OUGD504 - Studio Brief 2 - Branding

Branding of Website

Initial Names 

Key words and themes around the idea of upcycling and found from descriptions and synonmyms of words 

Reclaim

Upcycle

Recycle

Reuse

Reduce

Cycle 

Innovate 

Convert 

Offcuts 

Scrap 

Scraps

Scrapped

Remake

Combining elements - lots of words to do with the subject begin with Re and Up - combined these with other words 

Rework 

Rescrap 

Reup

Redesign 

Revolve

Updesign 

DesignUp

Upvert

Upvolve

Upscrap

Innomake 

EcoUp

Ecycle

Ecocycle 

icycle 

Rough experimentation with the cycle aspect used arrows within names such as upcycle. Changing Up to an arrow was effective as a logo however when written out it would have to be the written as the proper word which would defeat the purpose of the logo. The arrow within these designs provides a good link to upcycling, however the designs perhaps need to be more subtle. By moving Up above Cycle this reflects the idea of 'upcycling' it  - 'upcycling' it.  

Finalising name

Feedback made clearer there was a focus on the materials being Offcuts and Scrap material and it was also said that there could be good visual links to these ideas. 

Definitions 

Scrap 

- other tenses, scrap, scraps, scrapped, scrapping 
- discard or remove from service (a redundant, old, or inoperative vehicle, vessel, or machine), especially so as to convert it to scrap metal.
- abolish or cancel (a plan, policy, or law)
- piece, fragment, bit 
- a small piece or portion; fragment
- existing in the form of fragments or remnants of use only for reworking, as metal
- discarded or left over
- to make into scraps or scrap; break up 
- to discard as useless, worthless, or ineffective 
- chops, cuttings, fragments, or other small pieces of raw material, removed, cut away, flaked off, etc, in the process of making or manufacturing the item 
- an old , discarded, or rejected item or substance for use in reprocessing or as a raw material, as old metal that can be melted and reworked 
- a detached piece of something written or printed 

Offcut 

- other versions of word, off - cut, offcuts, off - cuts 
- a piece of waste material that is left behind after cutting a larger piece 
- a piece of paper, plywood, fabric, etc, remaining after the main pieces have been cut; remnant 

Chosen word

Both sets of meanings for the words will be useful in following through the concept of scrap material within the design. It was decided that off - cut was the more effective name as it made a clear connection to the source of the materials on the website. It was considered that this could be played with in some interesting ways within the design. Also the word can be written with a hyphen which could act as an 'offcut' in its physical sense. It was decided that scraps and its other meaning could be misunderstood making the sites purpose confusing. 

Type

When looking at books on the subject of recycling and sustainability etc it was found that many of the typefaces used were sans serif, usually in bold creating impact and making the subject stand out highlighting the importance of being environmentally friendly. These typefaces also have quite rounded geometric forms creating an organic curved appearance which fits well with the cyclical nature of recycling. The slight rounding of terminal ends also creates a softer and more friendly feel to the typefaces. 

Typeface Considerations 

Logo and Body Type 

Taking influence from some of the eco books that were looked at, sans serif typefaces with a mixture of curved edged and completely rounded finnials were experimented with. These however as a logotype are look a little childish which is not effective in creating a contemporary design which will appeal to an adult creative audience.

The site aims to promote and encourage people to upcycle so the designs tone of voice will be encouraging and positive.  

Having square finials creates a more contemporary and modern aesthetic to the logotype. The counters within letters such as c, p and a are very geometric and circular which reflect the cyclical process of upcycling. To create a sense of impact Futura Bold Oblique was tested after looking at Barbara Krugers art works which comment on political and cultural aspects. It was considered that using this typeface could create a sense of impact highlighting the issue of waste etc.  This however as a logotype was too bold for what was wanted within the design.

The bolder typefaces possibly stand out too much however the lighter versions look more refined. Upcycling projects and processes are becoming more refined allowing products to be made for a more luxury market. The lighter typefaces appeal to the contemporary creative audience as well as reflecting the more sophisticated processes being used within upcycling.   

Setting the logotype in all capitals looks too harsh even when using a lighter type. Upcycling is accessible to everyone of all creative abilities, this could be shown through the use of a purely lowercase logotype which will create a sense on colloquialism making the brand and its purpose seem friendly and approachable. 

The offcut shape being used for the imagery could be reflected in the type through the use of an angled 't'.

Adding the hyphen in between the two words makes reference to the idea of a physical offcut which acts as a separate shape within the space between the words. 

As a logotype Typo Grotesk stands out, however is not too bold to look forceful. Its rounded counters reflect the cyclical nature of upcycling whilst letters such as the 'f' and 't' have high cross strokes which create a sense of quirk reflecting the nature of the unique materials on the site.  

Increasing the tracking between the words and hyphen emphasises the sense of space around the hyphen making it look separate from the rest of the word and creating a sense of it being an 'off cut'. 

Europa Regular will be used for body text and creates contrast between itself and the headings / logotype reflecting the contrast that is found between materials in industrial design. The perfectly circular counters within the typeface matches that of the logotype creating cohesiveness between the two. Using a lighter typeface for body text makes it easier to read at smaller point sizes. 

Further development of logotype 

After experimenting with imagery and the concept that sections are going to be cut away from the images to reflect an offcut or scrap it was thought that this idea could be integrated within the logotype design. This was done by adapting the edges of some of the letters to look more angular. When applied to the 'f's' this looked a little harsh possibly because the points are pointing downwards. Cutting a section off the hyphen looked unbalanced, however angling the top of the 't' created a more subtle reflection of the idea which was in keeping with the rest of the logotype.