Studio Brief 1 – Logotype - Context, Final Crit and Evaluation

Contextual Images

From my previous crit feedback I decided upon this design for my basketball / sports brand company. A majority of people said that they thought this one was the most fitting for the brand direction. 

Using my chosen logotype I have begun to apply it to contexts it would be seen in within the sporting / basketball world. For my crit this will be useful for people to assess what it would look like in a physical sense and how it would act at different scales.

Basketball Jersey - Mock up using found imagery

When placing it on the basketball jersey, initially I thought there wasn't enough space between the 'I' and 'N' when reduced. I decreased the size of the 'I' so there was a wider gap between the top of the 'I' and bottom of the serif on the 'N'. To balance this slightly wider gap I also adjusted the kerning between the 'N' and 'I' so that there was a symmetry in spacing on either side. Once reduced the slightly modified deign meant there was clearer definition between the central letters.

Basketball - Mock up using found imagery

Final Crit Feedback

During my final crit I received positive feedback on my chosen design. The group thought that the italics created a sense of speed and energy within the logotype. They said it had a modern but traditional feel which is what I wanted to portray when using limited serifs. By using horizontal terminals on the 'Cs' they said it created the feeling of motions within sport which start and stop. The use of ligatures it was said gave the design a sleek feel and referenced ESPN. This for them also created the idea of moving forward and progession which I thought was an interesting idea. Using the same form of 'C' at the beginning and end of the logotype created a bit of discussion. Some were not sure whether they like the extension on the end 'C' and said perhaps it could be cut off to fit in line with the lower part of the 'C'. While others thought it gave the logotype a dynamic feel and reflected the repetition within sport. One suggestion was to experiment more with context and scale e.g. what would it look like on courtside billboards? Overall I think my design has been successful in portraying my key personality traits however in further projects I will try to explore how my designs would work in a range of contexts.

Evaluation

Overall I think I have been successful in creating a sports / basketball brand logotype that reflects the qualities of performance, excellence and quality with the brand primarily aimed at athletic young men. The combination of serif and sans serif letterforms create a hint of heritage in a contemporary way. The bold weight creates the impression of power and dominance which is associated with masculinity. The ‘CL’ ligature creates a smooth dynamic link between the to letters which draws the eye along the rest of the logotype giving it a fluid feel. The compression of the logotype has created a sleek feel to the brand. The clean and crisp use of sans serif type and blocky serif letterforms creates a precise feel to the logotype which evokes a sense refinement and quality. The close kerning has created a feeling of togetherness and team play, which is further emphasised by the interlocking ‘IN’ ligature. The use of italics evokes a sense of speed and reflects the movement within the game. Power, speed, precision and team play are all important attributes in being the best within your sport.  

Studio Brief 1 – Logotype - Development and Crit

Logotype Development 

Since the first crit I have experimented with creating ligatures from the 'INI' and the 'IC'.

Initially I took a reductive approach and minimized the 'N' to a diagonal stroke however this created too much white space within the ligature. When I added parts of the uprights back into the 'N' to fill the space a little it ended up looking too similar to the starting forms. For the final 'INI' I want it to be more subtle within the logotype so I think the best way of doing this would be through connecting serifs or using close kerning as this would tie in with the rest of the logotype better.

I also experimented with creating a 'IC' ligature by placing one within the other. However when put in context with the rest of the logotype it reminded me of an abstract dollar sign and looked a little blingy which doesn't fit in with the intended personality of the logotype.

From my initial sketches I began to refine my ideas to ones I thought worked well. To refine my ideas further I compared similar ones to choose the five which I wanted to digitalise.

Refinement of ideas

Some ideas had similar properties such as they were all in sans serif but one was italics and one was not or they had the same ligatures but the brackets were curved in one and not the other. By comparing similar designs in this way I was able to identify which created the personality I wanted for my brand.

Refinement of ideas

Refinement of ideas

Personality traits I wanted to have in my final five designs.

- Performance

- Masculinity

- Power 

- Movement

Final five Logotypes

Features I wanted to have in my final five designs 

- Uppercase letters create the impression of authority and dominance. With increased weight they also evoke a sense of power and boldness.

- Italics create a sense of movement and speed which is important within sport.

- All five designs use the 'CL' ligature which I think creates good flow within the logotype as well as directing the eye along the brand name.

- Serifs are used in varied frequency. Designs with less serifs create a more modern and bold feeling whereas designs with more serifs and curved brackets give the impression of history and reliability. 

Final five Logotypes (drawn)

Final five digitalised logotypes

Once digitalised I increased the stroke weight to make the logotypes bolder and also compressed them so they were shorter which I think makes them read as one better.

Final digital designs

Crit Feedback

The following crit consisted of leaving our current five designs out for people to view and write comments about. We had to write down the name of the brand , our type of company and the personality traits we were trying to portray within the brand.

We also had to ask three questions which people would answer when they viewed the work.

Mine were:

- Which is more effective italics or normal?

- Which is your favourite? Why?

- Which 'INI' is the most effective?

Feedback and Responses

Overall Crit Feedback

Which is more effective italics or normal?

In general most people preferred italics as this created an 'on the move' feel to the logotype however some suggested that the normal type created a strong and masculine feel whilst also appearing more professional.

Which is your favourite? Why?

The top design was by far the logotype that people thought was the most effective as a sports/ basketball logotype. It was said in particular that the design flowed well with the use of natural ligatures. There was said to be good balance between serifs and non serifs within the logotype and that the italics created the impression of movement which fits with my company direction. 

Which 'INI' is the most effective?

Generally people had mixed views about which 'INI' was the most effective however a small group of people thought that the top logotype was again the better design.with the serif of the 'N' becoming the tittle of the 'I'.  

Other interesting comments

Some people preferred having only one ligature so as not to overwork the logotype. The 'CL' ligature in the third design was said to add aspects of traditional and modern with the use of serifs and ligatures.

Other things to try 

It was suggested whether I could find a way of creating a smooth link between the L and the rest of the word. However I had tried doing this in my initial sketches but it was hard to do this without making the 'L' and 'I' look like a 'U'.

As a general consensus, a majority of feedback said that the top design was the most fitting to the company direction, so I will use this as the logotype in my context images. 

Studio Brief 1 – Logotype - Initial Sketches and Crit

Logotype Initial Sketches

From my research into other brands I have been able to analyse how different features within a sports brand logotype can create different impressions. The following aspects are things I wish to explore within my own sports brand logotype.

An increased weight in line width creates the impression of power and the use of capitals creates impact and boldness. In contrast italics create a sense of movement and speed within the brand which is an important aspect within sport. The addition of serifs suggest heritage within the brand and give a reliable professionalism to the logotype. The use of sans serif fonts creates a modern and youthful appearance to a brand which is more suitable for a younger audience.  Ligatures create flow and lead the eye along the logotype making it read better. Tight kerning within a logotype creates a togetherness and team feel to the brand.

I have decided to use Times New Roman as the font that I will manipulate for my logotype.The font has a wide and heavy caps which will be effective in creating a bold logotype.It is more effective as a display text which is appropriate for a logotype. The curved bracketed serifs will be useful in creating a sense of heritage but can also be removed to create a strong, modern feel to the logotype. 

Comments on own work so far

The ligature between the 'C' and 'L' is effective in creating a smooth flowing line which directs the eye along the rest of the logotype.

By reducing the amount of serifs on some letters to create sans serif forms give the impression of modernity whilst hinting at dynamism.

Initially I also experimented with Century as a typeface however I thought it was a little square and didn't have the ability to evoke a sense of heritage.

Century Experimentation

The use of lower and uppercase within the logotype looks too much like original word. The form is very rounded and creates a feminine feel which reads like the medical version of the word, whereas I need to create impact and power within my sports brand logotype.

. 

Joining the 'I' and 'C' into a ligature creates the appearance of a 'K' which sounds similar to the full word when said. In the uppercase version when the two letters are joined the middle of the 'K' is too thick which stands out from the rest of the type. In the lower case version the ligature is more obviously made up of a 'i' and 'c' and ties in better with the letters around it however the concept of this ligature may still look a little gimmicky. 

Initial digitialisation of an idea

After digitalising an initial idea I found that compressing the logotype made the design look a lot cleaner and made it more readable so this is something I will use in my later development.

Crit Feedback

Today’s crit was useful in determining which logotype features were successful, as well as giving me ways of further refining some designs. I described my company as a basketball equipment brand which originated from the word ‘clinic’, which in basketball slang means ‘a performance so thoroughly superior by a team or player as to be a virtual model or demonstration of excellence’. Working from this definition I explained how I wanted the brands personality traits to be performance, excellence and quality, with the bran being primarily aimed at young athletic men. During the feedback it was said that the designs in uppercase were more effective at creating impact and evoked a sense of dominance in the brand.  The joining of letters within the logotype it was suggested gave the idea of teamwork which is important within the sport. The serifs were said to give the logo authority whilst the sans serifs created a modern look to the brand. It was suggested that I could experiment with curling the Cs in a little more, but the group thought the linking between the C and L worked well in creating a sleek appearance to the logotype. Where I have joined the ‘INI’ through close kerning and overlapping serifs it was suggested that I could try and make a ligature for these letters, however I am not sure whether this may look a little out of place. On the other hand, it could be interesting to play with a symmetrical form using these letters as it may create more balance within the work. Putting my work in context seemed also to be an important thing to explore in order to understand how my brand would look at different scales.   

Studio Brief 1 – Logotype - Rebrands

Rebrand Analysis

Co – op rebrand analysis

The Co – op has recently rebranded themselves using their 1968 cloverleaf logo as a way of refining their principles and brand mission.

The square grid formation of the letters creates balance within the design whilst creating an abstract form of a clover although this may not be recognisable to the public. This square formation within the logotype makes the design more compact and transferable across a range of products and signage. It is bold and clear on packaging at a smaller scale and more effective on signage outside the store. The previous logotype was very long so had to be reduced to fit on signs, whereas this design is in a square format making it more appropriate for this type of signage, whilst making it more recognisable on the highstreet. The close kerning and tight arrangement of letters resembles a group togetherness which reflects the companies cooperative approach. The rounded type and thick stroke width give the logotype a friendly and welcoming feel. The white logotype works effectively in contrasting against any coloured background making it consistent and easily applicable to a range of products, packaging and signage. The previous design was quite formal and included the full name whereas the new design is abbreviated and more colloquial. This I think reflects how the public know and refer to the brand.

Premier League rebrand analysis

The Premier League has recently rebranded themselves for the 2016/17 season amidst their decision to drop title sponsorship.

Using upper and lowercase letters within the logotype creates quite a formal but relaxed feel to the typeface­­­­. The capitals are also used as a way of bringing the two words together as an abbreviated initial which is effective for smaller applications however I am not sure this is really needed as the lion logo on its own is used in a similar way. The use of the curved sans serif font gives the logotype quite a friendly atmosphere which is suitable for a variety of audiences and ages. It evokes quite a fun and bubbly mood which reflects a family friendly atmosphere. The weight of the typeface is bold enough to stand alongside the lion logo without being overpowered by it. The kerning is quite close but fairly regulated creating a structured approach suggesting professionalism. The logotype as a whole uses grids and structure to create balance. Premier League is stacked so that they form a rectangular block which creates impact. When the words are on opposite sides of the lions head they are equal in length which creates symmetry and balance within the logo as a whole. The use of the dark purple as the main logotype colour is bold and clear however is also warm and engaging making it functional in a variety of applications. 

Studio Brief 1 – Logotype - Sports Brand Analysis

Contextual Sports brand Analysis

Spalding

Key Values / Vision / Mission

- Team sports specialists

-  ‘continual and professional product development for the benefit of the true needs of the player’

- ‘top product quality and optimum functionality’

Analysis

The increased weight of the letters makes the logotype bold and create impact, evoking a powerful presence. The joining of the ‘S’ and ‘P’ into a ligature creates a straight line which the eye naturally follows. Ligatures within the rest of the logotype are created by joining serifs together which is effective in creating a flow between forms. This combined with tight kerning evokes a sense of togetherness and team play within the logotype. The use of a serif font suggests heritage and a professional, quality product. Serif fonts are usually quite refined and formal however the increase in weight and use of angular serifs creates a modern and confident brand. The curved edges of the logotype make it look curved directing the eye along the name and creating a dynamic feel to the brand. Also when the design is placed on a ball it does not distort instead it adapts to the curvature of the surface.

Nike

Key Values / Vision / Mission

-  ‘bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world (*if you have a body you are an athlete)

- Sustainable innovation ‘accelerating towards a low carbon growth economy’

Analysis

The slant of the type creates a sense of movement forward which reflects the activity within sport. The bold, black font which is all in capitals creates a dominant and powerful looking brand creating the sense of being the best. The minimal kerning reduces white space between the letters further emphasising the blocky impact of the design. The tight kerning and straight edges within the logotype create a sense of precision and detail. The use of an angular sans serif font gives the logotype a modern, edgy feel which is appealing to their young audience.

Wilson

Key Values / Vision / Mission 

-  ‘at the heart of sports history’

-  ‘influential and intimately involved in shaping the games’

-  ‘originator of breakthrough technologies’

-  ‘produced legendary classics’

Analysis

The use of red for the logotype suggests energy and passion which is needed within sport whilst also creating a sense of warmth within the brand. The use of the lowercase serif type creates a more curved style in comparison to the other brands. The use of serifs creates a classic feel however joining letters in this way creates a personal feel to the brand.  The link between the ‘ils’ has a written quality which is fluid and loose which could reflect movements within sport. However, it also resembles a signature giving the impression it is a seal of approval for good quality products.

Baden Sports

Key Values / Vision / Mission

-  ‘anticipate and satisfy what our customers want and to respond with speed, quality, innovation and authenticity’

-  ‘passion drives every decision’

Analysis

The use of the star in the ‘B’ creates an association with doing something well which within the brand creates an impression of striving forward and being the best. The italics creates a sense of speed which reflects their aim to develop products. The varied stroke width gives a calligraphic appearance to the logotype with the lowercase letters all similar in width and form. This creates consistency within the logotype and evokes a sense of precision and quality.

Studio Brief 1 – Logotype - Contextual Research

Basketball / Sports Brand Contextual Research

To gain contextual research about similar brands I visited SportsDirect. Within the shop there were big brands such as Adidas and Nike, who supply basketball equipment and clothing amongst others. 

Basketball Trainer

I found that shoes were separated into brands which meant each section had large signage above the products. I also found that brand names were positioned on the tongue of trainers as well as across the side. However, in the case of Nike the logotype was not used on the side of the shoe in this way, instead their recognisable tick stretched out across most of the shoe.

Adidas price label

Brand logos were also found on price tickets and labelling.

Dunlop Basketball

While looking at basketballs I found that whole logotypes are printed across the balls rather than just a logo. When designing my own brand logotype I will have to take into consideration the curved surface of the ball, as this will alter how the design is seen. 

Adidas vest

Adidas vest lining

On clothing the brand is often placed on the front of the garment , however the size can vary. Logotypes are also found inside the clothing as 'labels' and as linings (see above). In my own work I must make sure that my logotype works at various scales in order to be effective and clear across a range of goods.

Where would the brand be seen?

- Basketballs – a large visible logo type across the ball 

- Shoes – displayed on the side of a trainer, inside the shoe and on the tongue

- Basketball hoops – brands are usually situated towards the corner of the backboard

- Point of sale displays – this is where the product will be displayed in a shop which may include display price tags and signage

- Clothing - Vests, T-shirts, Shorts, socks – labels and tags inside the garment, maybe across the front of training T-shirts, small branding on game vests

- Packaging – bags, boxes, labels and tags

At games – courtside billboards?

Studio Brief 1 – Logotype - Company Brand Direction

Company brand directions

Mindmap of possible company brand directions

For my company direction I didn't want to go with the obvious medical link to the word, so I have decided to go with a Sports brand, as this is the more obscure of the other options. I also think this will allow me to brand the company in a way that loses the preconceived association with the medical industry. 

Studio Brief 1 – Logotype - Typeface Characteristics and Personalities

Typeface Characteristics and Personalities

Garamond

History

Created by Claude Garamond a French Reaissance punchcutter

Characteristics

Refined and readable – delicate beauty – stretches out in headlines and does not break apart when small – formal personality may not fit casual topics – horizontal crossbar in ‘e’ and ‘H’ – ascenders and descenders are long – most top serifs are usually diagonal

Personality  

artistic, classic, formal, traditional, confident, intellectual, thinker, leader, responsible, professional, well informed

Bodoni

History

Created by Giambattista Bodoni

Characteristics

Heavy strokes reduce to hairlines – long thin serifs – distinct ball terminals on the ‘a’, ‘c’, ‘f’, ‘g’, ‘r’ and ‘y’ – appears constructed rather than written with only a few letters referencing the mark of a pen e.g. ‘R’ and ‘Q’ – will fall apart if set small or reversed (light on dark background) – extreme contrast between thick and thin strokes – originally had subtly bracketed serifs although modern versions exclude these – its ornate appearance means it is mainly used as a display type

Personality

performer, confident, dramatic, stylish, fashionable, feminine

Century

History

Specifically designed to print Century magazine – developed by Lynn Boyd Benton and Theodore De Vinne

Characteristics

Thick and thin stroke weights are heavier than most serif fonts – generous white space between and within letterforms – the unique characteristics of each letter are clear and slightly exaggerated

Personality readable, clear, intelligent, practical

Futura

History

Designed by Paul Renner

Characteristics

Capitals are based on classical proportions with varying widths – the protrusion of pointed apexes (‘M’, ‘N’ and ‘w’) is called ‘overshoot’ which is an optical compensation for type intended for text sizes, which can be distracting when larger – minimal contrast in width of letters – horizontal or vertical terminals – the number of strokes to create each letterform are minimized – the o is a perfect circle

Personality

leader, idealist, thinker, modern, confident, capable, comfortable, neutral, practical

Times New Roman

History

Created for The Times – intended destination news print not laser print – created by Stanley Morrison

Characteristics

High contrast and thin serifs – wide and heavy caps – better in display settings than text – long sharp serifs with curved brackets – small tittles – short ascenders and descenders – the counters are very open – rounded uppercase letters e.g. C and G are wide

Personality

intellectual, confident, neutral, practical

Helvetica

History

Designed in the 1950s by Max Miedinger and Edouard Hoffman to improve the Akzidenz Grotesk typeface

Characteristics

Contrast is minimal – idealised construction- strokes terminate at ninety degree angles – letter shapes and widths are usually uniform – texture is atypically even – useful for logos and graphic display type - not effective for long passages of text – the ‘a’ is double storied and features a tear drop shaped counter

Personality

everyman, idealist, leader, conventional, confident, modern, neutral, readable, calm