This book is non-commercial work produced as a student project for educational purposes, and as such is considered derivative work under the Fair Use Clause of U.S. Copyright Law.
ENRON THE VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
ENRON THE VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
Enron Alyssa Wong
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
01
02
03
04
IDENTITY HISTORY FORMER IDENTITY
10
RESEARCH
12
THREE DIRECTIONS
15
EXPLORATION R1 CONCEPT
19
KEY PHRASE 01 | CONNECTED
21
KEY PHRASE 02 | EVOLVED
25
KEY PHRASE 03 | FORMIDABLE
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KEY PHRASE REFINEMENT
33
DEVELOPMENT R2 CONCEPT
41
KEY PHRASE 02 | EVOLVED
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R2 DIGITAL REFINEMENT
46
R3 DIGITAL REFINEMENT
49
SIMILAR MARKS
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THE FINAL LOGO
58
VISUAL GUIDE INSPIRATION SUMMARY
63
ANALYSIS
64
SETTING STANDARDS
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IF THERE IS N THERE IS NO P
NO STRUGGLE, PROGRESS. - Frederick Douglass, Social Reformer
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IDENTITY HISTORY FORMER IDENTITY RESEARCH THREE DIRECTIONS
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FORMER IDENTITY Forming a new brand mark requires a base knowledge of where the brand has been. Conceptually and visually, the Enron brand mark was strong and dynamic. The “E” was slanted 45 degrees with all 90 degree corners, enlisting an overall rigid and dominant aesthetic. Originally designed by Paul Rand, it was a mark that would last through history not only for it’s association to the designer, but for the ultimate collapse of the company.
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Revealed January 14, 1997
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RESEARCH Before diving into sketching, it is important to distill the brand down to the core. Enron was a provider of energy. Energy can be translated to the concept of power. By definition, power is described as, “the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events�. In western society, we perceive power as something of grandeur and strength that is fervent in its actions. In its time of operation, Enron was not only wielding power in the sense of commodities, but through their influence over other industries, all the way down to the individual. Recovering from such a complex history and transforming into an identity of the future is a fine balance.
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THREE DIRECTIONS Moving the original concept of power into three different camps would allow for a wider array of options at the start of logo development. CONNECTED
This concept would consider the robust nature of a network. Especially in a digital age, information and access are key ingredients to thriving businesses that expand and grow. EVOLVED The idea of re-birth and a new awakening seems like a logical narrative for the brand. This would support the idea of progression into a new phase. FORMIDABLE Inspiring respect through intimidation and intensity is the final direction. These elements will be bold and strong.
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EXPLORATION R1 CONCEPT KEY PHRASE 01 | CONNECTED KEY PHRASE 02 | EVOLVED KEY PHRASE 03 | FORMIDABLE KEY PHRASE REFINEMENT
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R1 | CONCEPT The concept in this round of sketches is to shed the past and explore the idea of re-naming. This expression will encompass the past but looks towards the future. By spelling the brand backwards, this speaks to the quiet influence and undercover nature the brand has been developed into. Norne in fact compares to the Swedish dialect word norna, nyrna which means, “to inform secretly�. Connected | a network Evolved | progression Formidable | inspiring fear
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R1 KEY PHRASE ONE | CONNECTED
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| 02 |
| 03 |
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| 01 |
The geometric shapes have harsher edges which speaks to the brand identity.
| 02 |
Incorporating an “E” into the brand mark shows some promise.
| 03 |
A shield shows power and the idea of allegiance to a singular house. * Outside of these ideas, the concept of “Norne” has been dismissed. *
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R1 KEY PHRASE TWO | EVOLVED
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| 01 |
| 03 |
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| 01 |
The phoenix is a symbol that relates to the brand history and present.
| 02 |
Involving the phoenix with more fire rather than the tribal looking bird.
| 03 |
Incorporating the old concept of the sideways “E’ with the phoenix is a blending of both worlds. * Outside of these ideas, the concept of “Norne” has been dismissed. *
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R1 KEY PHRASE TWO | FORMIDABLE
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| 01 |
| 02 |
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| 01 |
Incorporating the phoenix head with this sideways “E” instead of the lions head.
| 02 |
The curves had some finesse that could help show an evolution from the rigid forms. * Outside of these ideas, the concept of “Norne” has been dismissed. *
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R1 KEY PHRASE TWO REFINEMENTS
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DEVELOPMENT R2 CONCEPT KEY PHRASE 02 | EVOLVED R2 DIGITAL REFINEMENT R3 DIGITAL REFINEMENT SIMILAR MARKS ENRON’S BRAND MARK
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THE DETOUR While the attempt of removing the negativity surrounding the Enron name via a backwards spelling was ultimately unsuccessful, there were still several ideas that showed promise for further exploration in the next round of ideation and sketches.
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R2 | CONCEPT Through observations and learnings from viewers, it was noted that the re-naming became confusing and ultimately caused the brand to lose the equity built in its history. While the original vision had some interesting ideas in each key idea (connected, evolved, formidable), the concept that proved the most promising was “evolved�. In this section, it shows the divergent ideation of the future brand mark design. EVOLVED | regeneration towards something greater
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R2 KEY PHRASE TWO | EVOLVED
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| 01 |
| 02 |
| 04 |
| 03 |
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Incorporating the phoenix head with a sideways “E”.
| 02 |
Power through risen arms while incorporating the “E”.
| 03 |
Geometric form with a rigid, strong form.
| 04 |
Reflective, and multidimensional.
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| 05 |
| 05 |
Combination with a word mark.
| 06 |
Flame combined with an “E”.
| 06 |
*
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R2 | DIGITAL REFINEMENT In this second round of sketching, I have focused on the idea of evolved. I incorporated more of “E”as that was such an iconic part of the brand’s past history. The adoption of the phoenix as the new symbol shows the a new brand that is dynamic and ready for what is ahead — a rebirth of a brand.
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E
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E
Enron
E Enron
E
E
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R3 | CONCEPT This third refinement focuses on the initial computer generated comps. Here is where ideas become even more convergent and will lead to the final brand mark. EVOLVED | regeneration towards something greater
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R3 | DIGITAL REFINEMENT The focus of this brand mark is on the “E” in a geometric, shield-like form. The sharp edges are meant to show a more rigid and serious perception.
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R3 | DIGITAL COMPS The focus of this brand mark is on the fire with and “E” emblazed within. While the phoenix wings or head comps did not progress to this next phase, the concept of fire and re-birth from ashes is swept up in this design. Since some of these are simpler graphics, they are able to pair nicely with the word mark.
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R3 | DIGITAL COMPS This final brand mark is also focused on the wings of the phoenix with a built in “E”. It requires a little more attention to notice the letter, but having something subconscious plays into the new brand identity.
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SIMILAR MARKS Before deployment, research was done to check the field to verify that the chosen mark isn’t already in use. This is to help prevent any unwanted damage on a new identity that already has a lot to live up to. LOGOS WITH WINGS AND E’S | 02 |
| 01 |
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| 07 |
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| 01 |
| 02 |
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars— and a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group.
The Edeka Group is the largest German supermarket corporation.
| 07 |
Electronic Arts Inc. is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California.
| 08 |
The Eberspächer Group of Companies, with headquarters in Esslingen am Neckar, Germany, is a privately owned family business that is an international automotive supplier.
| 09 |
Expo ‘98 was an official specialised World’s Fair held in Lisbon, Portugal from Friday, 22 May to Wednesday, 30 Sept. 1998.
Bulletproof creates high performance foods, drinks and supplements.
| 03 |
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit.
| 04 |
Honda Motor Company, Ltd. is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles.
| 05 |
| 06 |
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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THE FINAL LOGO
E
+
The new logo visually and conceptually embodies the new brand — to leverage a network of influence. This represents the evolution from past to future. The new design is a combination of the renowned “E” transitioning into the wings of a phoenix.
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VISUAL GUIDE INSPIRATION SUMMARY ANALYSIS SETTING STANDARDS
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SUMMARY Analyzing visual research is essential for designers who look to compete and stay current within the industry. By doing so, we are able to structure our guides in a manner that suits the company and their needs based on existing works and materials. Reviewing various external sources provides inspiration to understand design guidelines, expand our knowledge base and foster new visual aesthetic concepts.
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ANALYSIS NEW IDENTITY INTRODUCTION | GAP Gap Inc.’s idea of simplicity in their visual style is not only written out in explanation by expressed stylistically. The introduction briefly goes through where the company started and the vision forward in a succinct manner.
LOGO ANATOMY | NEXSTAR Nexstar shows the correct usage of the star with the word mark to ensure a consistent usage. The detailed modular system and explanation of elements helps align the user on it’s relevance. Showing the clear space ensures that the type will not be overcrowded or superseded by other elements.
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TYPE SPECS | DEVON Devon lays out their typography clearly and titled so that others are sure to use the correct typeface. Their are certain specifications for certain platforms over others and those are discussed in the text to the left. The explanation for why the typefaces were chosen is also included as that is important to loop back to the soul and identity of the brand.
MAIN ID COLORS | NORWAY Norway shows their logo with all their colors as to give a visual representation. Additionally, the colors are named, which can be used in marketing purposes later down the road. Further in their guide, the exact Pantone colors are listed for accurate color pulls.
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ANALYSIS LOGO DON’TS | THANK YOU Thank You clearly show’s their don’t list by denoting an “X”. This clearly shows what not to do and visually makes the audience shy away from those mistakes. Additionally, by showing the mistake, this helps clear up any questions that may arise if it were just written out.
ALTERNATE VERSIONS OF LOGO | FEDEX FedEx’s alternate versions are wonderful because they adhere to the main brand mark, while adding components specific to the additional service. Color coding the services are a great visual cue that helps separate, but not too much that it creates a whole new brand mark when the text is all placed the same.
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APPLICATIONS | UNITED WAY United Way has a whole section that outlines how to apply their branding in a particular context. In the example to the left, this shows where the brand mark should be placed on a newsletter and the application of brand colors and type. This may seem overly strict, but this helps all users keep consistent with the brand identity.
WRITING STYLE | WORKDAY This was the one of the only examples I have seen that addresses a writing style. This can be not only helpful for designers, but for all people within the company as this speaks to a way of operating. These could almost be seen as a supplemental to the mission and vision.
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SETTING STANDARDS This development book has been a culmination of process explored during Enron’s new brandmark creation. Following these guidelines, The Visual Standards Guide, will establish the overall visual system and the new extensions of Enron.
ENRON | THE VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
Design + Strategy Alyssa Wong
Design Consultation Hunter Wimmer, GR604 Nature of Identity
Details The Visual Development Guide was typeset in various weights of Brandon Grotesque and Bebas Kai.
Image Credit 500px.com Upsplash.com
Disclaimer The images in this book are used in accordance with the Creative Common License. This book is non-commercial work produced as a student project for educational purposes, and as such is considered derivative work under the Fair Use Clause of U.S. Copyright Law.
This book is non-commercial work produced as a student project for educational purposes, and as such is considered derivative work under the Fair Use Clause of U.S. Copyright Law.