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.

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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.