10 / 03 / 16
I knew for my logo design I wanted to incorporate my initials ontop of eachother like I do in my signature. This lead to quick experiments with the form of the letters and how I can make them appear ontop of eachother, which need to be the largest and most obtruding, and also how I will approach the layering.
My sketches tried different techniques including experimentation inside different geometrics and border styles.
I moved onto Photoshop as I like the ease of rasterising type and then being able to freely manipulate it with the pen tool and other transform tools. Before this however I gathered a list of my favourite types which I would consider using for my personal identity so I had them visually infront of me to see which could work best for the layering of the logo...
Typefaces included.. Berthold's Acidenz Grotesk, ITC Avant Garde Gothic W1G, Biko, Coco Goose, Keep Calm, Young & Bebas Neue.
Through experimentation with Biko Bold, I quickly determined how if the type had an overly thick stem weight it would make it very difficult and usually irregular to line the different characters up ontop of eachother. The horizontal bar on the top of the J also stuck out to me as something that may need to be removed as it is unnecessary to the form of the logo layout. And the irregularities of the descender will also need to be considered (typeface dependant). The above experimentation was using the type 'Biko' which I really potentially like for normal text but for use in the symbol part of my logo it does need to be a type which offers something alot more regular in width weight and on extra typographical features.
From this, I was able to select the most functional typeface being 'Young'. It provides the correct thickness and is a pretty consistent and regular typeface for what I need it for.
The only aspect which needed altering was centralising the crossbar on the H with the centre curve of the S to ensure a regular appearance...
Experiment document (shows design stages I went through):
As shown, I did eventually remove the bar on the J but I did want to consider how it would look so kept it that far. The next stage was introducing the effect the letters being layered up ontop of eachother rather than overlapping black areas. This inspiration came from logos such as The Bear Hug Co. But I developed the style away from the rustic, almost western serif style shown beneath..
I did make the initial decision to squaring the edges of the characters off to fit the structure and layout of the logo. I did carry on designing with this feature present originally, but then realised later that it did make it appear strange and irregular. I went back and compared both at the first stages and did prefer the original that had slanted edges rather than squared off (especially on the tail of the J!). I tried different type options for the J and played with the length of the tail but finalised that it was just down to my attempt of rounding the tail all the way round to be squared off ontop.
My next step was to start investigating how I would actually present the symbol logo alongside type...
I experimented with 'design by' or 'made by'... and also playing with a concept of the comma at the end. The idea behind this was I want to present myself as a comma, not a fullstop. I want to be someone in the industry which may not provide the be all and end all of solutions, but portray the fact that I am an open enough designer to have a flow in my work, and that there is always the opportunity of it leading onto something bigger!
Further developments with borders and layout:
I created the borders on Illustrator as I have a better understanding of how you can modify the stroke lines around a path. I produced varied options but really liked the double ring design as it did most feel like a traditional stamp design. Can be developed into something like this..
The only problem with this being which I realised afterwards was as I had been modifying the space between each dash and the size of the dash itself it meant it was very difficult to find a distance which worked all the way around regularly, in relation to the smaller ring inside it. This meant the last dot in the sequence had an irregular bit of a spacing which was sticking out to me like a sore thumb! Furthermore I realised upon smaller scales, the smaller dots were too intricate to be easily visible and when I laser-cut/make vinyl stickers out of the logo it would cause problems. This is something I would need to look into...
Final Layout Style Mock-Up: (type= Young regular)
Originally I did show a different version of the logo for the crit session, as I carried forward the earlier concept of using a comma at the end of the first line. However this quickly got removed based on initial responses I had from peers and then also from the crit session. Although I had justified it and had a concept behind it people did feel like it was an unnecessary attention grabber, no punctuation does make it appear more professional and slick.
The next point that was brought up regarding the image, was removing the second line 'Leeds' which is highlighting where I am based at the moment studying design. Peers suggested I should include where I am from instead or just remove it. However I responded saying at this point in my life I do feel like I will remain in Leeds after graduation in 2 years time however for know I will be based in Leeds and looking for live briefs to take part in, so I feel it is a piece of necessary information to include in my main logo design.
I directly asked for opinions based on the inclusion of my D.O.B in my logo, people questioned me if it was really necessary and highlighted it does juxtapose the usual use of a date in a logo. However I justify that I am fond of how it creates this juxtaposition as establish dates are usually included to highlight the experience and age of the company. But by including the date of my birth it highlights how I am only 19, displaying to clients that yes, at this point I am a young designer with experience that is slowly growing but this can be seen as a more positive reason to hire me!
Upon drawing peoples attention to the irregular dots in the outer ring, it was agreed I needed to address this. Perhaps by uniting the outer dots with the white space created between the inner ring, this would appear much more regular. Lastly, a different experimentation of type beneath the logo is needed as people felt the very consistent, modern type of Young didn't sufficiently represent my personality.. I could be experimental!
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