Ch5. Unwrapping CMF Design on Branding with a Vivid Logo
As spoke in the previous chapter, a computer-generated rendering can be realized with a variety of CMF processes. Logo is perhaps the vividest example in our everyday life. (中文版)
Looking around the products surrounding our lives, there is almost no product without a logo placement. Originally, when a logo is illustrated on the artwork, it is usually the smallest 2-dimensional detail, sometimes with outlines only. But when logos are introduced into mass production, just like the product itself, there is a wide variety of CMF processes to bring out a logo in reality — all with pros and cons to be considered.
CMF is a specific discipline within industrial design that focuses on the development of a product’s color, material, and finish. Unwrap CMF shares bite-sized stories of CMF Design to inform and inspire those interested in this niche yet fascinating field, with digestible contents for anyone and everyone.
The first considerations are always the cost and technical limitation. The more exquisite the logo is, the higher it is for the production cost. On the other hand, an exquisite logo becomes a power tool for luxury brands to enhance their brand image.
Entry-level pad-printing and laser-etching logos although are not as fine as other processes, they are not without advantages. These types of post-production logo placement is very popular among OEM products. OEM products are meant to be labeled with different logos and sold under each own brand. In this case, if logo can be flexibly added after production, there is less worries for inventory and also speeds up the delivery and response rate to each individual order.
In addition to cross-functional teams that frequently collaborate together during production definition, as the “face” of a brand, the presentation of a logo will involve even more departmental communication with branding and marketing teams, or even UI designers.
Logos are brought from screen to paper, then from paper to reality. It has become an unescapable element in our daily life. As tiny as it can be, it is an almightily important detail that no CMF designer should every neglect.
Enjoy learning? Use the CMF terminologies mentioned above and continue on with your own research journey on the web. Comments and inspirations are welcome!
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