Logo Development

Logos and Their Meaning 1. Emerges from insight into the essence of an organization: what it stands for now & in the future.

Coca Cola – redesign Goal was to make coke feel happy, fresh & honest again. They tried to concentrate on elements that made coke unique: the white script on a red bkgr, the contoured bottle and the dynamic ribbon. The new design is bold, contemporary and simple. It works in different environments and media. The result: new design is relevant to young generation, helped to re connect with people who grew up with the brand + increased sales.

Logos and Their Meaning 2. Grasping the meaning of a logo is rarely immediate. Ex: American flag. Designers need to articulate the big idea behind a mark. Then the company needs to seize every opportunity to share larger meaning as a way of building the culture and the brand.

Logos and Their Meaning Meaning needs time to evolve. It usually becomes amplified over time as the company and its culture become stronger. Ex: Hewlett and Packard Company

HP Company History Was founded in 1939 by 2 inventors in a wooden garage in Palo Alto, CA. 70 years later, HP is the 14th largest company in the world How did they do it? Developed a program to drive marketing excellence Shared best practices across regions Recognized and motivated high achievement Turned successful projects into learning materials Promoted the brand name consistently (slogan: invent)

The Power of Symbols Diagrammatic icons are simple representations of the structure of the subject matter. Ex: The Spark logo

The Power of Symbols 2. Metaphoric icons are based on conceptual relationships.

The Power of Symbols Symbolic icons are abstract images that have no clear relationship to the subject. Shape signifies energy, light, etc. It acquires meaning only with its relationship to Pabst City.

The Power of Symbols Ex: The Spark logo The process of thinking is conveyed by the * mark. Ex: Talent Agency A hat communicates trust, honesty, and old-fashioned values. It can also be a reference to the phrase: “we wear many hats” (functioning in more than 1 capacity). Ex: Pabst City (Renovation project in Milwaukee. An old brewery is converted into a new apartment complex) Sun rays or the sun can be symbolic of hope, radiant new energy, renovation and recovery.

How do we construct meaning? When we deconstruct how memory is made, we find that there are 4 critical attributes of the process: Shape Color Historical Continuity Learned Response

The sequence of cognition The brain acknowledges and remembers shapes first. Visual images can be recognized directly, while words must be decoded into meaning. H&R BLOCK

Shape Reading is not necessary to identify shapes. But identifying shapes is necessary to read. Color It can trigger an emotion or evoke a brand association. Kodak and Tiffani have trademarked their core brand colors. Form The brain takes more time to process language, so content is 3rd in the sequence behind shape and color.

Shape & Color Color is the 2nd in the sequence. All our visual recognitions are based on this. Is something square and blue, etc.?

Implied Shapes Logos do not have to be contained within shapes. The overall form of a logo should comprise a shape. This is achieved by letterforms and icon being constrained within a shape. Alternatively, the letterforms and icon can create an implied shape.

Can You Recognize the brand?

Gestalt Principles and Logo Design

The Gestalt School of Psychology Was formed in 1912 in Germany Investigated how we see and organize visual info into a meaningful whole The conviction developed that a whole is greater than the sum of its parts Ex #1: WHOLE

Eye seeks a unified whole or gestalt Knowing how the eye seeks a gestalt can help you analyze and create successful designs. Ex #2: “Human Flowers” series

Gestalt Principles: Similarity Proximity Continuation Closure Figure/Ground

Similarity When we see similar things we naturally group them together Grouping by similarity occurs when we see similar shape, size, color, angle or value

Proximity Grouping by similarity in spatial location is called proximity. The closer the two elements are, the more likely we will see them as a group.

Continuation The viewer’s eye always follows along a line or curve. Continuation occurs when the eye is carried smoothly into a line or curve that links adjoining objects.

Closure Familiar shapes are more readily seen as complete than incomplete. When the eye completes a line or curve to form a familiar shape, closure has occurred.

Figure and Ground The eye and mind separate an object (figure) from its surroundings (ground). Often the relationship between figure and ground is dynamic and ambiguous, offering more than 1 solution to the searching eye. http://www.logodesignlove.com/negative-space-logo-design