an abstract sail could potentially be reveiled in the space between the type and the figure. The type I use could also show movement as waves, therefore referring to the sea.
I think I gathered many useful ideas from today’s crit. I think the dolphin is a good idea, and that using the negative space for showcasing culture will help show the city better. I am most certainly keeping the ring bubbles, as it still does a great job at reffering to the sea life and the olympics. I think the wave type will be an interesting concept that I would not have thought of. I think the dolphin figure will make more sense as it is a larger animal and will be able to hold more shapes.
My plan moving forward is going to be trying to incorporate the things that I liked from crit into my final set of 24 variations. I will create the logo we talked about in crit and then try different styles to see which one I like the best. I will try different type positions, different scales, san serif vs serif, etc, and bring those to class to see if that set is more successful.
9/26/17
Read and Respond Questions
- The reason most companies use a monocromatic or two color logo is because the more colors a logo uses the more expensive it is to print. Also, the color they chose is supposed to convey a psychological message to the viewer that is associated with the company.
- One color : red. A one color logo for Baltimore could be red, to symbolize the action and excitement of the city. It is also a popular color for the seafood industry, which is prominent in Baltimore. Two color: Blue and Orange. I think this complementary color scheme could work for my logo, because it represents the blue of the ocean and the orange represents the friendly and sociable atmosphere of the city. It could also represent the colors used in a sunset on the water. Three color: Green, Purple, and Yellow. I think these colors could work for my city because they represent unique and creative themes, symbolize the environment, and are playful and optomistic. Full color: Purple, orange, green, and blue. A combination of these coulds would provide a multitude of meaning and interpretations. It would represent the diversity of the city and the unique differences that highlight every aspect of the culture. It would certainly stand out on most surfaces and be colorful and interesting to look at.
Final Thumbnail Black and White Olympic Logos
- In this case, my competition is other olympic designs that have been created in the past and how my idea will be different.
- Through my research of the city of Baltimore, I have answered these questions. They were helpful to highlighting what this city is all about.
- I am always flexible when creating my designs. I look for other opinions and appreciate feedback to perfect my designs.
- Looking at the history of a logo can be very useful in seeing how the company has changed or how different period styles affected them.
- I think the three logos that I have chosen are versatile in a lot of areas and can easily relate to other elements of the olympic brand experience.
- The typeface style that I will most likely use in my logo will be a font that complements the design, which I will determine at a later date, as placement and size is more important at this stage.
- Once I finally chose the type I want, I will be able to adjust kerning and tracking from there.
- I don’t think I will use hand created or a custom font for this particular project because I do not feel it will suit the style I am going for.
- I will probably not use a letter combination because the city name would not work shortened in any way and is only one word.
- There isn’t enough time or money to develop my own typeface.
- I think simplicity is a very important element in a logo. I plan to simplify my logo as much as I can without losing the unique and custom experience that best showcases Baltimore.
- I haven’t yet decided on colors, but I do plan on incorporating some of the signature colors used in previous olympic designs.
- I didn’t plan on using perfect geometry in my logo, simply because to me it seems restrictive.
- I will most certainly take advantage of negative space in one of my three new logos. I have one of animals hidden inside of others that I plan on incorporating.
- Wit and humor are not really applicable with my idea because it is a very serious competition that needs a certain tone and portraying humor is therefore not my main focus.
- I have not yet chosen colors but will revisit this concept later.
- Again, I have not chosen color.
- I’m sure my colors will reflect what best suits the design.
- I am inspired by past olympic colors.
- My design currently is black and white.
- I have recieved feedback from my peers that I plan to utilize to improve my final logo set.
- Right now we are just focusing on the logo, but perhaps additional branding will apply later.
- I will probably not animate my logo because it doesn’t seem relevant to getting the point across.
Responses to Logo Questions
50 thumbnails of possible logos
Mindmap of Baltimore and the Olympics
9/5/17
Responses to article:
Question 1: I copied a chicken logo once for a beginner design class. The goal was to better learn how to use Adobe Illustrator, so it was an educational experience. I will probably not do it again, just based on the fact that I already understand the concept at this point. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a way to solve the problem myself without copying.
Question 2: I have never had anyone copy one of my designs that I am aware of.
Question 3: I think we all design based on concepts that we’ve seen before because we are all alike to some degree. We learn from the past and therefore are likely to use that reference as a stepping stone to create our own ideas.
I think my strongest logo is the type and image combination. I think it allows the viewer to understand the message at a glance the best. One are of weakness that my logo has is color choices. I think I will change my colors for the final.
Stand Together Process
8/30/17
Crit Notes:
What I heard in critique was very helpful towards clarifying what I should change for my final set. My peers said I should think about changing the color of my logos from skin tones to brighter colors. They also said that I should change the hard edges on my equals sign in the image logo to rounded edges. They suggested phrases such as “All human, Humankind, and One People” for ideas. People really liked what I did with the type in the word “United”, by highlighting the u and i.
I agree with most of the things my classmates have said. I think it is a good idea to change the color palette in my design, to make it more inviting. I also think that I should use rounder edges and a san serif font to connect the appearance of elements more. I also think I will use the word “United” as the type in my final.
I plan on incorporating bright colors in my final design, making cohesive edges and type choices, and using the “United” type. I feel I have a much clearer idea of what I want my final to look like and how to achieve the connection I want to make about unifying Americans of all backgrounds. I think my piece will be a successful logo set that can work as an image only, type only, and image and type together.
8/29/17
Theme: Unity
Antonyms: Division, Discord, Separation, Opposition, Disunion
Synonyms: Wholeness, Uniformity, Oneness, Harmony, Cooperation, Solidarity
Idioms: Come Together, United We Stand
Quotes: United we stand, divided we fall. Aesop; Where there is unity there is always victory. Publilius Syrus. Where destruction is the motive, unity is the dangerous. Ravi Zacharias. So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. Baha ‘U’ Llah. Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much. Helen Keller.
Concepts: Hands, Flags, Connectivity, Rope, Handshake, Planet, Human, Wall, Standing, All under moon/stars/sun, Consistency, Flow, Puzzle, Gears, Chain.
