From One of the Most Influential Brand Designer Mehmet Gözetlik.
Secrets of Healthy Eating in Design
Have you ever seen the famous image below that compares the logos of Pepsi and Coca-Cola? On one side, there is the unchanged Coca-Cola logo that has been around for 100 years, and on the other side, the constantly changing and updating Pepsi logo.
Before we continue, let’s add that this image does not fully reflect the truth. The Coca-Cola logo also has a brand identity that has been updated over time, just like the Pepsi logo. However, the first image shared above reflects the brand image that many experts dream of, which can withstand a century.
If you want to live a long life, you should eat well and adopt a healthy lifestyle. The situation is not much different in design either. If you want to create effective and long-lasting projects, you need to nourish your project well and make a healthy business plan.
In the “Feeding Tomorrow” issue of Mercado, which focuses on nutrition, I would like to share different insights on my area of expertise by drawing metaphors between design and nutrition.
Don’t skip meals
Just like our daily meals, a design strategy consists of three meals: research, understanding, and production. All of these steps are very important. To achieve effective production, you must understand your brand and your target audience very well. The way to understand them is through comprehensive research using all the opportunities of the era. Abraham Lincoln has a quote I like: “If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I would spend the first four sharpening the axe.” The research and understanding part, which is the first two meals of a project, should be the most satisfying.
I started the ABC detergent brand renewal by visiting all the markets in Istanbul. Some of the important ideas in the project emerged from the meaningful data I collected during these visits. For example, due to the structure of the old ABC logo, it appeared smaller than competitors on some packaging, making it difficult to read. The most significant feature of the new logo we created was that it appeared larger even if it was used the same size as the old logo.
Diversify your diet
An effective brand experience will be more important than identity for the brands of the future. That’s why effective brand identities are designed as a much broader system than just logos, typography, and color tones. Within this broad system, the brand logo can be transformed into different colors and forms. The purpose of brand identity is not to memorize the logo, but to create a more functional and richer brand experience.
In the brand identity of Stoneborn, one of Turkey’s largest marble exporters, the logo can be used in different colors. In addition to marble-textured variations, there are also electronic and more futuristic versions of the emblem.
Avoid packaged and processed foods.
In the mid-19th century, American farmers began to seal their cows to prevent their herds from mixing. “Branding” was born from this and means to mark with a hot iron. In German, “Marc” means boundary line, and in French, “Marque” means product mark. Therefore, to have effective brand communication, it is important to stay away from ready-made design templates, differentiate the brand, and leave a memorable mark.
Autoban Istanbul carried out the interior design of the Haydar Aliyev International Airport, which was renovated by Arup between 2010–2013. In the new terminal building, which has a total closed area of 65,000 square meters, Autoban developed a contemporary design style that offered new experiences to passengers by moving away from the usual airport typology. This innovative approach consisted of various layers containing triangles, squares, and hexagons of different scales. As part of this architectural transformation, Autoban Istanbul asked us to design a new logo system for Azerbaijan Airlines, the country’s flag carrier. I developed a brand identity that brought together the squares in the interior design and the eight-pointed star of Azerbaijan, completely inspired by the project and local values.
Eat Seasonal and Local
If a brand can be sensitive to the geography and needs of its time, it can reach its target audience more easily. Many brands today are also produced to capture the era or leave a mark on different consumers in new markets.
This year, Silbak, Turkey’s oldest wiper manufacturer, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. On this important anniversary, we are updating the brand’s entire identity. As part of the project we designed with an international vision, we created the “Turkey’s Cars 1972” project, which brought together many Turkish artists. 21 illustrators/designers went back in time to 1972 Turkey, where many iconic cars were, and reinterpreted the classic 72 model cars with the imagination and digital techniques of the 21st century. The project was exhibited last summer at Key Museum, Turkey’s largest automobile museum.
Enrich your diet with world cuisines.
Approaching communication strategies with an international perspective can provide a significant advantage to a brand even if it targets only a national or regional market. Ignoring a potential market can turn into a disadvantageous situation.
Due to China’s unique structure and decades of closed socio-cultural status, many western brands are unable to operate in China. National brands unknown to the western world dominate the Chinese market. The Chinatown project I produced between 2012–2014 reflects the fictional reality of the commercial world turned into Chinese. I translated western brands into Chinese using a visual design style I developed for my project.
Regulate your blood sugar with intermittent fasting.
Producing brand design at regular intervals allows you to notice entirely new perspectives and reach a deeper level. Most international brand identity projects for major brands are produced within 6–12 months. Researching, digging, stopping, stepping back, looking again, focusing on other places and things, and many other things are required to design a brand identity that stands out among thousands of others. Many designs we love are produced much slower than we think. The iPhone, one of the most preferred phones of today, was developed over seven years, and the interior design of Airbus A380 developed by Paul Priestman was also a seven-year project.
As a result of a five-year project, the Public Gothic font design I produced was downloaded by hundreds of thousands of people and licensed by many international companies such as American Airlines, Dreamworks, Universal, TBWA, Vogue, Yahoo, and ESPN. It also appeared in popular Hollywood movies.
Incorporate Exercise into Your Life
If you want to create effective brand design, be sure to include an exercise program in your daily life. Choose a type of activity that you can do regularly, that is suitable for your lifestyle, and that you enjoy.
In 2010, the “Minimal Effect in a Maximalist Market” project that I created as a brand design exercise became a phenomenon that inspired people all over the world. The Washington Post, one of America’s leading publications, wrote that this project was the driving force behind the simplification of major brands such as Starbucks and Coca-Cola. It also inspired London’s retail giant Selfridges’ No Noise campaign. Despite having been produced over 12 years ago, it is still being talked about and shows how important exercise is not only for a healthy life but also in design.
Eliminate Sugar Completely from Your Life
Design is not just about how it looks, but also about how it works. If you want to create a lasting impact in brand communication, you should produce a brand identity that is stripped of all the frills and simplified. Simple logos are easy to identify and remember. Simplicity also brings with it a mature stance and a sense of professionalism. In a world where brand competition is increasingly chaotic, simplicity represents sophisticated development.
In the Sour brand identity that I approached with a simple design strategy, the angular “O” letter visualizes the “sour” world of the brand in an unconventional way, while the different divided variations of the logo express the design studio’s dynamic working approach.
If you want an easy life, you must make difficult choices.
If you want to create an effective brand, it is crucial to make the right investment that yields returns and to nourish your brand with the right resources. Watching your favorite shows, leading a sedentary lifestyle, and consuming fast food are easy choices that open the doors to an unhealthy and difficult life. Eating healthily, exercising, and working on things you are passionate about are difficult choices that will make it easier for you to achieve a better life.
Not.Bu makalenin türkçe orjinalini alttaki linkten okuyabilirsiniz.
If you are interested in the subject, I suggest you also read the article “All change is hard at first” that I wrote earlier.
