1. Twinings Tea
The reasons I chose Twinings is not because their logo has anything to do with a crest in itself, but because it is so connected to the heraldic crest of Queen Elizabeth II. Many other products use this crest, but none quite like Twinings, which places the heraldic crest right above their own logo on all of their products (but not on the logo heading their website). Their logo, being only typography with no graphic, lens itself to almost be a part of the crest, as if they are part of the same entity, which of course they’re not.
When I think about this, I have realised that I have always associated Twinings with being a ‘grand’ tea – of the upper classes, or being a right royal affair. Would I have felt the same were it not for the Royal seal, so predominately placed?
Click here for more info on the crests.
And click here for Twinings' logo, as seen on its products.
2. Arsenal – when crests become a pain in the…commercial
This is a very interesting case. First, the Arsenal crest has been changed with the sole intention of giving it more of a logo-type of imaging, obviously for marketing purposes. Click here to see what one Arsenal fan had to say about it.
A book of condolences??!! Now THAT’S emotional attachment to a symbol! (Sorry soccer fans…). So I guess I would rather highlight their emotional feelings than my own, because I don't really care about either (although from an aesthetic point of view, I'm going to cause fury and side with he management. Still - what are you marketing and why? If your public hates you for changing and won't wear the shirt, then what's the point?). I will say, though, that's it's kept it's rather agressive looking canon, but hey - they ARE called Arsenal and they are a soccer team, so that makes sense. The new logo was introduced in 2002.
Arsenal, the club management, that is, not the fans, had this to say about the last few years of the crest’s life, and their reasons for changing:
“For the past 53 years this crest has remained largely unchanged (6), though at the start of the 2001/02 season it was 'cleaned up' somewhat (7) for commercial reasons, with a solid yellow replacing the different tones of gold and Victoria Concordia Crescit written in a less ornate typeface.
The Club's identity has thus evolved over the years and the decision to formulate a new crest (8) in 2002 was two-fold. Firstly, as the VCC crest incorporated many separate elements introduced over a number of years, there was uncertainty surrounding its exact origination. Consequently, the Club was unable to copyright the VCC crest. Secondly, it had always been one of the Club's primary objectives to embrace the future and move forward. With a new stadium on the horizon and the Gunners consistently challenging for domestic and European honours, the Club believed that this was the ideal time to introduce a new crest.”
It's perhaps a nasty irony that heraldic crests - and the history of the team - is getting in the way of good marketing. Having a logo that is easier to print does carry more weight these days...
3. Hiyoko Manjyu
This very distinctive cake is sold as ‘omiyage’ – a souvenier – in Tokyo. The cake itself has become its logo! It’s hard to see in the link, but the chick also covers nearly the whole of the front of the box as well. I bought these once for a friend because I thought they were so beautiful, so now this reminds me of walking through the back streets of Asakusa – one of my favourite places in Tokyo!
Click here to see the original crest.
Click here for more information on Japanese heraldic crests. Some of them are very beautiful!
Thursday, 28 February 2008
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Circles No 3
Going round in circles...A latest edition - wow 40 circles is a lot!!!
Still kinda fun, though...
Monday, 25 February 2008
Other logo design
Moving States Logo Design
Ironstein Logo Design
This first logo draws on the original logo and goes for a hand drawn feel, but is still clean and professional.
This second logo is simple and sleek, and mostly going for a gellery feel.
The third logo is going more for a metal wire look.
I have also been designing some logos for friends' businesses lately, so I thought I'd post those.
The first one is a friend's counselling business in Glasgow. This has gone through many incarnations, but below are the two latest. The idea behind it is to capture the ever-moving states of living, rather than putting across the idea that you will be 'healed (hence the seeming randomness of the states). My friend really wanted the triangular shape.
The second logo is part of my main project for another CSU subject, Project Management. My brother is opening a new gallery space as a part of his wrought iron work and engineering business. I am trying to come up with dome logos that could be used on the website and also as signage for the gallery - basically to create a new look for the business. He is very resistant to changing his logo, but I am trying to at least create some distinction between the gallery and the workshop. Hopefully he will like one of them enough to use in both.
The logo he has at the moment is hand drawn and I think will not serve very well as the logo for a gallery in an area like Bowral. Most of his clients are very wealthy, and they will also be the clients of the gallery, as well as tourists. Keeping his clients in mind, I think it would be good to create an up-market logo for the gallery.
Anyway, so here they are : )
Willie
Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Logos for 'Circle'
CIRCLE...
I have started the circle exercise, and have just over 20 so far. Some are more in tune with the design brief than others - I just wanted to explore the possible colours, circle combinations and fonts as well, and maybe even design some things that I don't necessarily like, but others might (and I have already emailed PDFs out to a few people as a bit of research into which one they would choose, and it has been interesting to see how varied the response is).
Basically, I'm not sure how well I have stuck to the parameters of the exercise, but it has been a great learning process! It's getting much more difficult to come up with new ones as I start to reign myself in to fulfilling the brief criteria more! But I have a few more ideas and will add some more in a few days. I'm not sure how I will go adding them all here, so we'll see!
Willie : )
I have started the circle exercise, and have just over 20 so far. Some are more in tune with the design brief than others - I just wanted to explore the possible colours, circle combinations and fonts as well, and maybe even design some things that I don't necessarily like, but others might (and I have already emailed PDFs out to a few people as a bit of research into which one they would choose, and it has been interesting to see how varied the response is).
Basically, I'm not sure how well I have stuck to the parameters of the exercise, but it has been a great learning process! It's getting much more difficult to come up with new ones as I start to reign myself in to fulfilling the brief criteria more! But I have a few more ideas and will add some more in a few days. I'm not sure how I will go adding them all here, so we'll see!
Willie : )
Exercise 1: Logos
Logos
Oiko
This logo is very simple, but interesting. Firstly, I think it expresses the very natural, organic nature of the design company with its free-flowing strokes, the typography itself becoming the image as well as the label. When you look at it closer, though, it’s the strokes in the writing that are really interesting. It looks free and easy, but looking closer at the strokes, there are a couple of anomalies in the way the letters – the double stroke on the ‘K’ and the reverse way to write the last ‘O’ I thought were really nice. Not the way I write my ‘O’s and ‘K’s at all, so it made me look twice! I know a lot about this company, so when I look at the logo, a lot of things come up for me – first, I think about the idea behind the company: to produce hand-made goods with fair trade. The logo brings that tactile feeling of something hand made, so in this sense, from an emotional point of view, it works well. From an aesthetic point of view, I think it’s beautiful. It’s simple, earthy and is nicely complemented by the slogan as well.
There's a real difference for me when I look at this logo from either an emotional standpoint or aesthetic one - first, because the owner of the company is a good friend, a I know the processes she has gone through the start the company and her philosophy behind it - and I am very happy for her and proud!
Aesthetically, if I were to walk past it on the street, I might not notice it, so I think this is not necessarily in its favour, but it is nicely understated, and I think this can also say a lot.
Lynda.com
Trusty old Lynda – I finally saw her in an online video last week, and the drawing in the logo is a real likeness! I like this logo because it puts a face to what is commonly faceless – an online company. I think using her image brings a personality to the company and is easily remembered. I like it also that it’s a bit of a caricature, making it more light-hearted. Also ironic that she is holding a book – the nerdy looking librarian is the face of one of the world’s most popular multi-media training groups. From an aesthetic point of view, this logo works really well. It’s easily recognisable, easily reproduced across many different mediums (online, or printed on the training discs you get with Adobe Software), and is nice and bright with the yellow background. It’s also nice and compact. The only thing I would say that lets it down a bit is the type underneath the logo. For some reason I just don’t think it adds anything to the overall aesthetic, and could be improved. I think perhaps because the text is not really part of the logo, but seems to sit quite separately from the logo design. It’s OK, but not great.
I think my attachment to this logo is more emotional, because this site has saved me many times! I have always admired the way the training libraries are put together, and think it is such a great business idea!
The O’Brien Coat of Arms
I can’t say I feel much attachment for this coat of arms. Firstly I should explain it was impossible to find a coat of arms for ‘Wahlin’, so I had to ditch my Swedish side and go for the Irish. O’Brien was my grandmother’s maiden name, so it doesn’t really resonate with me so much. More like a distance cousin of a name!
Then, when I look at the coat of arms, I can’t help but think it’s completely devoid of any relevance to me. First, it’s in quite aggressive colours (red and yellow), with a very male outlook (sorry, but it’s true!). This is reinforced by the three lions (power, pride) and the ‘strongarm’ with a sword, placed above a knight’s helmet. All I think when I see this is the futility of conquering anything, and that it has more to do with ego than need.
The words “Lamb Laider an Uchtar” are written underneath, translating to “the strong hand uppermost’. What does this mean? That is you wield a strong hand over people they will yield to you? Again, I find it all a little blokey, a little aggressive.
Of course, coats of arms were born on the battlefield, as a way for people to recognise one another. Then, they became a symbol of heredity and property. There is some controversy over whether or not this was actually the real O’Brien coat of arms. According to mobriend.com, the first known symbol of the name was the battle flag of Dalcassians.
The Book of Leinster recorded it as being “the colour of red, purple, gold (yellow) and dung (brown)” but did not describe the design. Others said that the flag was blue, with an arm holding a sword and a sun. The lions were described in yet another version.
The arm is actually said to have come from the story of Nuadu, King of the de Danann Gods, who lost his arm in battle. Because an injured king couldn’t rule, he had to abdicate. As the tale goes, a mystic blacksmith made him an arm from silver, and put it on with magic so he could reclaim his throne, which he did. It’s known as the Sword of Nuadu, or the sword of light and truth. When the ‘Ui Briains’ became the kings of Munster and High-Kings of Ireland in the 11th Century, and they adopted the arm as their symbol.
The lions came into the picture much later, after the surrender of the Ui Briain Kingdom to Kind Henry VIII of England. The English discarded the old heraldry and, thinking it a great honour, gave them new names ‘O’Brien’ and new heraldry – the three lions. The O’Briens viewed it as defeat - understandably.
One thing that is interesting on this is the Celtic knot – apparently not many Irish families have included these in their heraldry, and this has a unique one called ‘the O’Brien Knot’.
It has been interesting to look into the history of this heraldry, but has not convinced me that my first impressions were wrong.
Post note: After thinking about this heraldry a bit more, I think perhaps, as a symbol of the Irish to maintain independence, the strong arm is more impressive to me. Kind of like the raised fist of rebellion, and THAT I like!
Oiko
This logo is very simple, but interesting. Firstly, I think it expresses the very natural, organic nature of the design company with its free-flowing strokes, the typography itself becoming the image as well as the label. When you look at it closer, though, it’s the strokes in the writing that are really interesting. It looks free and easy, but looking closer at the strokes, there are a couple of anomalies in the way the letters – the double stroke on the ‘K’ and the reverse way to write the last ‘O’ I thought were really nice. Not the way I write my ‘O’s and ‘K’s at all, so it made me look twice! I know a lot about this company, so when I look at the logo, a lot of things come up for me – first, I think about the idea behind the company: to produce hand-made goods with fair trade. The logo brings that tactile feeling of something hand made, so in this sense, from an emotional point of view, it works well. From an aesthetic point of view, I think it’s beautiful. It’s simple, earthy and is nicely complemented by the slogan as well.There's a real difference for me when I look at this logo from either an emotional standpoint or aesthetic one - first, because the owner of the company is a good friend, a I know the processes she has gone through the start the company and her philosophy behind it - and I am very happy for her and proud!
Aesthetically, if I were to walk past it on the street, I might not notice it, so I think this is not necessarily in its favour, but it is nicely understated, and I think this can also say a lot.
Lynda.com
Trusty old Lynda – I finally saw her in an online video last week, and the drawing in the logo is a real likeness! I like this logo because it puts a face to what is commonly faceless – an online company. I think using her image brings a personality to the company and is easily remembered. I like it also that it’s a bit of a caricature, making it more light-hearted. Also ironic that she is holding a book – the nerdy looking librarian is the face of one of the world’s most popular multi-media training groups. From an aesthetic point of view, this logo works really well. It’s easily recognisable, easily reproduced across many different mediums (online, or printed on the training discs you get with Adobe Software), and is nice and bright with the yellow background. It’s also nice and compact. The only thing I would say that lets it down a bit is the type underneath the logo. For some reason I just don’t think it adds anything to the overall aesthetic, and could be improved. I think perhaps because the text is not really part of the logo, but seems to sit quite separately from the logo design. It’s OK, but not great.I think my attachment to this logo is more emotional, because this site has saved me many times! I have always admired the way the training libraries are put together, and think it is such a great business idea!
The O’Brien Coat of Arms
I can’t say I feel much attachment for this coat of arms. Firstly I should explain it was impossible to find a coat of arms for ‘Wahlin’, so I had to ditch my Swedish side and go for the Irish. O’Brien was my grandmother’s maiden name, so it doesn’t really resonate with me so much. More like a distance cousin of a name!
Then, when I look at the coat of arms, I can’t help but think it’s completely devoid of any relevance to me. First, it’s in quite aggressive colours (red and yellow), with a very male outlook (sorry, but it’s true!). This is reinforced by the three lions (power, pride) and the ‘strongarm’ with a sword, placed above a knight’s helmet. All I think when I see this is the futility of conquering anything, and that it has more to do with ego than need.
The words “Lamb Laider an Uchtar” are written underneath, translating to “the strong hand uppermost’. What does this mean? That is you wield a strong hand over people they will yield to you? Again, I find it all a little blokey, a little aggressive.
Of course, coats of arms were born on the battlefield, as a way for people to recognise one another. Then, they became a symbol of heredity and property. There is some controversy over whether or not this was actually the real O’Brien coat of arms. According to mobriend.com, the first known symbol of the name was the battle flag of Dalcassians.
The Book of Leinster recorded it as being “the colour of red, purple, gold (yellow) and dung (brown)” but did not describe the design. Others said that the flag was blue, with an arm holding a sword and a sun. The lions were described in yet another version.
The arm is actually said to have come from the story of Nuadu, King of the de Danann Gods, who lost his arm in battle. Because an injured king couldn’t rule, he had to abdicate. As the tale goes, a mystic blacksmith made him an arm from silver, and put it on with magic so he could reclaim his throne, which he did. It’s known as the Sword of Nuadu, or the sword of light and truth. When the ‘Ui Briains’ became the kings of Munster and High-Kings of Ireland in the 11th Century, and they adopted the arm as their symbol.
The lions came into the picture much later, after the surrender of the Ui Briain Kingdom to Kind Henry VIII of England. The English discarded the old heraldry and, thinking it a great honour, gave them new names ‘O’Brien’ and new heraldry – the three lions. The O’Briens viewed it as defeat - understandably.
One thing that is interesting on this is the Celtic knot – apparently not many Irish families have included these in their heraldry, and this has a unique one called ‘the O’Brien Knot’.
It has been interesting to look into the history of this heraldry, but has not convinced me that my first impressions were wrong.
Post note: After thinking about this heraldry a bit more, I think perhaps, as a symbol of the Irish to maintain independence, the strong arm is more impressive to me. Kind of like the raised fist of rebellion, and THAT I like!
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