As I have finished my Art & Design Foundation course I thought this would be a perfect time to attempt to brand myself. At first I thought this would be an easy project, however branding yourself it not as easy as it seems. There are many things to consider such as the service I will provide, logotype, color palette, typography, website, stationary and merchandise, online portfolios, as well as the pice to create all of these things and the time and effort it will take to sustain it. I chose to tackle this project in the usual way and outline myself a rough brief.
Brief:
Create an identity for yourself that works across all media; print, motion graphics and web. Begin with a logo and apply designs across a range of media unitizing photography, color, typography, and stationary to convey your identity.
Research:
I began my research by looking at existing logos of top designers and some . Computer Arts magazine issue 135 and Computer Arts Projects issue 137 came in hands because of their logo and typography specials and tutorials for creating logos as vectors allowing them to be used in any size. As well Advanced Photoshop magazine as issue 64 has a piece on building creative identities. Along with this, brandsoftheworld.com and logodesignlove.com came in handy once again for tips and resources. I soon realised that this project was more than about creating a logo as i was creating myself an identity so i would have to take into consideration font, color, photography, presentation and layout all with regards to my target audience which would be possible clients. This meas the work i produce must speak to them and would have communicate what I do and what I am all about about while keeping everything simple.
Ideas:
It beging like any good idea should. With a pencil sketch. I did not force myself in any particular direction but I seemed to moved towards using the initials of my name as a start point, I experimented with using a hands drawn/ script like font or even possibly using my own handwriting and using my fill name as a typographic logo but I felt it needed something small that could work as logo and possibly accompany it with typography. The main thing I kept in mind at all times is that this logo woud have to work across print, a range of stationary, motion graphics and a website.
Keywords:
Potential, Problem Solving, Simplicity, Effectiveness, Flexibility, Direction, Progress, Ideas & Execution,
The circle from the capital letter 'O' represents completeness, progression, infinity, continuity, equality, protectiveness, global and unity. The way the two letter have been joined shows unity and togetherness reflecting the way I work with my clients; keeping them involved in the process. Also the overall shape of the logo reflect my process and problem solving abilities.
As my full name is long having a icon to accompany it will come in handy when the logo has to be reproduced at small sizes or where the name is inappropriate. Below is logo as well at the various ways in which it can be reproduced depending on its purpose.
Brandmark Variations:
Reverses Out:
Possible Typeface:
I have always had issues with choosing the correct fonts. I need something that represents me that can be playful and friendly and serious. As a result of this I have chosen to use two typefaces one for headers and one for the body of text. Quicksand in Book and bold weight will be used for headers and Didot in regular and bold weight will be used for the body of text on any document. When I reach web design or even here for the blogspot I will use Garamond as an alternative to Didot and Times for the blogspot.
Color Pallet:
Choosing the correct color for my logo and by extent my identity would be tricky. I put together this in photoshop to get a look at all the different types of color that could work. It is better to compare each color in relation to each other rather than alone. After observing the various color palettes I decided to settle on black and white but I plan to include color as and when necessary. The advantage of this is that my brand and identity remain neutral and simple. Also a black and white color pallet provides me with the highest possible contrast in color and also the most cost effective solution with regards to the cost of print. However I may dip into a range of different color types or gradients for effect, especially when promoting myself.
Stationary:
Inspiration
I saw the above images when my PDF document glitches. I could help but screen grab them when I saw them. For some reason they jumped out at me. A glitch is essentially when hardware or software splutters and fails. Its has also been described as technological decay and breakdown. It also made me realise how much I rely on computers and technology for my work and that I should develop my skills in more traditional media. I chose to use it as typographic solution across print, web and motion for the brand with reference to the bac and white colour palette.
Letter Head
Curriculum Vitae
Business Card
Compliment Slip
Envelope
Posters:
Photographic Approach:
For macro photography use the image must be copped to 279mm x 100mm. Only close ups of tools, process, work etc. Reversed out text must bleed in from either side.
Motion Graphics:
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