I need you to trust me here.
You and I are going to spin 180 degrees and walk
backwards about 25 years, a pair of designers in a different generation.
For some of you, this'll be harder.
But for me, I can remember creating
identities in this period of time pretty vividly.
We've just completed a new logo for a traveling writer.
And it's an exceptional mark.
Beautifully drafted.
Full of witty meaning and ready to show the client.
There's one last hurdle we need to agree on before we're ready to show.
What color this logo will be?
We pulled out our color swatch decks and, because we designed it on a computer,
we can instantly select from hundreds of color
options and try them out on the screen.
We settle on a specific shade of red.
A little expected, but classic.
And perfect for the job.
The client nods, she's in agreement.
And we're done.
Maybe it's because this is how it's always been done.
Or, considering the period, maybe it's because
we didn't know, what we didn't know.
Technology was getting ready to throw us some game changing tools that will allow
us, as designers, to create identities, previously
unfathomed in the realm of logo design.
We've been so focused on the shape of the imagery that we'd entirely forgotten that
there was a surface that could be used to convey as much, if not more, information.
It's like a world that was concerned with how to make textiles, that
they forgot they could also weave or print color on the fabric as well.
Since we already have an exceptional logo, let's talk about how we can make
the mark twice as interesting and packed
with double the critical information we started with.
Let's say our client is actually a
young fashion journalist from Scotland and she likes
to compare apparel from her own culture
with those of the countries she's traveled to.
The pin and the butterfly lay
the foundation story, but because we're treating
the mark with an industry forward tartan, now you've really defined your client.
Or, let's imagine she is focused on Italian
romance literature and playwrights of the last century.
Maybe she's a freelance travel author writing
about her experiences with leisure life in Provence.
Maybe she's waiting for you to fill in the blank and create a
mark that goes the distance with a robust description, unique to her activities.
I think you'll see how even a subtle surface treatment can
take an excellent concept and target your client and their consumers.
Because of the shifts in technology, we can now bring a
surface into play in a way designers previously were unable to conceive.