OUGD603 - Brief 02 - Bowling Together Logo

Logo

To create the logo, very little guidance was given in terms of form or type treatments, but it was advised that it should be in keeping with the look and style of a bowling alley. However it was suggested that a neon theme could be explored.

The bowling alley documented in the film was Rowans Tenpin Bowl, an American bowling alley located in Finsbury Park, North London. To gather a sense of the styles and aesthetics of this bowling alley, screenshots were taken from the film to help inform the design and colour scheme.

Initial discussions about the logo quickly revealed that the possibility of using neon signage as a source of inspiration could be considered cliché and gimmicky. However, the client was still keen to represent the aesthetics of the bowling alley, and so a range of primary designs were created:


Primary Designs

         1

          2

          3

          4

          5

Client feedback on these primary designs concluded that moving away from the neon concept was the correct decision. Of these designs the client was most enthusiastic about design 4, due to the clear, legible typeface. It was noted that the spherical nature of this logo felt highly appropriate to the context of a bowling project. Peer feedback also agreed with this. It was felt that design 1 replicated an 'American aesthetic' well, but within the context of a more academic project it would not be the most appropriate solution.


Secondary Designs

Moving forward from this feedback, a selection of secondary variations were created. A circle motif was incorporated into the logo

It was stated by the client that the Rowans name should not be used anywhere on the branding as they were not officially part of the project. Peer feedback on these design were postive towards the new circle motif as it both represent the shape of a bowling ball and the concept of 'togetherness', but it was also noted that such fine details could be lost at smaller scales. Client feedback on these designs also reflected this, and it was agreed that the original variant was still the most successful logo design. However the client also gave positive towards the stroke outline variation of the logo, and suggested this could be used as a secondary logo where appropriate.


Final Logos

Colours 

From the film it was clear that although based in London, the bowling alley still very much retained its American heritage. A range of colours were selected from the film screenshots, all bold but with warm undertones. These colours not only represented Rowans, but were also reminiscent of the colours commonly used across American football, basketball and baseball - American team sports that pride themselves on community and togetherness.

This palette not only creates a distinct brand for the project, but also allows for a continued relationship between any of the design produced for this project, and the origins of the project's research.

Final Logo in Situ