> 1: logo design > objective(s): > curricular focus: > specifications: CMYK (do not forget!- this is the first time we have worked in this mode)

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1 > 1: logo design > objective(s): Students will create a logo (in two-color and grayscale formats) for an existing school-sponsored team, group, club, organization, class, etc. > curricular focus: This lesson emphasizes minimalistic, representational design that is unified through a limited color palette and eyeflow. Another major aspect is the use of contrast to create an effective grayscale design. Lastly, utilizing the Pen tool to create clean, smooth, accurate contours. > specifications: save as: MHS Logo_Lastname.psd MHS Logo Brainstorm_Lastname.doc dimensions: 5"x10" (color logo on top, grayscale underneath)* resolution: 300 mode: CMYK (do not forget!- this is the first time we have worked in this mode) contents: Transparent > instruction: what is a logo? A logo is a graphic icon that visually represents a company/organization and creates instant public recognition. Logos can be purely graphic (symbols/icons) or simply text (logotype/wordmark) but most are a combination of the two (graphic and wordmark). Your logo will have both (graphic and wordmark). logo fundamentals (see Logo Fundamentals on page 4 for visual examples) extremely simplified icon very limited color palette highly readable text actual or implied unifying shape font selection reinforces mood circular eyeflow introduction to CMYK color model (see page 7 for visual examples) CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black this model is used for printed designs; all printers use these for inks to create all available colors colors are referred to as a sequence of numbers representing each ink in order, separated by a hyphen examples: white ; black ; red ; green rich black versus flat black (use rich black) Believe it or not, black is not black. You would assume gives you pure black. This combination creates a faded black. To have a pure black you must use the following coordinates: Again, we will be using rich black for our logos color treatment (see Color Treatment on page 10 for visual examples) color Color in a logo is usually very limited to help maintain simplicity and unity. You are allowed black plus one additional color (plus their tints and shades) for your color logo. Pantone Color Matching System (PMS) Companies/Organizations often use the Pantone Color Matching System to ensure consistent color usage. By doing this, different manufacturers in different locations can all refer to the Pantone system to make sure colors match without direct contact with one another. For our project, we will be simply selecting one specific Hue number in the HSB format. grayscale Contrast is extremely important in grayscale design. Strong grayscale design will have rich darks, bright highlights and a wide, separated range of midtones in between. There are two standard sets commonly used in grayscale design. If using only two gray tones you will employ the model. This give you white (0), a light midtone (30) and a dark midtone (60) and black. If using three three gray tones you will use the model. These models ensure you have maximum diversity between grays. Remember though, we are using rich black ( ) not flat black ( ).

2 > 1: logo design review font selection and how it impacts mood text must be readable at small sizes since logos are often presented at small scales discuss trademark infringement (see Trademark Infringement on page 9 for visual examples) many "artists" simply add their own colors and text to someone else's artwork- this is illegal! browse logo galleries for examples of fundamental logo design treatments > procedure: select a school-sponsored team, group, club, class, etc. and approve with instructor pick something you feel connected to and are excited to work on (favorite class, sport you play, club you are a member of- just a suggestion, not a requirement) determine your colors you are allowed orange ( ), rich black ( ) plus gray if you use one gray it must be if you use two grays they must be and if you use three grays they must be , and create a brainstorm list of all related key words (minimum 20) and approve with instructor use MHS Logo Brainstorm Template.dot (save as MHS Logo Brainstorm_Lastname.doc) create a list of categories to help organize keyword ideation you must have a "Knights" and a "Mood" category your logo is for a school-related group so you must have a Knights category the Mood category is so you do not forget to consider what feeling you are trying to convey see MHS Logo Brainstorm Example carefully read Essential Logo Design Tips on page 6 create thumbnail sketches (min. 10) based on your MHS Logo Brainstorm keyword list and approve with instructor see Sketching Ideas on page 9 create mock-up of approved design include color labels, tint percentages and font selection no gradients allowed- only flat areas of color are permitted begin work on computer adhere to specifications listed above design must be created with Pen tool; no hand-drawn elements Marquis and Shape tools also permitted all paths must be saved design uses only black (rich) and its tones and one Pantone (use specific Hue Number) when first logo is complete, duplicate file and alter color for grayscale version see requirements on page 3

3 > 1: logo design > requirements: file specifications are adhered to concept: concept (idea) represents client, its products and services concept appeals to target audience demographic concept is easily understood and does not need to be "pointed out" for a person to get it graphic: icon style (corporate or sports) is relevant and appropriate to the client as well as its customers icon is not overly detailed but very simplified visually and only utilizes important and necessary visual elements typography: font selection reinforces the overall intended mood of the design font selection is appropriate to logo design style (corporate or sports) graphic treatment of font is appropriate to design style corporate style is very simple, clean and understated sports style bold and aggressive and utilizes treatments appropriate to this style (for example: multiple outlines, bookending, unifying text warp, bevelled edge, etc.) composition: design is strongly unified visually design creates circular eyeflow for the viewer, keeping their eyes on the design utilizes actual or implied unifying shape if actual unifying shape is used, graphics and/or text breaks out for visual interest color: MHS logos must be limited to orange ( ), rich black ( ) and gray tones one gray must be two grays must be and three grays must be , and corporate logos must be limited to the company's original colors plus rich black and gray tones no gradients or feathered edges of color are used- only flat areas of color with crisp, defined edges color and grayscale tints are effectively integrated, balanced and consistent strong contrast separation between tones construction: design was created strictly with vectors (Pen and Shape tool- Marquis also okay) no hand-drawn elements are permitted all paths are saved presentation: color logo is placed at the top with the grayscale version underneath both logos are centered and evenly spaced within the document frame

4 > 1: logo fundamentals bold outline a thick outline, or multiple outlines of various thickness, help anchor the design; when using mulitple outlines, make sure the outmost is the thickest simple graphic the graphic should be an extremely simplified icon, not a detailed picture; the more simplified the graphic, the easier it is for the brain to remember it unifying shape an actual (visible) or implied (invisible) unifying shape helps unify the design and keeps the eye focused on the artwork and type; in this case, an implied triangle is created by having type wider than the graphic contrast all colors, and any tones (grays), are highly contrasting; this contrast helps the brain separate elements in the logo limited color palette limiting the number of colors helps keep the design simple and more easily broken down by the viewer's eye and brain; in this case, the design only uses two colors, black and orange- the grays are simply tones of black font selection font selection must represent the overall mood of the client; in this case, a thick, strong, bold font was chosen because of the nature of athletics; this is further enhanced by italicizing the text to show motion dark exterior color keeping your darkest color to the outside can help anchor and unify your design

5 > 1: design approaches Graphic Icon Graphically Enhanced Letter

6 > 1: essential logo design tips 1. design style must represent the company There are many different design styles to choose from when creating a logo. To pick the right one you must have background information about the client and the brand. Research your client and its audience before you begin your preliminary work. This will help you determine the best design style from the start. Do your homework! 2. preliminary work is a must Preliminary sketches are an important first step in designing an effective logo. You will compromise the final result if you rush or skip this step. Start sketching ideas and then branch out to create variations of the original ideas. If nothing seems to work, start over and begin sketching new ideas. An effective graphic designer will spend more time on this preliminary work than any other step in the design process. 3. K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) The simpler the logo, the more recognizable it will be. For example, the Nike swoosh is an extremely simple logo and is also one of the most recognizable in the world. Follow the K.I.S.S. rule right from the start of the design process when you are brainstorming and sketching. Work your designs down to its essentials and leave out all unnecessary elements. 4. create balance Balance is important in logo design because our minds naturally perceive a balanced design as being pleasing and appealing. Keep your logo balanced by keeping the weight of the graphics, colors, and size equal on each side. The rule of balance can occasionally be broken but remember that your logo will be viewed by the masses, not just those with an eye for great art, so a balanced design is the safest approach. 5. size matters When it comes to logo design, size does matter. A logo has to look good and be legible at all sizes. A logo is not effective if it loses too much definition when scaled down for business cards, envelopes, and small promotional items. The smallest scale is usually the hardest to get right, so test your logo by printing it at a small size. 6. typography matters a lot! Choosing the right font type and size is much more difficult than many beginner designers realize. Since your logo design includes text, you will need to spend time sorting through various font types often, dozens of them and testing them in your design before making a final decision. Try both serif fonts and sans-serif fonts as well as script, italics, bold, and custom fonts. Consider these main points when choosing a font to accompany your logo design: - avoid commonly used fonts, such as Comic Sans, Arial, and Times or your design may look amateurish - make sure the font is legible when scaled down, especially with script fonts - one font is ideal; avoid more than two - strongly consider a custom font for your design; the more original the font, the more it will distinguish the brand examples of successful logos that have a custom font are Yahoo!, Twitter and Coca Cola 7. recognition is the goal The whole point of creating a logo is to build brand recognition. The goal is for the average person to instantly call the brand to mind. Examples of this are the logos for Coca-Cola, Pepsi, McDonald s and Nike. Just a glimpse of any of these logos is all you need to recognize the brands. The key to making a popular and recognizable logo is to combine all of the elements discussed above: size, style, color, typography and originality. 8. use other designs for inspiration only! The last rule for designing an effective logo is quite simple: don t copy other designers work! While there s nothing wrong with being inspired by other designers, copying another person s ideas or work is morally and legally wrong. You may not, under any circumstances, copy or trace someone else's artwork (hand-drawn, painted, computer generated, etc.). You may, though, trace a photograph but be sure to drastically simply the image to ensure it is truly a graphic icon.

7 > 1: unifying shapes > actual: defined shape in background of graphic part of design "breaks out" for visual interest most commonly used: oval and triangle > implied: shape created by arrangement of graphic and text

8 > 1: typography > font selection is critical font should reflect the mood of the client, its products and services, and the target audience example: Dallas Cowboys Just because you like a font doesn't mean it works with the logo's concept, style and target audience. The Cowboys mascot obviously alludes to the Old West, so an old west type font is a good place to start. But then you need to consider this is a sports logo, football no less, and so the font needs to reflect the aggressive, strong motif of this sports. Comic Sans (left) is obviously a poor choice considering all of these factors. Playbill (right) is a better selection and is then further strengthened by bolding and widening the text. COWBOYS > text composition corporate style Most corporate logos place their text underneath their graphic icon or centered to the right (see below). This is a good place to start since these locations are the most common, but you may need to adjust based on your graphic or you may even feel a completely different location works best for the overall composition. Remember, most corporate style logo fonts are simple and clean, with little to no graphic embellishment other than color. sports style Most sports logos place their text underneath or on top of their graphic icon. This is a good place to start since these locations are the most common, but if neither of those feel right many designers choose to run the text through the graphic. Remember that sports logo text tend to be big and bold with thick outlines and are often warped to create action and movement.

9 > 1: sketching ideas > determine logo style- corporate v. sports if you are doing a sports team your designs must be strictly within the sports style if you are doing a class, club, group, organization, etc. you need to explore both corporate and sports style > create sketches from your keyword list some keywords can stand alone as graphic icons some can be combined with others into an idea stick to sketching the logo- do not worry about text yet > create a multitude of graphic ideas each of your ideas should be significantly different from each other visually for example: when designing a logo for "Knights" a sketch of a knight helmet in profile and another helmet straight on is still just one idea a sketch of a knight helmet and a shield are two different design ideas it is okay to create variations of a specific idea- in fact it is strongly encouraged- but this is still just one idea try both corporate and sports style (unless you are doing a sports team) try with and without unifying shapes try different compositions (text on top, underneath, to the right, etc.) > do not draw from someone else's artwork when someone creates a piece of art, they have what is called "intellectual property," or ownership of their work; when you copy from someone's artwork, this is trademark infringement and is against the law (this includes clipart) you may draw from photographs only (infringing on someone's intellectual property will result in a "0" grade) > get inspiration from other designs logos of any company, team, restaurant, etc. can give you ideas you can incorporate in your own way into your design other logos can help launch ideas such as... popular fonts type treatment (warping, bookending, canting, bevelling, etc.) composition arrangement (scale, unifying shapes, where the text is in relation to the logo, etc.) design trends remember! it is okay to be inspired by other designs, it is not okay to copy other designs! > draw simple symbols, not pictures! logos are highly simplified icons, not detailed drawings with each sketch, think how you can re-draw it even more simplified (then of course actually re-draw it) > unify your design unity is incredibly important in logo design and should be one of your biggest considerations while sketching ideas what do you have in your design that leads the viewer's eye back to the beginning? do you have an actual or implied unifying shape? (see page 7: Unifying Shapes) if doing a sports style logo- did you utilize multiple outlines of various thickness to anchor your design? can you use a text placement or treatment that helps unify your design? > carefully consider font selection & text placement once you have numerous graphic ideas, you may start to consider type select fonts that reinforce the mood you are trying to convey do not put text inside your graphic (when you shrink your logo, the text will become too small to read) text can appear above, below, to the side or even overlap the graphic text must remain large enough to be easily read when the logo is very small

10 > 1: color treatment CMYK CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black used for printed designs; all printers use these for inks to create all available colors colors are referred to as a sequence of numbers representing each ink in order, separated by a hyphen white ( ) red ( ) light red ( ) blue ( ) light blue ( ) green ( ) light green ( ) rich black versus flat black flat black rich black grayscale one gray: use rule (40%) because 50% often appears to dark gray CMYK values are two grays: use rule (30% and 60%) gray CMYK values are and three grays: use rule (25%, 50% and 75%) gray CMYK values are , and

11 > 1: converting to grayscale color to grayscale conversion: Just because colors contrast each other does not mean the same contrast will be evident when converted to grayscale. Colors of the same intensity will produce virtually identical grays. See the example below where four very contrasting, high intensity colors are simply converted to grayscale. Because of this issue, designers create a separate grayscale file where they custom adjust tones to maintain effective contrast. example: In the color logo below, the grays follow the rule. The orange uses CMYK values of When the logo is converted to grayscale, the orange becomes a midtone value that washes out the other two grays. This is a huge problem because constrast is so enormously important in logo design. The existing grays from the color logo cannot be changed to make room for an additional gray. (They are already gray in the color version so changing them in a grayscale image would not make sense.) To solve this problem, the orange was converted to white to maintain a high level of contrast separation. See the image examples below. Incorrect: In this image, the color logo has simply been converted to grayscale. The orange becomes an additional midtone that washes out against the two existing grays. This drastically decreases the constrast. Correct: To maintain value separation and effective contrast, orange was changed to white. This keeps the existing grays from being altered.

12 > 1: trademark infringement Trademark infrigment is a very common issue in graphic design. Most people either do not understand the law, or chose to ignore it. Often, organizations (including countless public schools) simply find a logo they like then change the colors and text to match their needs. The assumption is that they changed it around and altered it to the point that it is something new and different. Not true. This is still infringing upon what is called intellectual property. Below is an example from a county school system in Georgia. They hired someone to design their school logos. Instead of creating new, custom designs, they simply took existing designs then changed the colors and text to suit. Every one of these logos are illegal.