Assignment 1
Logotype Design | Corporate Identity

Instructions:
To design a logotype/symbol and apply it to corporate identity-system. The logo /symbol will be a mark that represents yourself. With my permission you can design a logotype for something or someone else - I will discuss this in class. The second part of the problem involves you applying your logo/symbol to items that constitute an identity. The items can/may include:
• Signage (this could include a billboard, a corporate headquarters sign, vehicular signage etc.)
• T-shirt
• Hat
• Object (think trash and trinket)
• Website header
• Shopping Bag
• Stationary
• Wrapping Paper
or other things that you may think appropriate.
I will discuss in class further.

Objectives:
To familiarize yourself with the process involved in logo/trademark design and its application to an identity system. To design a logo/trademark that is self promotional and can be used to identify yourself or your company. If you have another company or institution that you would like to design for please let me know and I will consider it.

One of the objectives of this project is to design three completely different solutions. Three solutions that are unrelated in terms of form and style. After several critiques (both group and individual) we will pick the best solutions and proceed to refine that one and apply it to stationary.

Guidelines:
Design and create a one color logotype for yourself.
Things to consider are:
• Should the logo should be simple or complex?.
• The target audience involved.
• The competition.
• Search the web (and other resources) for information regarding the Advertising Agencies and Design Firms to see how creative companies position themselves with there logotypes.

Grades:
Your grade will be based on:
• The strength and diversity of the three solutions.
• The strength of the final logo
• How well the logo is applied to identity system
• Meeting the deadlines

Required Reading:
"Identity Crisis!" 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands. Skim the book while paying attention to how the old logos successfully transition into better solutions. This book is on reserve at the Mulva library.

Several terms to consider when designing a logo:

Archetype
The original pattern or model, from which all other things of the same kind are made; prototype 2. A perfect example of a type or group 3. In Jungian psychology, any of several innate ideas or patterns in the psyche, expressed in dreams, art, etc. as certain basic symbols or images. An inherited idea or mode of thought in the psychology of C. G. Jung that is derived from the experience of the race and is present in the unconscious of the individual
Gestalt/Gestalt Psychology
Any of the integrated structures or patterns that make up all experience and have specific properties that can neither be derived from the elements of the whole nor considered simply as the sum of these elements. A school of psychology which affirms that all experiences consist of gestaltent, and that the response of an organism to a situation is a complete and un analyzable whole rather than a sum of the responses to specific elements in the situation.
Mnemonic
Assisting or intended to assist memory.
Mnemonics
A technique or system of improving the memory by use of certain formulas.

Assignment 1-Schedule

Monday, August 26
Logo/Identity Assignment Issued

Wednesday, August 28
Logo Considerations
Corporate ID Lecture
Aaron Draplin
Fall 2011 Logos
Start Logotype Design

Wednesday, September 4
Barack Obama identity lecture/video
Barack Obama Campaign
Political Logos
Political Logos II

Monday, September 9
Jennifer Diamond Case Study
Stationery Considerations
More things logos

Wednesday, September 11
Command X
Graphic Design Reality Show-
Redesigning the Graceland Logo
Logotype critique - In progress

Monday, September 16
Assignment 2 issued
SNC Art Promo Piece

Wednesday, September 18
Final Critique - Logo + Identity

Monday, September 23
Helvetica - The Documentary

Wednesday, September 25
Final Final Final Deadline for Logo and Identity
(if you choose to make revisions based on the critique that occurred Monday, September 18)

-TOP-

Businesses are more aware of the need to maintain, develop and project an image that will communicate the essence of what it represents. It could be a small start up company that needs a new logo. It could also be a large consumer products company that has tremendous brand awareness and needs to cultivate this awareness into the 21st century. Fortunately, businesses utilize graphic designers to help them with this challenging task. The company logo, combined with the items listed above must be creatively translated into a highly simplified, well crafted statement, expressing a distinctive visual identity, personality and strategic positioning.

Corporate identity as we know it, is only decades old. The use of identifying marks date back to ancient Greece. Potters and artisans used individual marks to identify their wares. Also, symbols were found on artifacts recovered from ancient Egyptian tombs. In Europe, with the development of medieval society, commerce prospered and the use of marks to distinguish merchants and producers became common.

Today, corporate identity/logo design is often seen as a tool for business planning. Logos help business stand out from the competition. A name and logo can be a company's single most visible identifier. It can define what a company represents and what that company wants to become. The logo must be simple, have individuality, be memorable, be timeless and to be able to adapt to a myriad of applications. Designing a logo is challenging. It can be very complex from a analytical standpoint as well as from a executional standpoint. Successful logo design should be a blend of analytical thinking, creativity, attention to detail and consistency.

Stationery Design
Once the name and logo of the company is developed the stationary is typically the first piece of graphic identity to be designed and produced. The stationary system is a essential component of any graphic communication system. The system includes a business card, letterhead and envelope. Stationary is a powerful tool that can instantly captivate someone’s attention, build credibility, create positive perceptions and enhance a image, personality and attitude. Any communications professional needs to understand the power and importance of this.

Considerations when designing stationery:
• Give careful consideration to placement and size of logo
• Typeface(s) used is important
• To see how the letterhead looks with copy, make sure to type in at least a paragraph of copy
• Make sure the type is big enough to read but not overbearing
• Keep it simple and direct
• Paper stock is important
• Humor is OK in appropriate situations
• Color choice is important
• Make sure you're within budget
• Be consistent in applying the the elements
• Most of all have fun while your doing it!

-TOP-