Logo Inspiration:
Heydays are a studio in Oslo, Norway. I came across their designs for an architecture company and loved what they had done with the logo. I think the simplicity almost makes the design more complex and complicated. I really liked the idea of having my logo split up into different sections though the letters might not lend themselves to it.
The Fundamentals of Typography book:
Before I started the course I was given a list of books to buy and read. One of these was the Fundamentals of Typography. I looked through the book for logo ideas. I have photographed the pages which I used for inspiration further down in my development.
Agra
Simple R for an experimental fashion label.
Hand drawn logo ideas:
Now I have come up with a few ideas I am going to test them digitally to see if they work well.
Digital logos:
I wanted to see what my drawings would look like once they were transferred to the screen. I wanted to experiment with an image as part of logo so I quickly drew out this simple shape of a factory. I used my favourite font Orator SD for the name of the museum and placed it inside the image. I think this idea could work if it was developed more though I am wary that the brief was set by ISTD which would require something more typographical. I think I will try out some more typographical experiments and see if they work better.
I experimented with this idea further by placing a box around it to make the logo more formalised. I think that doing this adds more structure to the image and could work really well on promotional material.
I experimented with taking the image out all together and having the font on its own with 2 lines either side to make it have more structure. This idea does not work as well as I hoped it might have. I think the font is maybe too harsh for the name. I think a serif font which has more of an edge to it would suit the associations of the 'factory' within the name.
I also experimented with adding the typography lines to the logo. This clutters it up slightly but it would be interesting for my target audience to get some more understanding of type.
More typographical approaches:
I took the first letters of the name and experimented with merging them together in some way. Some ideas worked more than others but I think the effect is really sleek and professional.
Script fonts:
Sharp Edged with cut outs:
I based these ideas off the Hey Days example. I really want to try out some form of lasercut or paper cut within the business cards/print promotion to see if my logo can have the same effect as their work. I think that this small detail could be very interesting.
I am really fond of this idea because it is simple but very interesting. After asking people what they thought of the logo the feedback I received was mixed. Some said they really liked it but most said that they saw the arrow in the centre and it made them think of the RAF. To try and overcome this I moved the F underneath which created a more disconnected arrow. Though this idea works I don't think I will use it as it does not flow the way I want it to.
Joining the letters without cuts:
One of my first ideas was to link up the letters of Type Factory
Experimenting with colour:
Agra inspired logos:
Final Logo Settled on:
After showing my logo to different people and designed it both by hand and digitally I have settled on this one:
I have chosen this because it embodies almost all of my designs into one logo. I think that the simplicity of this compared to the others with slices taken from them makes it much more legible and also easy to repeat and reproduce. I am very happy with my choice and I am confident that it will work across all platforms.
Experimenting with paper cut:
As it transpires the logos I have designed, when cut, are too flimsy. I tried them on on the thicker stock which I preferred but it does not seem to be strong enough. This was an idea which I really wanted to use but given the amount of time I have and the development which I have already put into place with my logos I do not see changing my brand paying off massively. The way I see it is a museum would mass produce something and want it to be as cheap as possible. This being said it would be much cheaper to have this option for a more bespoke event which would make it more special rather than having it for all of the branding in the museum.
Experimenting with stock and colour:
Now that I have settled on a logo I need to think about a colour to use. I tried out lots of different colours on different stocks to see what they would look like when printed. I also wanted to make sure that the colour was consistent in print and web.
On Screen:
To start off I tried out lots of different colours together on screen to see which I liked together. I couldn't really pin point any which stood out to me, this is when I decided to print out the colours onto all of the different stocks to see which I liked the best.
Print:
Photo's do not show the colour clearly, please see colour variations within submission folder
I tried lots of different variations of the colour both including stock and not. When it came down it I was not really drawn to any of the options I had come up with. I chose my favourite stock which was the Antique White. I think the weight of this stock was most favourable even though it would be much more effective and realistic if I could produce my final project on professional paper at a commercial printers. Unfortunately due to time I could not do this so it meant making the best of the library stock and my own printer at home.
Trying out another colour:
I have come to the conclusion that I do not like any of the colours which I have previously come up with, so I went back the drawing board and looked for another colour to use.
I thought it might be a better idea to choose a colour which can be used for print and then matched for web because I had to make it consistent. I looked at different print products which I had in my room, I had received a gift for christmas which had a dark purple within it, I held this up with the antique white paper and liked the two together. I then tried to match this colour on the computer and printed out a few variations on the stock of my choice. The colour I chose in the end was not exactly the dark purple I had liked as the colour changed once it was printed onto the stock. Again, if I had printed it commercially the colour would be more accurate.
Matching the colour on screen and in print:
Final logo printed onto the stock in the colour:
Final logo:
I am very happy with the colour when it is printed though it is slightly different on screen.
Print promotion:
Now I have designed the logo and chosen a stock I have to design the print promotion which comes with the museum. I have decided that because I am going to focus on Web I do not need as much print as I first thought. I have settled on the following:
Business Card
Membership Card
Letterhead
Brochure
Posters
Postcards
and a Menu for the Cafe
I want to make my print designs very simple and professional because I plan to make my website very similar.
Adding something else to the design.
I really like my logo but I feel that in some aspects of my print it could do with something extra. Using the typography lines (x-height, baseline etc) which I was shown in Design Principles I created a repeat pattern to use on the covers of the print items.
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Designing the Business card:
I made the business card very simple as the purpose of it is clear. I had the logo on the front with the manager, name, telephone and e-mail on the reverse. As the stock was too light on its own I had to print the card out as two individual pieces and stick them together. This was not the best way to show how my design would be mass produced but it did give me the chance to try out duplex.
Cutting out the design:
Membership card:
I followed the same principle with the membership card and it came out really well
Front of both Business Card and Membership Card:
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Letterhead:
I want to design something for office use as newsletters would be sent out to members every month. I want to keep the design very consistent throughout the entire project so I have mocked up some quick ideas I have had:
I think I prefer the watermark effect on the letter as it subtly shows the logo and is very simple and straight to the point with the address. I think I will use this for my final design.
Printed:
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Post Cards:
When Evolution Print visited LCA I picked up this set of postcards for the National Trust. I really liked the concept of having a set of postcards within my print section for Type Factory as it was suggested in my crit and also I think it would be a popular product to buy in the shop.
I used the Evolution Print postcards as inspiration and created a small set of postcards to show when each event was on.
To start I tried to replicate the small container which the cards came in, I measured out the net and created it in illustrator, I printed it out and backed it onto the deep purple card I had bought from the Library to make it more sturdy. Unfortunately packaging is not my strong suit and I struggled with this. Instead of playing around with it I had to create a small belly band to keep the postcards in. Though this is maybe not as impressive as the box I do think it still looks very appealing and professional. Had I had more time I would have perfected the box and made it work for my cards.
Backed:
Paper mock up:
Net:
Reverse net:
Postcards:
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Brochure:
I have looked at lots of different variations of museum branding and brochures but I have not used any design in particular to take inspiration from. I created my brochure so that it would only need to be printed onto one sheet of paper which makes it easier to mass produce. I chose to have it in a simple square shape to make it small and interesting. I used a simple grid to lay out all of the information and black and white images of the typographers to add to the design and also to make it cheaper to print. Overall I am very happy with this design and I plan to replicate it within my Web.
Digital:
Using the grid:
I wanted to have three events each month/couple of months. I knew that the paper size I had selected would not fit each month on its own so I had to double up on some months, I think this is fine though and the pages look nicely proportioned and set out.
Final digital book:
Printed:
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Menu:
The brief from ISTD said that the museum had a cafe within it and a bookshop. With this in mind I wanted to create a menu for the cafe in the same style as the other print material. I was influenced by the Wagamama menu as I ate there over christmas. The design is really simple and has small illustrations to make it more interesting.
Influence:
Menu development:
Digital Menu:
Printed:
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Posters:
Another added extra which I thought might be useful is a set of three posters, I used the same design and placed it across a set of 3 A3 posters. This was a really simple task but I think it really finishes off the set.
Digital:
Printed:
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