Alternative Techniques-Harbour House

Using Illustrator I was able to create all of my logo ideas for Harbour House. The client had said that they liked the use of negative space in logos, and so I thought I would focus on that as a starting point. Clearly my first idea was far more successful then my second. Playing on the House part of the company name, I used the direct selection tool to manipulate a H into a house structure, and then used the shapes tools and pathfinder tools to create a small door silhouette to complete the house as it was not very obvious that that is what I was going for without it.

I then looked into using basic shapes and type to create a clean, simple logo which I feel I did rather successfully, with the addition of a gradient to finish it off. I then returned to my first idea after thinking about trying to give the negative space house a 3D effect, and while I feel the result is not all that bad, the original idea is far superior.

I then created several ideas focusing mostly on the type, using different fonts and techniques to manipulate and create a range of different ideas.

Finally, I thought it would be worth exploring the use of shape in logos, and after some research, I saw that many shapes are created using the ellipse tool to create clean curves. Using this and the rotate tool, I was able to create two, very similar, ideas.

After I had create some logo ideas, I tool the best and placed them into different branding formats, such as, business cards, compliments slips and letter heads. The business cards I was especially happy with thanks to the ideas of having pieces cut out to give the business cards a unique aspect.

As you can see, my work placement gave me plenty of time to work on logo ideas and place them in different elements, experimenting with different ways to present them on said formats, which is something I rarely leave myself the time to do.

Work Placement-The Point Design

I have now finished my three week work placement at The Point Design and I have to say, it has been a very educational and insightful experience. First and foremost, I learned a great deal about the way the industry works within a company, how everyone collaborates on ideas and produce individual elements, bringing them together to create the final piece and how clients are handled, with much back and forth between client and designer.

I also learned some useful techniques within Photoshop, such as how to cut out images using the pen tool and how everything needs to be saved in terms of file sizes for the benefit of the client. I also had a lot of time to work on a branding brief for a company called Harbour House, all of which will contribute greatly to my Alternative Techniques university brief.

Overall I would say that my time spent on placement has provided me with invaluable knowledge about the world of industry and has helped prepare me for a future in graphic design.

Alternative Techniques-Research

My work placement at The Point Design will be consisting mostly of Branding work, as such, like any other university project, in preparation for my placement work and work for this brief once the placement is over, I began conducting research into branding.

As part of this brief, it was important that we complete a SWOT analysis and list 4/5 skills that we wish to improve within the are of graphic design we have chosen.

I then created style sheets for research into different modern trends in branding, looking into negative space, clean and simple, traditional style logos and logos that use shape. I was very important for me to complete this research, rather then my usual format of having a base idea and researching into that area, I researched into modern trends to form a base idea. This will refine my creativity into ideas that are more suited to today's interests.

Once I was familiar with the modern trends circulating around branding, I thought it would be best to research into different design styles, artists that work in branding and brands that I find visually appealing to help generate future ideas.

I found this batch of research particularly useful as I feel I delved much deeper into the area of graphic design I will be working in then I normally do, especially when it comes to what is popular right now in these areas.

Alternative Techniques-Brief

The next brief I have been given on my course is named Alternative Techniques. The brief requires me to pick an area of graphic design I am interested in or perhaps want more practice with and complete a brief around that area, whether it is one I find myself or I use on of the briefs I have been given. Due to my work placement which starts tomorrow however, I will be doing things slightly differently. Rather then picking an area of design, I will attend my placement, and up on completing work there, I will form my project around that work. So say I worked mostly on branding at my placement, I will say that the area I am developing for my university brief is in branding. I will then incorporate this and, provided I have time, another branding brief into my overall project.

Family Explorers-Final Logo

Following a look at my last change, I was then asked if I could a second outer ring to the logo, which, as you can see, was a definite improvement. Using some of the colour from my previous selection, as requested, I created this final design in five colour variations. Unfortunately, despite my logo being the one they have chosen to use, I will on a work placement for the next three weeks starting tomorrow and so will be unable to further work on the Family Explorers project until after that point.

Family Explorers

At the end of the last project, myself and several other from my class were given the opportunity to develop the brand for a new group known as Family Explorers. The company goes around to country, visiting many industries, usually school, and organises visits to many cultural hubs around the country, the Baltic being one of them. The group are targeting both children and their parents, trying to encourage them to take these visits as an educational experience.Part of what they do is give a booklet that will be used as a map where they will be able to mark where they have been and where they still have left to go. The brand then needs to reflect what the company does while appealing to both children and adults.

Straight away, after being given this brief, I had the idea of creating a logo with a stamp effect, i.e. text with a faded, worn edge based on the idea of a passport stamp. Using a free font that already had the desired effect, I altered it slightly in places, created the framed corners using the rectangle tool and the Pathfinder unite tool, then added the divider for the text using the rectangle and star shape tools. Using the add/subtract anchor point tools and the direct selection tool, I was able to create the faded effect I was after on all of the different elements of the logo. The corners helped to reinforce the stamp idea and the star at the center helped to show the child side of the logo further.

After some feedback from the people who are after the logo, I came back and change my logo design slightly, taking away the sharp corners and replacing them with a circle. Created in the same as before, I found, as they desired, gave much a friendlier aspect to the logo, still having the stamp effect, the removal of the corners was a definite improvement.