After the Presentation...

It's done! I'm so glad I put as much work into this project as I have. The final pieces are convincing and viable and I am really proud of how they look and work together. I appreciate all of the comments and critiques I got today and look forward to seeing everyone else's presentations on Wednesday!

I'll post some photographs of the final pencil tin gift and branded art supplies soon.

Standards Manual: Final

All that is left is to print the manual and bind it. It looks really similar to the other posts I've done but the backside of each page will be flooded with the dominant color of the page. This will make the piece interesting to look at from both sides.

System Application: Final

  

This is the final design for my mailers for my system application. The full size is 6" x 6". It would serve as a postcard type mailer that would be sent to designers letting them know about the next Creativeright event. On the backside a block of text explains the exhibit in the same format as the letterhead done earlier. Here is a mock-up of the final Thank You card that goes inside the metal colored pencil tin. It thanks the individual for donating money to Creativeright and reiterates where the money is going. The card is made out of blue cardstock with a dark blue band with the Creativeright logo embossed in white. (This will only happen if my stamp comes in the mail, wish me luck!)

Graphic Standards Manual: Pages

This is the work I have done so far on my Graphic Standards Manual. Each page correspond to a different aspect of the identity of Creativeright. The colors follow a simple spectrum and are only repeated if the area needs more space (i.e. the color section). 

I'm really happy with how it is looking and once it is all put together, I think it will pretty interesting to look at as well as a good reference piece for a designer working on identity pieces.

System Application: Digital Mock-Up

Here are a few mock-ups of the system application. It consisted of a series of mailers and thank you notes that would go to those that donate. Each series will have a piece in each color. In order to integrate my folder from my business system (it was the only piece that lacked a bar), I reflected that in the thank you notes. I did try adding the bar in the folder and it made the folder very unbalanced.

If I manage to find time and resources, I still want to include my idea of the branded pencil tin and notebook that would be included in the thank you package.

I would really appreciate feedback. This is due next week and I really want it to be a successful piece in my overall system and identity.

Graphics Standards Manual: Digital Rough

Here is my refined digital rough. The symbol will be a white binding post that will somehow have the symbol on top. If anyone has any suggestions on how to do that, that would be great! It's a little small so go ahead and click on it to see it larger. The full size is 10" x 3.4". This size and format promotes the viewer to fan out the book and see each page. A fan book format also allows for quick reference to the material. I'll post each page as I finish them, but this is a look at the whole piece.
I'm trying to decide whether I should keep the corners square or rounded. Also, is there too much white space? I really like the white space but once it's fanned out, it might be too much.

Graphics Standards Manual: Sketches

For initial sketches for the graphics standard manual for Creativeright, I wanted to do something a little bit different and creative. I thought about different formats, such as one that folded out from the center with a seal in the center, a tri-fold poster, swatch book, to a series of business card pieces. After talking with Ange, I decided to pursue the idea that reflected a color swatch book as the colors are so important to the images and identity.

Business System: Final

These are pretty similar to the edits from the previous post. However, the color of the green is brighter, the address under the wordmark is bold and I spent more time refining the typography.

Ahh! Printing Troubles! Two different Office Max stores and Kinko's both could not print the sleeve correctly. Every time I tried to print it, the color had huge streaks in it and, for some reason, the "c" symbol showed up in a ghost affect on the opposite side of the logo. Does anyone have any input on how to fix these issues? The other pieces printed beautifully, hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Business System: Edits

Here is the second ideation of the my business system. In critiques, it was mentioned by several people to focus on one of the images from my initial roughs. The image with the brightest color held the most attention and conveyed art well. While I was looking for additional images that fit the original, I began to develop the color scheme seen here. The three pieces I'm including in this system are a business card, letterhead, and a sleeve to hold them. The sleeve would then be given to the high schools.

This is pretty different from my roughs, so any additional suggestions or critiques would be great!

For those of you that like type...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/1033729476/

This has really nothing to do with my assignments, but it's still pretty cool. It's an image of the Martin Luther King Jr. High School in New York City. I wish I could do this to my house!

Business System: Digital Roughs

 

I chose to create a letterhead, event mailer, and folder that would hold materials that would go to schools with information on the program. The first option utilizes the symbol as a dominant element in a black and white design. This idea uses typographic elements to relate to my audience and give a really clean look to the system. I plan on using the symbol as an embossing motif throughout, I just have to figure out how to do that.

The second option focuses more on the use of images from actual events juxtaposed with images of students and their artwork.

During my small group critique today a couple of really great ideas came up. It was suggested I push the shape of the folder to give a more creative edge while integrating strong splotches of color on the rigid black and white of the first option.

Standards Manual: Research

These images come from the idenity manual the Communications team has been working on for the Solar Decathelon project. This is an earlier version, as our logo has since changed. I chose to include this example because it is an example of a concise manual. The following from STAR Data Services is about 30 pages and gets very in depth. The explain the width of the letterforms in the logotype and specific methods to scaling. The third image actually has a table showing where, when, and how the logo is acceptable to use. It is set up quite nicely, especially in the title pages. This, however, gets lost in the mass amount of text that follows.

The intentions for my Graphic Standards Manual will fall somewhere in between the utterly simplistic and overly elaborate. I want to reflect sophisticated style with an artistic feel.

Company Logo Design: Final Critique

Wednesday's critique brought up many questions on the juxtaposition of my logotype with the symbol and the application of my logo. I've been working with the application and will upload those soon. As far as improvements on the logo itself, the question of color was brought up as well as further differentiation of my logotype from the Century Gothic I'd originally chose.

Business System: Initial Ideation Sketches

The assignment was to hand-draw 5 options for our business system utilizing our finalized logo design. I was very excited to actually be assigned to not work on a computer. I actually got to use a pencil! These little sketches took quite a bit of time but I think it was worth it. After the one-on-one with Ange, it was clear that the first of my ideas worked the best, the others began to get really busy as more elements were added.

The first idea stays clean and reflects the logo in that way. Inside the black banner sits a cropped version of the logo. This idea helps to push the idea of creativity more. Including the different symbols appeals to my audience and gives the design a level of sophistication and craft.

I haven't quite decided what pieces I will be including in my business system. A mailer to be sent to event goers and maybe a name tag have been thought about, but it's still up in the air at this point.

Business System: System Research

These three examples of business systems come from our text book for this class, Logos 01: an essential primer for today's competitive market. I chose them because each shows the wide array of pieces that can be included in a business system. The Heineken example especially shows the amount of pieces that can be created. Everything from t-shirts and CD jackets to stickers, lanyards and keychains. In the Mamamoto example, the pieces are similar in color but do no use the logo as a primary element as the smith&nephew example does.

I knew I didn't want to just use one source for my research so I expanded and looked in all of the Graphic Design books I had in my apartment. Over the past three years, I have acquired quite a few. After looking through all of them, I found the most success in the book I purchased for GD 1 last spring. The book is titled The Big Book of Graphic Design. I originally bought it because it is full of great inspiration, I had no idea the amount of business systems I'd find inside.

The image to the left is an example from the Ballet de Bim. I chose it because of the way the logo stays important even while the images change location and size.

This example comes from California College of the Arts. It shows examples of two letterheads and info cards. What was interesting to me the way the designer only used the top of the page to showcase the logo and other elements. The only thing that changes is the color of the paper in the info cards from the first example. 

References:

Walton, R. (2007). The big book of graphic design. New York: Collins Design.

Logos 01: an essential primer for today's competitive market. (2007). Beverly, MA: Rockport Publishers.

Company Logo Design: Final Logo

It's done! After a final class critique I went with the logo that fist best with the art and design side of my company. This logo reflects the design aspect through the use of the copyright symbol but still represents the aspect of creativity and art through the used of 45 degree angles throughout.

From the last critique  I edited the wordmark through kerning and manipulating the letterforms away from the strict Century Gothic. At the ends of the curves in the C, E, R, and G I places a 45 degree cut to move the eye and make the type unique. I did the same to the C in the symbol.

In the end I am really satisfied with the finished logo. When I was doing the initial design I thought just black and white would be best and that is what I stuck with. It's clean and professional yet expressive and creative.

Company Logo Design: (Revised Design Brief)

Check out my reevaluated Design Brief post! I felt it needed to be done as, not only did the name of my company change, it didn't reflect my audience as well as it should. I tried to increase the personality of the company but still maintain a professional voice and attitude.

Company Logo Design: 2-Refined Roughs

Here they are! Finally, I'm down to two roughs. In our small group critiques as well as meeting with Ange, I decided these two were the strongest. It was getting to the point of over designing, so I just had to stop and being to put my ideas into context. I began to think of letterhead designs and from there my ideas really began to take on a tangible look. From those intial explorations, I am moving toward the second option. Separating the wordmark from the symbol presents many interesting options and opportunities. 

With that said, I'm not at that point yet. The critique on Monday will solidify my final logo for Creativeright. Highly simplified symbol or the stylized artistic scribble, color or no color? We will see on Monday!

Company Logo Design: 5 Digital Roughs

Moving on from the sketched I had done previously, I moved onto the computer to conceptualize and refine the designs further. The five roughs I chose to evolve reflected the sophisticated edge design professionals possess while relating back to the high school art programs.

The creative right idea came from the copyright of images as a design concept. This idea mixes with the connection to art supplies in schools are the word creative replaces copy.

This is designed to be read as 'ur creative right. It suggests the idea that it is an individual's right to be creative.

These two show the connection to an urban lifestyle. The money raised will go to art supplies for high schools in the Twin Cities and these reflect that.

The last logo is a more sophisticated take on art. The scribble reflects the idea of sketching. This is a step in the design process and so relates to design professionals.

Company Logo Design: Symbol/Wordmark

100 symbols and 100 wordmarks, sounds like a large amount, an it definitely is. Breaking through those design blocks was difficult but as the ideas evolved the ending result was much better. Also, just sketching every little idea that came into my head was beneficial.

I originally focused on the art supply side of my company. After an individual critique with Ange, I began to focus more on the design side. She pointed out that it must appeal to the art and design professionals before the students and school officials.

There is still much work to be done in this preliminary phase and I'm excited to see what comes out!