Response to the brief
I have interpreted the design brief for Assessment 2 as follows:
Rohan Nicol is an Industrial Designer requesting an identity for his product line. The main purpose of the identity is to represent him in attracting financial backing to tool and distribute the items. The Items are high end products, but mass producible. The identity needs to reflect this and represent him at all stages of contact with potential backers. Specifically Mr Nicol requires a Logo, The logo must be sophisticated and stylish while also being simple enough for translation across all stationary, screen and his metal items themselves. The designs should also reflect the modernist styling that Mr Nicol appreciates. He wishes to create the new identity either under his name or the name “ublo”. In addition to standard personal stationary, website and brochure, he requires a visual plan for the trade shows that he plans to attend, these will be major opportunities to find backing for the product line and it should be attention grabbing while supporting his identity.
The following are required upon the deadline:
3 logos and logotypes
A business card utilising the chosen logo
A Letterhead utilising the chosen logo
An advertising brochure in full colour to display and advertise his line
A 3 page mock website to support the above
A 3D mock-up rendering of the booth, including graphics and floor plan.
Design Audit
Of the following I have found that F!NK and Co has the most professional appearance and identity. I feel that the logo and colour choices represent the products perfectly and advertise the pieces as a worthwhile venture. Sean O’Connell’s identity was the most original and memorable but requires streamlining to make the orange dot more relevant to the products.
Based on the established brief and preliminary research, I feel that the name “ublo” is more suitable to represent this line as it creates an illusion of separation from other works and practises of Rohan Nicol. It is also more flexible in presentation and more memorable for potential backers and clients. The identity needs to by minimalist in that it should be a structure built to showcase the products rather than overshadow them. It is easy to see from Sean O’Connell’s identity how easy and simple it can be to unite all the elements of the identity with one simple and unremarkable icon.
Any text used should be rounded and crisp, as too should be the layout. The most successful identities used minimal colours, 2-3 bold colours seems to be the most practical solution and can be a visual connection to the colouring process used on aluminium.
Date 6/06/2008
Design audit, response to brief and preliminary research completed
13/06/2008
Logo’s created and picked. Fonts and colours chosen.
20/06/2008
Mock up site and stationary completed
27/06/2008
Stationary finalised. Mock up of trade booth shown for consultation.
6/06/2008
All elements finished & presented.
Estimate in Dollars (total for each stage) $180 $480 $800 $920 $1100
Noritake produces high class homewares.
Villa produces high class decorative homewares.
E-T make steel cook ware and table ware.
F!INK and Co was created in 1993 by Robert Foster, a graduate of the Canberra School of Art in Australia, which is the same place that Rohan Nicol Studied and then did Masters. Much of Robert Fosters work could be likened to Nicol’s, creating high end practical house hold pieces. There is also a consistent use of bold colours, rounded corners and similar material choices. The brand F!NK is successful in representing a number of designers work under one title. The name F!INK is interesting in that it is not an obvious representation of the designs or designers and could be likened to the ‘ublo’ title. The Logo is simple and bold but quirky enough to be recognisable.
Rohan Nicol is also partially represented by F!NK, having produced work under the name before such as the F!NK bracelet. Obviously this is a good reference point as to what Rohan is already comfortable with being represented by.
Oliver Smith is another Silversmith/designer who specialises in high end products, specifically table ware and has received the IDEA 07 ‘Product of the year award’. Oliver Smith represents himself under his full name again in a clear rounded font and repeats the tag line, “the best of craft and industry”.
Marc Pascal is a product designer specialising in high end home wares and lighting he represents himself with a signature logo which would be useful mainly for print and screen mediums. His identity uses a lot of white and displays no tag line and minimal clutter to showcase his designs in an elegant manner.
Workshop Bilk is a workshop and gallery that represents a number of Rohan Nicol’s peers. Bilk is another name similar to fink or ublo. And once again there are minimal colours used and the name is shown clearly and simply.
Sean Booth is a metal smith and peer of Rohan Nicol. Booth has created a bold logo from his initials but also has a tag line ‘SEAN BOOTH METAL STONE’ which is repeated through his website as a watermark type image.
Sean O’Connell is a similar silversmith who lacks conventional branding but is interesting in that his identity revolves around the orange dot featured as the navigation key in his website. His site is even called http://www.oneorangedot.com/ .
While I have not seen this in any other identities that I have looked at, it is very interesting and memorable. I might use something like this in my design.
Other unrelated pieces that I like and am inspired by:
Again the idea of symple symbols creating words and meaning in an original way. This type of quirky design is memorable and effective.
Another idea is to take past styles and attempt to reference them to make an almost novelty design.
This brand name is constantly crafted in metal and 3d forms and stands out well. The type flows well and does not look too staggered as with some other similar logos.
I also had an idea to emulate a stamp with the logo as it could easily transcend the mediums used
I just like the simplicity of the logo which yet conveys so much in the lettering and connotations of shapes.
This logo appealed to me while I was looking for logos that I could imagine representing 3D wares. The bevel on the simple shape is a major factor in this.
