DECEMBER 2014
Monologue The making of Dear December 2014 is a journey of reliving moments. Not just design associated moments, but also personal moments in our lives. We found out new things, and reminded of forgotten things too. We came to visit various design similarities, or trends, in the industry, may it be for well-known brands, or less popular ones.
Prepare for images, lots of them. Prepare to see more than the usual discussion. It’s another thing we are trying to do, and who knows what we can find out from the experiment. Talking about images we credit the image owners on the reference at the end of the article. Perhaps we should state that we do not gain any profit and do not mean any harm in using the images. Dear is purely for educational purposes.
And so not to waste more time, let us start the discussion.
Contents
Changes in 2014 Redesigns as a Hobby Moving On Article References: Image References: the end 2
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2014. Now it’s December, which means less than a month we’ll be heading for 2015, a new year. The year of new challenges, new expectations and also advancements.
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A
s designers, may it be graphic, interior, product, fashion or other may have experience the ups and downs in
their work. Some fortunate designers may have the chance to work the way he or she likes, deciding style, concept and arrangements with personal preference with minimum disturbance of the outer world. But for many others, that still work with major client steering and tight project parameters, may not have the luxury to work the way they want. Changes in 2014
We decide to give remarks on the
Trends in design is something
redesigns, but still it’s a personal
inevitable, to discuss the
opinion. Based on the visual and
whereabouts of trends are born
comments that we are able to get.
would take another issue, so we’re
We may not know the concept, or
not going to talk much about it,
other thoughts on the process, so
instead where going to explore
please don’t take it too seriously.
various trends in the ‘design’
For every part, the first logo is the
world. As cliché as it would seem,
‘old’ logo or the logo before it was
trends are a great force, that if
redesigned, while the second is
used properly can help elevate the
the new design after the redesign
value of our works. Some ‘bigger’
process.
companies or brands also partake
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and implement some design trend
Wendy’s - ‘Wendy’s Old Fashioned
in their arsenal. We will see some
Hamburgers’ decided it is time go
new designs that are unveiled and
new fashion. With a drop of tagline,
also redesigns that are shown in this
a new logotype, and a fresher look
year (until this issue is published).
of Wendy makes the logo simpler
To start things let us see some
or as the folks now say ‘flat’. For us
redesigns in 2014.
it’s a new fresh look and we like it,
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but we’re pretty sure we are going
company needed a new direction,
to miss the old logo as well. For us:
and a new logo. Still using “Yahoo”,
4 stars.
only with a more darker purple and a more optima like typeface. For us: 2 stars.
Once again we’d like to emphasize that this is our personal opinion. For us the purple color change is a plus, but the typeface switch makes We liked the new Wendy look. Dropping the tagline(s) is also a good move. We think the old logo, though ‘old’ has a good emblem like form that can fit any background well, the emblem form is also distinct and iconic as it is also used as the restaurant’s sign. So we still think through the redesign Wendy’s has lost a portion of its unique identity.
Yahoo! – The new CEO thinks the
“YAHOO!” to “yippee..”. The old typeface has more expression, while the new one more simple, elegant but lacks expression, and keeping the “!” is not going to help much. Perhaps this is the new direction Yahoo! Is heading, but having a minor tweak on the logo is not the most important thing to do. Yahoo! Can simply change its logo everyday but nothing will change just by a simple redesign in its graphic.
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MOTOROLA- The new redesign is
has been holding it a long time.
made as Motorola is now part of
Changing the square color from a
Google. To reinforce the change the
flat color to a gradient filled color.
use of the tagline is an OK move,
For us: 2 stars.
and the typeface just gets better. The Motorola Emblem is also kept in a circular shape of colorful lines. For us : 3 stars.
We love Helvetica, but as they always say, Helvetica lacks emotion, and for a brand that is known of it’s premium products and already has an iconic logo, a switch to Helvetica just seems like a downgrade. First We love the new typeface and feel,
of all, the original logo didn’t
but we think the colorful lines just
really have any problem at all. If
don’t give much impression. It is
it’s not broken, why fix it, unless it’s
‘flat’ but the new colorful palette
better and doesn’t cause any new
makes it looks too childish for a
problems. The original logo makes
company.
as if the “GAP” is a gap inside the square, but the new logo just
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Gap – typeface switch, and putting
makes the logo useless. Did we also
the Gap outside the square that
mention the gradient looks off?
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Microsoft Windows (and it’s whole
Ebay – It is now standing in uniform,
family) – The new logo, a one
using a more humanist typeface.
colored logo with a window and
The blue is slightly lighter, and they
“windows” for the logo. For us: 5
included a trademark sign on the
stars.
logo. For us: 2 stars.
Perhaps it’s a bias, and we thought that it was unfair since we kind
Identical to Yahoo! and Gap, it
of know the story behind the
really doesn’t need any change. If
redesign and see the new design
they say it’s outdated, we say it’s
with its implementation. It’s simply
personality, if they say the new logo
beautiful. “flat” but it is on the right
is modern and ‘flat’, we say the old
track. Here’s a quote from Paula
one is more modern, and dynamic.
Scher from Pentagram, about the
The previous logo usage of
logo design of Windows, “your
overlapping colors creates a deeper
name is Windows. Why are you a
connection for each character. But
flag?”
still, kudos to the new blue color, we
“ Your Name is Windows. Why are you a flag?” -Paula Scher
love it way better than the previous color before.
Absolut – dropping the “Country of Sweden” and “Vodka”, and
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giving a big fullstop after “Absoult”.
Absoult was a product of Sweden,
Anything else is pretty much the
so knowing the original logo was a
same. For us: 4 stars
huge revelation for us, and we think it can still be a revelation for others, so we’re still biased for the last one.
Airbnb – a new typeface, a new color, and a new logogram. For us : 4 stars.
Surprised? We hope not. Some say that the redesign is ‘lazy’ or even considered not a redesign since nothing else changes. But we think design is a way of process, and the process behind the decision is a good one. As Anna Kamjou
First we would like to mention
said, “The brand has become so
that the color change is a good
iconic that we no longer needed
decision, and it successfully conveys
the full three-line logo to convey
the spirit of friendly, and then
ourselves.” We like that they retain
there’s the logogram. For those
the typeface as it has personality.
who didn’t knew, the logogram
Until this day we didn’t knew that
is made of “A” and a series of
“ The brand has become so iconic that we no longer needed the full three-line logo to convey ouselves.” -Anna Kamjou 8
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symbolism implanted, but at least it looks like a heart, once again it conveys the spirit of friendly. We know there were talks about the logogram shape, but heck, we think
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it’s just nonsense. The only thing
with a new typeface. For us : 3 stars.
we think is bad is the logotype as it doesn’t seem to relate well with the logogram, as if it is separated and forced together.
Visa – Going all blue.For us : 1 stars.
First of all the decision to redesign the logo itself was a similar case with Gap, Visa, and Yahoo! But the execution is way better from Please, if it’s not broken don’t
what the other logo redesigns
do anything. The reasoning of
came up. The original logo, made
“to simplify” is nothing than a
by Vignelli, was simply “AA” but
scapegoat. The yellow accent was
after a demand, the eagle was
always the unique part of Visa, it
implanted on the logo. Not that it
shows motion, shows direction.
becomes hideous, as the eagle itself
It’s not the new logo is bad, what
is perfectly executed. It suits the
we think is bad is the design, the
“AA”.
decision to redesign the logo and the result of the redesign. If Visa
But as now trends of “flat” has
wanted a redesign, dropping the
gone up, the redesign brought
orange color doesn’t really mean
new the “Flight symbol”, we think
anything at all.
the decision to create a simpler logogram is a good one, but the
American Airlines – Forget the AA
result is something we do not
and Eagle, now it’s a “flight symbol”
expect. Not that it is a bad logo,
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but it’s just a not so good redesign.
trend in graphic design, especially
Still, both are good crafted logos in
for logo designs. The redesigns
their own.
we see before shows how major company also decides to change to
Pizza Hut – Change to a ‘flat’ single
make their logo more ‘flat’.
object logo. Uses a softer red hue for the logo. For us: 2 stars.
When we talk about redesign, we like to associate it with something that is broken. For us, a redesign means the design has gone broken, and something has to be done. Take example you have a broken car. You can either fix it, or simply buy a new one. The same thing happens with a logo. You either fix it or simply change it. You fix a logo when you find
The same reason perhaps, it doesn’t really need to be flat, the old logo works just fine as before. So it does not need any treatments. The circular shape is also quite abstract, does not really seem to represent anything at all. The only thing that still saves the redesign is that they keep the old logo form.
Redesigns as a Hobby We agree that since the end of 2013 we begin to see ‘flat’ as a
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out what the problems are, and either change the broken part or fix the broken part and things go well again. You change it simply because you think it’s not worth fixing, maybe the cost, the time, or other considerations. In a redesign, if there are problems, such as technical problems, implementation problems, copyright problems, or other issues, then a redesign is meant to fix the design. When a redesign is made simply because a
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logo ‘looks bad’ then the redesign is simply tossing the old design to embrace a new one. But that doesn’t mean all massive redesigns are ugly for us. For us the ugly ones are the ones that simply redesign without no clear reasons to why it needs to redesign.
One of the most used and sometimes unreasonable reasons to redesign is “the logo looks old”, often disguised with other sentences but mainly because it “looks old”. For us there are three possibilities of why the logo “looks old”. First, the designer simply designs following a trend at that moment, making the logo hip at the time it was designed, and old later on. There are designs from before 2000 that still looks appropriate and also used until today. Some are the works of Saul Bass, such as Warner Communications (1974), Fuller Paints (1963) and Geffen Records (1981). Both designs are still made
Logo designs by Saul Bass
exactly the way Saul made them, while some works such as Girl Scouts (1978), Lawry’s Foods (1959),
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Alcoa (1963) and several others has a simple treatment, but retains the same form.
Second, the design was meant to look old, traditional or vintage for some reasons. Design is like a problem solving. To create a logo for a company or brand that has a large history or heritage perhaps the best design approach is to create a traditional or vintage design. One ‘old’ design that for us looks vintage is Coca Cola. The logo was made using Spencerian Script, though not meant to look vintage, but the decision to use Spencerian Script was actually considered elegant at the time of the usage, and also representative of the time of Coca Cola’s establishments. Though old and vintage, Coca Cola design implementation in their everyday brand life has been adapted for the present age, therefore the Spencerian Script doesn’t feel that old at all.
Lastly, the company owners, or anyone that talks much inside
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the company doesn’t like it. May
to embrace 2015. We’re not saying
it be because of a merger, or
this as to move on and redesign
simply because it simply changes
new stuff. What we like to highlight
leadership, *cough* yahoo
is that ‘flat’ is a trend. So deal with it
*cough*. This is probably a personal
and look ahead. True trend can be
preference or opinion of a singular
a huge reinforcement in a design,
person. The opinion is then spread
but if solely used as a reason to
throughout the company, since the
redesign, it simply means that the
one who propaganda the dislike
redesign won’t last strong when the
of the logo is an important person.
new trend comes.
The last reason is why sometimes design is redesigned although it
For us, a timeless design is a
doesn’t really need one.
design with function, and of course aesthetics. While aesthetics is
So for us when we decide to
an important part, the aspect of
redesign, the first crucial part is to
function and reasoning must be the
determine the state of the current
basic foundation for the design.
design. To really see whether the
Aesthetics that follow a trend will
design has problems, and later
grow weak as time comes, but
decides the best course of action.
when aeshetics is born as part of
For huge company or brands a
reasoning and function, then the
redesign process is a massive
beauty of the design will sustain
decision as the brand already has
as long as the company or brand
a strong image, and changing
keeps on growing.
the images doesn’t always satisfy people, even when the design itself
So that being said, let us move on,
is decent and appropriate.
let us see through the ‘trend’, as the present will turn into past, clinging
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and won’t let go of the past surely
So moving on from 2014, it is time
won’t bring us anywhere.
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Article References: http://www.creativebloq.com/ branding/biggest-logo-redesignsjanuary-2014-11410524 https://creativemarket.com/ blog/2014/10/09/the-7-best-and-worstlogo-redesigns-of-2014 http://www.businessinsider.co.id/2014logo-changes-2014-8/?op=1 http://www.businessweek.com/ articles/2014-11-11/pizza-hut-goes-flatwith-redesigned-logo http://thenextweb.com/ dd/2013/09/05/9-major-logo-redesigns/ http://blog.saijogeorge.com/big-brandlogo-redesign-success-failure-stories/ blogs.windows.com/ bloggingwindows/2012/02/17/ redesigning-the-windows-logo/ http://www.underconsideration.com/ brandnew/archives/new_logo_and_ identity_for_airbnb_by_designstudio. php#.VHFxw8nlazM http://annyas.com/saul-bass-logodesign-then-now/ http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/125/historyof-coca-cola-logo.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Spencerian_script Image References: http://static.techarena.it/wp-content/ uploads/2013/09/new_yahoo_old_ yahoo_logo_thg_130905_16x9_992.jpg http://www.underconsideration.com/ brandnew/archives/airbnb_logo.png http://www.click2houston.com/ image/view/-/23198598/medRes/2/-/ maxh/360/maxw/640/-/oowswjz/-/PizzaHut-logo-jpg.jpg http://images.bwbx.io/cms/2014-1111/1111_PizzaHut_Logo_970-630x417. jpg http://blog.saijogeorge.com/wpcontent/uploads/2014/01/Visa-BeforeAfter-Logo.png http://media.creativebloq.futurecdn.
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net/sites/creativebloq.com/files/images/2013/01/oldlogo(1). jpg http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2013/01/analyzingamerican-airlines-disastrous-redesign/_jcr_content/par/cn_ contentwell/par-main/cn_blogpost/cn_image.size.americanairlines-logo-01.png http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/ wendys_2012_logo_detail.jpg http://www.dionlabel.com/tl_files/Blog_Photos/Wendys_old_ logo.jpg http://media.creativebloq.futurecdn.net/sites/creativebloq. com/files/images/2014/01/oldabs.jpg http://pull1.thelogosmith.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/ uploads/2014/01/Absolut-Vodka-logo-design-by-Absolut.jpg http://img.news.sina.com/technology/p/2012/0217/ U113P5029T2D440950F24DT20120218132043.jpg http://frontand.de/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/ebay-logoredesign-2012.jpg http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Media/Pix/ pictures/2010/10/12/1286879995985/Gaps-new-logo-006. jpg http://static.techarena.it/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/new_ yahoo_old_yahoo_logo_thg_130905_16x9_992.jpg http://www.youthedesigner.com/wp-content/ uploads/2013/12/motorola.jpg http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120428100518/ logopedia/images/0/0c/Alcoa_Logo.jpg http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121104111623/ logopedia/images/a/a9/Lawrys-logo.jpg http://www.weezerpedia.com/wiki/images/thumb/7/79/ Geffen_Records.jpg/200px-Geffen_Records.jpg http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121106122810/ logopedia/images/d/d3/2486760764556_hi33qIFM_g.jpg http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100724075339/ logopedia/images/0/08/Warner_Communications.png https://www.girlscoutsksmo.org/Forms-Resources/brandcenter/Logos%20%20Servicemarks/Girl%20Scout%20 Servicemark%20White%20on%20Green.jpg http://fontmeme.com/images/Coca-Cola-Logo.jpg http://www.popandroll.com/coke-art/rmx4.png http://www.popandroll.com/coke-art/rmx1.png http://galerija.metropolitan.ac.rs/var/albums/GD20132014/AD108-Istorija-dizajna/Marija%20Jevti%C4%87%20 Coca-cola/happy/live-the-coke-side-of-life-coca-cola. jpg?m=1383661168 http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/df/ee/01/ dfee014ec795a72fbf4b2fdd5091018a.jpg
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the end
Welcome to the last issue of Dear
of all we would like to stop the
Discussion. We have decided to
publication, at least for now.
shift our focus to a different area. One year was a long journey for
So what is ahead of us? We’ll we
us. In the whole year we learnt a
are going to focus more on our
lot. We learn more about editorial
expertise and practices. We will try
design, about article writing, about
to gain more resources towards our
illustrations, about managing a
arsenal. At this moment we feel that
blog, an active blog account, learn
Dear has accommodate the most
following a timeline (though it
of our resources, and to make Dear
seems we still need to learn much
grow, we need more resources, so
about it), and of course we learn
that is the reason of our pause.
many things that we discussed in the issues.
If you are Indonesian, and you enjoy the work of Dear, we would like
Dear Discussion, or Design &
to introduce keluh desain. www.
Art Discussion started as a small
keluhdesain.tumblr.com it is a new
publication that were meant to
blog which, well, talks about design,
contain story of our discussion,
but in a more smaller scope than
especially upon design and art.
Dear, but still managed by the same
But there were much interference
folks of Dear.
which halts our expansion, so the discussion turns out to be focused
Thank you. Thank you very much.
more to graphic design and graphic
Keep discussing.
art. Dear has become something dear for us. Something that we
Dear Discussion is a personal
cared and loved, and for the best
project of Brian Alvin Hananto.
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