Kwun Tong Government Secondary School
Visual Arts TAS Project 2006_07_01—Logo Design
Secondary 5
Prepared by Mr. Cho Wing Keung
School website: www.ktgss.edu.hk
Topic: 25th Anniversary School Logo Design
Objectives:
The students should be able to:
1. analyze the design works focusing on the use of balance and rhythm.
2. use design elements: positive and negative space, balance and rhythm to design a logo.
3.
4.
design a logo that communicate an idea and convey a message.
evaluate a logo in written form.
Learning Tasks:
A) Balance: Symmetrical balance and rotating symmetrical balance.
Activity: An image in balance
1. Use a point pen or pencil to draw images (e.g. a heart, a hand, plants, animals ) in 2 separate
boxes each measuring 3 cm x 2 cm on an A4 sheet provided by the teacher, either vertically or
horizontally.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Consider carefully the balance.
Design two different thumbnail sketches: one in symmetrical balance; one in rotating
symmetrical balance.
Finish the drawing in 10 minutes.
Put all artworks on the long table in the centre of the art room for discussion afterwards.
B) Logo design analyze
A logo may be designed in any of the following configurations.
 Logotype
: the named spelled out in unique typography
 Initials
: the first letters of the name
 Pictorial visual : representation of object or objects that symbolize the produce, service or
organization
 Abstract visual : non-pictorial visual forms to symbolize the product, service or organization
 Combination
: any of the above used together
Criteria to judge the logos
 to design clear and legible type
 to create a distinctive look for your client
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to differentiate the product, service, or organization from the competition
to create a logo that is appropriate for your client's business
to express the product's, service's, company's or organization's spirit or personality
to create a design with graphic impact
to create a design that is consistent with the principles of balance and unity
to create good positive/negative shape relationships
to design a memorable logo
to design a logo that works well in both black-and-white reproduction and color
to design a logo that reproduces well when reduced and enlarged
Activity: Critique of a logo
1. Select a logo on page 6 to write a short essay to critic.
2. Write down the figure no. on the paper provided by the teacher.
3.
4.
Identified the configurations (Logotype, Initials, Pictorial visual, Abstract visual, and
Combination of _______ and ________ )
Consider carefully the above criteria.
5.
6.
7.
Mention the design elements you find.
You have 25 minutes to do.
Hand in the essay to the teacher afterwards
The figure one on page 6 is an example:
The configuration of the logo is “Initials”.
The “C” is meant to capture the spirit of a child, and
pretend to be drawn by one. Selecting “H” from hospital and the Dartmouth varsity letter
sweater “D” seem to be the obvious choice for the playful solution. The “H” is emphasized by its
negative space to create a design with graphic impact. The lowercase “a” plays a vital role and
helps to hold the other three forms together. For the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth, it is
necessary to strike the proper between playfulness and dignity. It has to be appropriate for
audiences ranging from young children to teenagers, and also their parents. The rhythm of the
four letters creates a design that is consistent with the principles of balance and unity. The logo
reproduces well and easy to remember.
C) Positive and negative space
Draw a shape on a page. By doing so, you instantly create a positive/negative spatial relationship.
The shape is the positive space, or figure, and the rest of the space on the page is the negative space,
or ground. This sounds simple, but there is a lot more to it. In a successful positive/negative
relationship, the positive and negative space is interdependent and interactive. In other words, no
space is dead and blank areas have value in the overall design. In fact, not all blank space must be
filled with clutter or meaningless forms. A designer must be constantly aware of the blank spaces
and make them work in the design. All space, both positive and negative, should be considered.
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Activity: Letterforms as positive and negative space
1. Use a point pen or pencil to design your English name (e.g. May, Jack) in 2 separate boxes
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
each measuring 3 cm x 2 cm on an A4 sheet provided by the teacher, either vertically or
horizontally.
Consider carefully both the positive and negative space.
The letters should spread to touch all the edges of the page.
Design two different thumbnail sketches: one black text; one black background.
Finish the drawing in 10 minutes.
Put all artworks on the long table in the centre of the art room for discussion afterwards.
D) Rhythm
In music, most people think of rhythm as the best sense of movement from one chord to another, a
flow, accent patterns, or stresses.
In design, you can also think of rhythm as the beat – a beat
established by visual elements. Rhythm is a pattern that is created by repeating or varying
elements and by establishing a sense of movement from one element to another. The key to
establishing rhythm in design is to understand the difference between repetition and variation.
Repetition occurs when you repeat visual elements. Variation can be established by changing any
number of elements, such as the colour, size, shape, spacing, position and visual weight of the
elements in a design.
Activity: Letters making rhythm
1. Use a point pen or pencil to design compositions with rhythm (e.g. A, B, C… ) in 2 separate
2.
3.
4.
boxes each measuring 3 cm x 2 cm on an A4 sheet provided by the teacher, either vertically or
horizontally..
Design two different thumbnail sketches: one is repetition; one is variation.
Finish the drawing in 10 minutes.
Put all artworks on the long table in the centre of the art room for discussion afterwards.
E)
Logo design
Step I
 Gather information on your subject. Find related visuals that you could use as references. Find
examples of logos with the style or look you think is appropriate.
 Write an objectives statement. Define the purpose and function of the logo, the audience, the
competition, the message that needs to be communicated, and what kind of personality should
be conveyed. It helps to write two or three adjectives on an index card that describe and
summarize the spirit or personality that your logo should communicate. Keep the index card in
front of you while sketching.
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Step II
 Design a logo in any of the following configurations - logotype, initials, pictorial visual,
abstract visual or any combination of these. The logo should be self-contained. It should be
able to "float" anywhere; for example, it should not be dependent upon being positioned in the
corner of a page. There should be no bleeds - nothing running off the edge of a page. Note: If
your final choice is an abstract or pictorial visual, you will have to choose type to work with it
for the stationery.
 Produce at least twenty different sketches before choosing a solution. At least four sketches
should be devoted to each of the various configurations. In other words, you should make four
sketches of initials, four sketches of abstract visual, and so on. If a computer is not available,
you may want to work on tracing paper so you can tract parts of one sketch and incorporate
them into another (Hold onto the sketches for future reference and for your portfolio
sketchbook.)
Step III
 Refine the sketches into three roughs.
Step IV
 Create a comp using computer-generated type or hand-lettering. The logo should be no bigger
than 5" in any direction.
Presentation
The logo should be shown by itself in black-and-white and colour on an 11" x 14" board.
Optional: Design the logo on stationery: a letterhead, envelope and business card. Present the
stationery on an 11" x 14" board, held vertically. Mount the letterhead first. Overlap the
envelope and business card.
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F) Assignment
Assignment 1: Research and writing (Hand in your assignment on __________________) 20%
1. Write the goal or problem in your research workbook.
2. Get as many references in visual or text in your research workbook as possible. Select one
logo to write the critique about 100-150 words.
3. Read the notes P.1-3.
Assignment 2: Research, thumbnail sketches and roughs (Hand in your assignment on
_____________) 40%
1. Continue to find references in visual or text and put them in your research workbook.
2.
Draw 20 thumbnail sketches on the topic in black point pen in the right proportion in your
research workbook.
3.
Choose the best 3 thumbnail sketches and turn them into roughs. If the thumbnails chosen to
turn into roughs do not work, go back and turn some other thumbnail sketches into roughs.
The size of your rough is around 7 cm x 5 cm.
Assignment 3: Logo design / Evaluation (Hand in your assignment on ________________)
40%
1.
2.
Choose your best rough and turn it into a black-and-white and a colour comp.
You may use water colour, sign pens, point pens, pastel, collage, acrylic and other media (i.e.
mixed media).
3.
Mount the comp on a A4 size cardboard.
Describe the making process, starting from the thinking statement, then research process, and
drawing of thumbnail sketches….and finally the difficulties you have overcome.
4.
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Figure 1
Graphic Identity
Design firm: Harp & Company, Hanover, NH
Designers: Douglas G. Harp, Linda E. Wagner
Client: Children's Hospital at Dartmouth, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical
Center, Lebanon, NH
Figure 2
Logotype for Restaurante Brasil
Design firm: Martin Holloway Graphic Design, Warren, NJ
Designer: Martin Holloway
Client: Restaurante Brasil, Martinsville, NJ
Figure 3
LearningCurve Logo
Design firm: Liska+Associates Inc.,
Chicago + New York
Art direction: Steve Liska
Designer: Holle Andersen
Client: Learning Curve International
Figure 4
Kozmo.com Logo
Design firm: DiMassimo Brand Advertising, New York, NY
©Kozmo.com
The bright and energetic Kozmo.com logo symbolizes fast delivery and
user friendliness.
Liska + Associates designed this logo as a part of our complete identity
program for Learning-Curve International, an educational toy company.
Figure 5
Conversá Logo/Stationery
Design firm: Hornall Anderson
Design Works, Seattle, WA
Art director: Jack Anderson
Designers: Jack Anderson, Kathy
Saito, Alan Copeland
Figure 6
Jack Rabbit Logo
Design firm: double entendre,
Seattle, WA
Designers: Richard A.
Smith/Daniel P Smith
We wanted to create a logo that
implied gourmet food that was
good and you could get quickly.
The clientele is mostly at lunchtime
when people don't have a lot of
time to spare.
The main objective was to develop
a proprietary wordmark for
"Conversá" which incorporated a
restylized saycon icon.
Figure 7
Logo
Design firm: Pentagram Design,
New York, NY
Designer: Woody Pirtle
Client: Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey Hair
Figure 8
The Quaker Oats Company Logo
Logo used permission of The
Quaker Oats Company
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