OUGD403 - Studio Brief 02 - Typeface Design Part 1

The objective of this studio brief was to create a bespoke typeface that effectively communicates a given adjective using one of Müeller-Brockmanns classic and lead typefaces.

My chosen word was 'dependent', and or my initial research into creating my typeface I looked at how my is defined:

1)  Determined, influenced, or controlled by something else

2)  Requiring someone or something for support

3)  Unable to do without


The word originates from the Old French word 'dependant', which translates literally to mean ‘hanging down from'. Based on thesaurus suggestions, other synonyms of the word are: defenseless, reliant, vulnerable, inferior, minor, secondary, subordinate, clinging, counting on, and lesser


To gather a starting point for the basis of my typeface I researched Josef Müeller-Brockmanns nine typefaces, looking at both upper and lower case alphabets as well as a range of numbers and punctuation marks:

Josef Müeller-Brockmann's Nine Essential Typefaces

Garamond
A versatile serif font that has deep historical context, yet a contemporary and harmonious design. Legible in a number of sizes, weights and languages, this timeless typeface was built for the very purpose of disseminating a complex and significant range of information.


Caslon
Designed by Willian Caslon in the early 18th century this typeface is part of a group of serif typefaces. With its short ascenders and descenders this typeface has the specific purpose of fitting more characters per page, whilst leaving sufficient blank space for eligibility. The italic form has a rhythmic calligraphic stroke that makes it easier to read when in a body of text. There is moderately high contrast amongst the letterforms which gives the typeface a formal identity.


Baskerville
Despite being created in 1754, Baskerville is to this day considered to be one of the most legible typefaces available. It's strong form and crisp edges make it suitable for academic texts, while its subtle embellishments and soft bowls give an air of elegance.


Bodoni
Created in the late 18th century, Bodoni is representative of the Italian class and prosperity present at the time. It's distinct characteristics of rounded ears and descenders combine with sharp ascenders and serifs to create a timeless typeface. Created as a transitional typeface between Foundries and Baskerville, the upper and lower cases contain individual structural qualities whilst maintaining a sleek consistent style.


Clarendon
Clarendon is a strong British typeface created to reflect the British Empire of the Victorian era. Its thick strokes meld into thick slab serifs and fat ball terminals, representing the 'hearty' nature of the Empire. The increased contrast created by opening up the counters make it suitable for passages of text.


Berthold
Berthold, also known as Akzidenz Grotesk, was designed in 1896. It's literally definition of 'sans serif trade type' show its primary use is within industrial advertising and large signage. The softer, geometric form of the type positively impacts the legibility of the type and its many variations make it highly versatile. The understated forms and idiosyncrasies set it apart from other standard typefaces and make it suitable for statistical information. Berthold is also one of the first typefaces with a fixed stroke width, making it the original sans serif typeface.


Times New Roman
Times New Roman is a serif monotype created in 1931 for The Times newspaper. It was designed with the purpose of physical print and is still frequently used in publication typography. Due to its clear legibility and directness it is also now used in many digital medias and has become one of the most recognisable typefaces in history.


Helvetica
Helvetica is one of the worlds most used typefaces, and its neutral design is the key to its success. It's clean lines and geometric angles give it a neutrality that allows it to be used across many different mediums and across many different brands without becoming commonplace. Its clear design makes it suitable for use 'in motion', meaning it is suitable for road signage and airline companies.


Univers
Univers is a Swiss designed typeface created in 1954. It is known for being the first typeface to form a family of consistent designs. Its tall X-height is common amongst serif fonts but its unique and subtle contrast in stroke weights and curved terminals are different to other standard typeface.

OUGD404 - Study Task 02 - Colour Relativity

"There are no ugly colours; there are only ugly colours in combination"

In this short brief we were asked to select a colour that we either didn't like or found difficult to work with. I selected a shade of neon green, specifically Pantone 375 c, as it is not a colour I've used often within my work.

In order to demonstrate ways in which this colour could be incorporated into a piece of work we were tasked to find one other colour, as well as black, that would work when the colours were paired. I selected a light navy shade of blue, Pantone 2745 c.

An example of how these three colours could be used together would be a children's book about aliens in space. 

A mockup is shown below:

OUGD403 - Study Task 03 - The Rose and The Yew Tree

A one day brief to redesign the cover of the novel 'The Rose and The Yew Tree' for the Guardian Newspaper's 'Drawing The Detectives' celebration of Agatha Christie's 125th birthday.

In summary, the plot details the story of an upper class woman, Isabella Charteris, who is expected to marry her cousin Rupert when he returns from the war, and the 'ruthless' John Gabriel, a lower class war veteran turned politician with whom she unexpectedly falls in love with. Below is my final book cover design:

The book deals with issues of class divide and climbing the societal ladder, and so the two blocks of colour represent Isabella, the 'rose' at the top of society, and John, the 'yew tree' at the bottom. The white bands dividing up the colour give the appearance of rungs on a ladder and the distance between the two characters.

This work was then uploaded to The Guardian and displayed on their website:

OUGD403 - Studio Brief 01 - Superdrug Rebranding Part 2

After some initial feedback it became clear that despite the new typeface, the impact of the logo had not been sufficiently increased and the brand still felt a little weak and flat as a consequence. As suggested in the interim group critique I went back to the initial experimentation. Some of the first typefaces I had used gave a more retro feel (see Superdrug Rebranding Part 1), which links back to the company's sixties roots. Most of the feedback given in the critique was positive towards the retro impression and so I finalised the typeface as Quartzo (below). It's thickness provides the appropriate impact which is counterbalanced by the softer curves of the bowls, making it direct but user friendly, and legible in both larger and smaller formats. The original typeface contained a decorative letter ‘R’ which I removed as it had the potential to become ‘clichéd’ over time and make the logo look dated.

I decided to keep Superdrug's original pink colour (Pantone 212 c) as it has become the brand's most recognisable feature, and it also caters to their target audience of women and girls aged 16-40. The flat pink edition and the black and white editions (above) would be used where it is necessary to have a flat colour logo, such as carrier bags and receipts. However, on a store front or within the store itself a flat colour logo would have the potential to look plain and less noticeable. To rectify this, I included a subtle gradient, which adds an extra layer of detail and gives the eye that bit more to see (below).

Returning to my original research it is stated by Superdrug that they have begun a process of diversification over the past few years and now offer pharmacies with consultation rooms in over 220 stores. A further 19 contain nurse clinics and the launch of their Online Doctor in 2013 has allows the company to further extend their reach within the pharmaceuticals field.  The new rebranded logo is flexible enough to work in many different variations if Superdrug were to expand their branding into these different sectors. Examples of which could be:

The new logo is able to work with a variety of colours. For example, a mens range could be advertised with a deep navy blue and a kids range could be advertised with a sunflower yellow. The logo maintains its structure and legibility in both light and dark colours, while still allowing each colour to individually add a unique tone. Colours can be used to connect similar sectors within the main company, for example 'Superdrug Clinic' and 'Superdrug Online Doctor' both offer medical advice and therefore both fall under the same category, but can be distinguished using different shades of the same green. 'Superdrug Pharmacy' may appear similar to the Superdrug company as a whole, but specifically deals with over-the-counter and ordered prescriptions, and so can be branded using a dark red rather than the original dark pink.

The logo also works harmoniously with other typefaces that exist within the Superdrug branding catalogue (below). This would allow for a seamless transfer between the existing and new logos, maintaining the brand's strength and identity as well as their and customer base.

As the second largest health and beauty retailer in the UK, I felt that Superdrug needed a refreshed logo that would sit on a par with their reputation; a high impact logotype that reflects their strength, stability and durability as a company. My aim was to increase the visibility of the brand while still maintaining their wide customer reach, and also provide a sustainable logo that can adapt to meet all needs of the company's future diversification.

Feedback for the rebrand was largely positive, with much appreciation for the simpler, bolder typeface and the increased legibility that came with it, specifically on smaller scales. The reinforcement of the name comes through the solidity of the typeface, but the thick capitalisation could have the potential to alienate the top end of the brand's target reach (40 and over). Some felt that the typeface wasn't necessarily appropriate for a pharmaceutical store, however the typeface successfully creates the high impact but friendly nature that was needed, and is both subtle and flexible enough to allow all areas of branding to be represented should needs be. Opinion was split between using the new gradient and the original solid colour, with the feeling that a gradient may become outdated over time. However, this version would only be used in-store on illuminated signs, so is not an integral part of the design and can be changed and adapted as necessary. It was also unanimously agreed that the decision to remove the original star motif had a positive impact on the brand and was appropriate for the target audience. All logos were produced using the Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop programmes, allowing them to be edited and adapted depending on the brand's need, and easily transferable between different formats.

OUGD404 - Study Task 01 - Colour Theory: Fiction?

As an introduction to colour theory we looked at the established theories that relate to the use of colour, and the connotations attached to certain colours because of their use within specific situations. To demonstrate this we looked at the history of colour usage within publication design, and more specifically book cover design. A famous example of this is the Penguin book covers, with their recognisable format and corresponding colours for different genres - orange is for fiction, green is for crime, red is for drama, yellow is for miscellaneous.

We were asked to select four books genres and using the Pantone colour guides locate one dominant colour that represented the genre as a whole (left). In order to do this we looked generally at a range of book covers from each genre and selected a colour that appeared most often in their designs. Building on this we then had to select a colour that we considered to be a less conformist yet still interesting choice of colour to represent the genre (right). These came from our own perceptions based on prior knowledge of the genre through books, films and specific authors. 

                                   Mystery

 The most common colour for 'mystery' novels was a rich shade of

blood red but a dark, grey-navy is perhaps better suited to the genre 

as it is most often associated with the night or the deep ocean.

                                   Science Fiction

Perhaps surprisingly, the most common colour used within 'science fiction' novels 

was a shade of pumpkin orange. However, a neon green could be more representative 

of the genre as it brings to mind scenes from classic cult movies, such as Ghostbusters.

                                   Horror

The most obvious colour associated with 'horror' is a bright blood red, but a more common 

colour for this genre was a darker wine-coloured pink hue. 'Horror' as a genre generally brings

to mind darker colours and so an earthy brown is also representative without being cliché.

                                   Fantasy

A bright navy blue is used extensively throughout 'fantasy' book covers

but purple has many associations with this and is historically associated 

with magic and the supernatural, so is better suited to this genre.

Whitney Museum Branding Analysis

The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York underwent a drastic rebrand in May 2013. Experimentalist Jetset were the design group responsible for this rebrand and their new 'interactive' 'W' is a logo I personally feel works on many levels. 

The ‘W’ has a sense of movement, excitement and energy, which effectively portrays both the art contained within the building, and the city and the people that surround it. It has a strong rational, giving it the opportunity to be both quirky and iconic. Its unique shape can be manipulated for use on all branding and signage, making it consistent enough to be exciting but not repetitive enough to be dull. The ‘W’ transcends being a logo and almost becomes a tangible object, filling any given space with the capability to respond to both internal and external influences. With almost an infinite number of possibilities it’s strength comes in the fact that changing the proportions of the ‘W’ does not have any effect on the legibility of the letter, or the identity of the museum. Its thin marking has the potential to be mistaken for ‘understated’, but this actually works in the Whitney’s favour - a museum should not be about the brand, but about the work inside.

OUGD403 - Studio Brief 01 - Superdrug Rebranding Part 1

For this rebranding brief I chose to rebrand the high street drugstore Superdrug. Superdrug is the second largest health and beauty retailer in the country behind Boots, with 850 stores across the UK and Ireland. Founded in 1964, it adopted the name later that year and has been a staple hight street brand ever since. I chose to rebrand it however as I didn't feel their current logo (below) was suitable for a brand as large and well-known as this. Although it is definitely an established logo, with both the font and the colours being instantly recognisable on the high street, the typeface is too thin and the odd gaps within letters mean the flow of the word is interrupted.

In order to rebrand Superdrug I would have to create a logo that still allows the company to be recognised as well as creating a more impactful brand that continues to reflect both the trustworthy reputation and the budget friendly nature of the company. The new design would also have to be flexible enough to work across all areas of their branding, including store fronts, store signs, carrier bags, receipts, own branded goods, loyalty cards, websites, TV adverts, and magazine adverts. The logo would need to be effective at all scales and sizes, and well as across different media formats and materials that is would be printed on (examples below).

I started by selecting a range of fonts that I thought would be appropriate. I wanted a thicker, more solid typeface to reflect the new bolder look of the company. I knew I wanted to change the mix of upper and lower case letter as in the original design, and after trialling how the name looked in both I concluded that upper case gave the impact I was seeking.

From these I selected Baron Neue (below top) and experimented with the format of the letters by compressing the letters together. However I encountered a problem in that the word 'rug' became too obviously visible within the word, but loosening the kerning was a better solution (below bottom).

I then tried to make the two individual words more distinct by widening the space between the 'R' and the 'D', but without detaching the words, and this made the name as a whole easier to read (below).

To further this rebrand I will consider the colours that Superdrug are currently using and evaluate their effectiveness in conjunction with my new designs, as well as the scales that the new logo may be used at and the effectiveness of the rebrand on the brand's target audience. 

OUGD403 - Study Task 02 - Yorkshire Sculpture Park Symbol

We were set a three day brief to redesign a symbol for the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, with the idea that it would work alongside their existing logotype. Drawing inspiration from the research visit to the park I focused particularly on Ai Weiwei's 'Iron Tree' sculpture. Being a fan of his work already, and having seen his wooden 'Tree' in Berlin last summer, I felt that this series of his work represented well what I had envisioned for my logo design - the tree is a permanent addition to the park, and Ai Weiwei is an internationally recognised artist, making this sculpture in particular more accessible to a wider audience. 

The tree itself (stylised, above) is representative of both the famous artists and the individual sculptures within the park, but is also a symbol of nature. This is well suited to YSP as many visitors come for the nature alone, and I felt it was important to emphasise this in my design. I created two versions of the tree, both taken from the original Ai Weiwei piece - one had a smooth trunk, as per a normal tree (left) and one had a more angular trunk, which is true to the original sculpture (right).

After initial feedback most people seemed to connect more to the image that was accurate to the sculpture, so I decided to move forward with this one. However it became cleat that the tree alone, when conjoined with the existing logotype, does not immediately convey the 'sculpture' element of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and could easily be mistaken for a nature park (below)

I took this feedback into account and decided to rework the image, adding a 'plinth' at the base of the tree to make it more obviously 'sculptural'. This made the intentions and the message of the symbol clearer to viewers (below).

When combined with the original logotype the tree symbol worked effectively. I had initially thought that the more intricate tree branches would be lost at a smaller scale but much of the detail is maintained, meaning it would be recognisable and accessible across a range of media platforms.

During the final critique the reaction was mostly positive, with a general agreement that the symbol was an accurate representation of the park as a whole, and all agreed that it did work effectively across a range of scales. The only further suggestion was an experimentation with colour, which would be my next step in the continuation of this symbol design.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park Research Visit

During the research visit to Yorkshire Sculpture Park we saw a multitude of sculptures from leading regional, national and international sculptors and artists, including Ai Weiwei, Andy Goldsworthy, Antony Gormley, Barbara Hepworth, Tracy Emin and Julian Opie. Below are some of my own research photographs:

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

'Art Makes Children Powerful', Bob and Roberta Smith

'Molecule Man 1+1+1', Jonathan Borofsky

'One and Other', Antony Gormley

'Iron Tree', Ai Weiwei

Henry Moore

'123454321', Sol LeWitt