LOTUS TREE STUDIOS IDENTITY SYSTEM
KRITIKA KUSHWAHA PDP 401 VISUAL COMMUNICATION DESIGN GUIDE : KRUTI SARAIYA
INDEX
1. Introduction What isLotus Tree Proposal Company USP and belief systems Need for project Project objectives Project methodology Timeline 2. Information collection Literature studies Case studies Retrospection and analysis 3. Scenario building Mindmap Synthesis and analysis 4. Form and concept explorations Final selected concept 5. Final selected logo Colour variations Dimensions Concept Colour palette and fonts used 6. Visual identity extension Exploration Motto Final identity extension 7. Icons 8. Collaterals 9. Partner site placement 10. Reflections
WHAT IS LOTUS TREE? Lotus Tree Records and Studios is an upcoming New Delhi based company started by Bhanu Sharma and Krishna Rao of the Neemrana Foundation and Artists Unlimited fame, amongst many other accolades in the Delhi music scenario. Through Lotus Tree, they wish to collaborate with the artists that they produce and promote the underground music scene in the international market. Lotus Tree believes that Indian musicians have immense talent which is not getting its deserved due to the current monopolisation and unequal opportunities. Their primary agenda is to empower artistes playing Indian music to own and share their music globally even if support for the same is not forthcoming from conventional sources.
PROPOSAL COMPANY USP AND BELIEF SYSTEM Lotus Tree - the two words for the company are a representation of what they want to achieve as a firm. They want to be a label that does things differently, and give the immense talent that is available in India today an international exposure that is very much the need of the hour for the Indian music scene. The motive of the company is to change the very definition of a 'Record Label' in a way that they want to be known more as a collaborative label that allows artistic freedom rather than be a controlling and domineering company that doesn't always respect the artists that they are meant to represent. In this sense, Lotus Tree wants to nurture the talent that is ignored and help it grow. Talent in India is very much overlooked and the music industry is controlled by Bollywood with a slim chance of a original piece of music making it big in public. Lotus Tree as a company wants to nurture these "Lotuses" that are everywhere and give them at least a good chance at making it.
NEED FOR THE PROJECT The company is looking for an identity that visually represents the meaning of their name in a minimalistic, contemporary manner with its roots in India, and also resonates with the global perspective of music.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES Developing an identity which best represents the meaning and vision of Lotus Tree Developing collaterals which work with the identity to publicise Lotus Tree
PROJECT METHODOLOGY STEP 1 Discussion on and analysis of client’s needs and expectations from the visual identity STEP 2 Research and analysis of pre existing identities in the Indian music industry and established records and labels. STEP 3 Filtering informations from Step 1 and Step 2 Deciding the visual treatment Translating it into graphic design STEP 4 Exploration of different logo options STEP 5 Correction and refinement Testing and feedback
STEP 6 Deciding and working on complementary collaterals. Collaterals include Business cards Stationary Letterhead envelope postcards Foldable brochure Wallpapers etc.
TIMELINE
February 1 – 13: Primary + Secondary research February 14 – March 3: Visual explorations March 4 – 13: Business card + stationary + wallpaper + merchandise March 14 – 24: (Ad) Poster set March 25 – April 7: Foldable brochure April 8 – 14: Photoshoot April 15 – 24: Documentation editing
LITERATURE STUDY WHAT IS A LOGO A Logo is a design symbolizing one’s organisation. It is a design that is used by an organization for its letterhead, advertising material, and signs as an emblem by which the organization can easily be recognized, also called logotype. Logotype is a graphic representation or symbol of a company name, trademark, abbreviation, etc., often uniquely designed for ready recognition. You may also think of a Logo as a simple visual mark to identify your company product or service.
SIMPLE
WHAT MAKES A GOOD LOGO?
MEMORABLE TIMELESS VERSATILE APPROPRIATE
What is a brand? The perceived emotional corporate image as a whole. What is identity? The visual aspects that form part of the overall brand. What is a logo? A logo identifies a business in its simplest form via the use of a mark or icon.
FEATURES OF A CORPORATE LOGO
A corporate logo should create a memorable association with a particular brand character. It is the initial impression most people see of company, like the flag of a country, but its impact depends upon how it is used. Its creation needs to consider many factors, including the culture of the company it represents. Interesting and intelligent combinations and use of shapes, colors, typefaces and other elements can create an image that is simple, yet rich with a concept synonymous to the organization. Select symbols that best describe the business and withstand time. For example, the HMV or ‘His Master’s Voice’ logo, depicting a dog sitting and intently listening to a phonograph, first used in 1910, is still in use and relevant today. If appropriate symbols and images are not found, abstract images can be used to relate to the organization's philosophy.
Directed towards the masses, a logo should not have any cultural, racial, or other kind of bias, thus allowing it to appeal to the widest possible audience. Use of Ideogram or icons makes them suitable for use in multi-cultural, multi-national, and cross-language marketing. However, a logo can be either typeface or icon based, or a combination of both, like that of Red Cross, Nike, Coca Cola, and Sony etc. Colours express meaning, have emotions associated with them, and designers implement them appropriately to suit the nature of the organization. A logo is associated with the value of the brand, becoming a symbol of assurance and reliability. A logo is a core identifier of an organization, used on business cards, letterhead, and advertising material. More than a mere visual mark, it is the face of the organization, and so it must be original and memorable for the greatest impact.
CASE STUDIES PRE EXISTING LOGOS IN THE INDIAN MUSIC INDUSTRY - A STUDY My research began with the official Indian Music Industry website, which proved tobe ill-functioning have Unfunctioning tabs be devoid of basic information of resources or members
There is a dearth of information available on Indian music labels, with hardly any database to record the labels in the country. Only Wikipedia has a dedicated page to it, with not more than 10 old, mostly unfunctioning labels listed in its database.
Identities of established music label companies
Logo established in 2000 Longstanding brand in the Indian Music Industry Name and visuals have an Indian appeal Type clash, immature type for a well established firm
Type logo Relatively contemporary than pre existing logos. Simple, minimalistic Colours and simplicity of form facilitates usage on various backgrounds
Longstanding brand, established in 1975 Minimal form with heavy type, symbolising sound | records | amplification Logo has become memorable as an identity of the organisation
Type logo Weight of the form too heavy, takes away from the appeal Form gives a confusing message towards the end The box around the form is constricting, emphasising on its heavinss
Identities of recently set up music labels Contemporary, minimal in form and typeface. Either can be used individually too. Made keeping in mind current target group of musicians and audience Breaks away from popular colour usage of black, red and other block colours in the music scene Limited complementary colours facilitate coherence with various backgrounds Relatively very experimental, contrary to the formerly done structured logos for music labels Voices the brand’s personality well Single colour usage can lead to several variations and synchronisations in terms of colour and background without affecting the identity
Simplistic logo Simple typeface and form, complementing its parent company’s (India Today) identity. Form seems to be an abstraction of the type
Iconic universal logo (branch in India) Logo undergone change thrice between 1998 and 2013) However, the change, like its identity, has been minimal. Sans serif changed to serif to emphasise on type. Strong visual element eventually added to latest logo.
Retrospection and Analysis
A comparative study between old/established and new music company logos seems to show that the old logos tend to him more block-ish, solid identities as compared to the present day identity and branding, which is more experimental and more indivualistic and personality driven. Thus, the focus has spread from solely the logo to the identity being a part of an overall visual thematic appearance of the company. More attention is paid to visual detail now keeping in mind the wide target audience of artists and audience. Since a majority of the target consumers of the present day music industry is the youth, their identities go for characteristics such as
Youth, vigour, spontainity An avenue of multiple possibilities Stimulating, attention grabbing
MIND MAP
QUALITIES OF LOTUS TREE EXTENDING ITSELF TO THE LOGO Universal Appealing to all genres of music Minimalistic and widely relatable Balance between playful and serious Balance between fun loving and responsible Balance of structure and softness Edgy feel but not sharp Organic Colourful Structured Soothing Hearty Sensitive
MOOD BOARD (inclusive of further revisions)
FORM EXPLORATIONS
CONCEPT EXPLORATION 1 LOTUS TREE records and studios r e c o r d s & st u dio s
Tr e e + r o o t s Strong foundation Minimalism
records and studios
F r e e fl o w i n g Organic Non-cliched Playful
LOTUS
r eco r ds & stu dios
LOTUS TREE records and studios
LOTUS TREE
Ty p o g r a p h i c Complementing organic colours Minimal glamor
LOTUS TREE r eco r ds & stu dios
LOTUS TREE r eco r ds & stu dios
LOTUS TREE r eco r ds & stu dios
LOTUS TREE r eco r ds & stu dios
LOT U S T R E E
r eco r ds & stu dios
LOTUSTREE r eco r ds & stu dios
CONCEPT EXPLORATION 2
RECORDS AND STUDIOS
LOTUSTREE records and studios
LOTUSTREE records and studios
Visual representation of the lotus Focus on the petals Various combinations of petals form versatile forms.
Evolution of the preceding explorations to create an amalgamation of image + type. Organic Flowy Multi layered Movement Delicateness
lotus tree records & studios
FORM AND COLOUR VARIATIONS
lotus tree records & studios
lotus tree records & studios
CONCEPT EXPLORATION 3
LOTUSTREE records & studios
Lotus + Tree +Musical notes Dual represntation of the same Musical record Classic appeal Vintage
LOTUSTREE records & studios
Lotus + Tree +Musical notes Dual represntation of the same Contemporary Modern and edgy Musical tides
LOTUS TREE
re co rd s & stu d ios
LOTUS TREE records & studios
Lotus + tree Tree in the negative space of the lotus Grandiose of petals Colours represent grandness, serenity
LOTUS TREE records & studios
LOTUSTREE records & studios
LOTUSTREE records & studios
LOTUSTREE records & studios
LOTUSTREE records & studios
Lotus + Tree +Musical nottes Dual represntation of the same Extension and evolution of the petals ans tree symbol.
LOTUSTREE
records & studios
LOTUSTREE records & studios
LOTUS TREE records & studios
Lotus + Tree +Musical notes Dual represntation of the same Interlinked petals represent unity and coherence amongst various elements of organisation
FORM SIMPLIFICATION
PLACEMENT OPTIONS LOTUS
TREE
R ECOR D S AND S T UD IOS
LOTUS TREE RECORDS A N D STUDIOS
LOTUS TREE R ECO R D S AND ST UD IOS
COLOUR OPTIONS
FINAL LOGO
LOGO VARIATION 1
LOT U ST R E E ST U D I OS
LOGO VARIATION 2
LOT U ST R E E STU DI OS
LOT U ST R E E STUDIOS
LOT U ST R E E STU DIOS
DIMENSIONS 3.2 5 in
3 .25 in
2 .7 in
LOT U ST R E E S T U D IOS 2 .2 5 in
FINAL CONCEPT
+
+
KEYWORDS minimalistic | contemporary | vibrant | universal
coherence + unity | minimalistic | contemporary | vibrant | universal | easy relatability
COLOUR PALETTE
PRIMARY
C : 69 % M : 5 % Y : 23 % K : 0%
C : 79 % M : 31 % Y : 30 % K :1%
C : 65 % M:0% Y : 46 % K:0%
C : 70 % M : 64 % Y : 63 % K : 64 %
C:3% M:2% Y :2% K:0%
R : 55 G : 18 2 B : 19 7
R : 44 G : 14 0 B : 162
R : 63 G : 201 B : 168
R : 45 G : 45 B : 45
R : 24 4 G : 24 4 B : 24 4
SECONDARY
C : 86 % M : 71 % Y : 59 % K : 74 %
C:3% M:2% Y :2% K:0%
C : 70 % M : 64 % Y : 63 % K : 64 %
R: 7 G : 25 B : 34
R : 24 4 G : 24 4 B : 24 4
R : 45 G : 45 B : 45
FONTS USED PRI M ARY : C a ssa nne t Re gula r
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz S E C O NDARY : Co m fo r t a a Light
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ a b c d ef g h ij k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
IDENTITY EXTENSION FORM EXPLORATION
VISUAL THEME
universality | network | contemporary | vibrant | versatility | flow
COLLABORATE CREATE CONNECT
MOTTO
ICONS
SOU ND M IXING
SO UN D DES I G N
S O UN D M A S T ER I N G
MUSIC PRODUCTION
SOUND RECORDING
COLLATERALS
LOT U ST R E E ST UD I OS
LOT U ST R E E STUDIOS
BHANU SHARMA FOUNDER | CEO
63, panchsheel, new delhi - 100 011
LOT U ST R E E S TUD I OS
+ 91 9910 254 832 bhanu@lotustree.com www.lotustree.com
BHANU SHARMA FOUNDER | CEO
63, panchsheel, new delhi - 100 011
63, panchsheel, new delhi - 100 011
bhanu@lotustree.com krishna@lotustree.com
LOT U ST R E E
+91 98104 32156 www.lotustree.com
S TUD I OS
+ 91 9910 254 832 bhanu@lotustree.com
MU S I C I A N IN THE HOUSE
www.lotustree.com
DND
LOT U ST TREE S T UD I OS
LOT U ST TREE
iPad
S TU DI OS
LOT U ST R E E ST U D IOS
LOT U ST R E E ST UD IOS
LOT U ST R E E S T U D I OS
BHANU SHARMA FOUNDER | CEO
63, panchsheel, new delhi - 100 011
LOT U ST R E E ST U D IOS
+ 91 9910 254 832 bhanu@lotustree.com www.lotustree.com
BHANU SHARMA FOUNDER | CEO
63, panchsheel, new delhi - 100 011
63, panchsheel, new delhi - 100 011
bhanu@lotustree.com krishna@lotustree.com
+91 98104 32156 www.lotustree.com
LOT U ST R E E ST U D IOS
+ 91 9910 254 832 bhanu@lotustree.com www.lotustree.com
LOT U ST R E E S TUDI OS
LOT U ST R E E
iPad
ST UD IOS
MU S I C I A N IN THE HOUSE
DND
LOT U ST R E E ST U D IOS
CONNECT WITH US LOT U ST R E E
63, panchsheel, new delhi - 100 011
ST UD I OS
+ 91 9910 254 832 bhanu@lotustree.com krishna@lotustree.com
w w w. l o t u s t r e e. c o m
WHO WE ARE
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WHAT WE DO
EQUIPMENT INSTRUMENTS KORG Monotribe Mini KP Bundle Roland Juno - Di Portable Synthesiser Blue Encore - 100 MIcrophone Apollo 16 FireWire & Thunderbolt Audio Interface
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In viverra consectetur accumsan. Vivamus at diam lacus, at suscipit sem. Phasellus dd dfdda eleifend sollicitudin mi, eu venenatis turpis tempor et. Pellentesque eget orci sed ligula fermentum rhoncus vitae non odio. Aenean nulla edui in dui con something at the end. Whatever it may be.
nayi disha
Korg Kronos-X 61 Music Workstation
Krishna Rao
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AUD I O M AST ERI NG
SO UND M I XI NG
SO U N D RECO R DIN G
MUSIC COMPUTERS KORG Monotribe Mini KP Bundle Roland Juno - Di Portable Synthesiser
ACCESSORIES
TEAM
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In viverra consectetur accumsan. Vivamus at diam lacus, at suscipit sem. Phasellus dd dfdda eleifend sollicitudin mi, eu venenatis turpis tempor et.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In viverra consectetur accumsan. Vivamus at diam lacus, at suscipit sem. Phasellus dd dfdda eleifend sollicitudin mi, eu venenatis turpis tempor et.
KORG Monotribe Mini KP Bundle Roland Juno - Di Portable Synthesiser SO UND D ESI GN
M U SI C PRODUCTION
Blue Encore - 100 MIcrophone Apollo 16 FireWire & Thunderbolt Audio Interface Korg Kronos-X 61 Music Workstation
OUR PARTNERS
SITE PLACEMENT
LOT U ST R E E R ECO R D S AND SST TU D I OS ECOR UD
STUDI OS
LOT U ST REE R ECORDS AND ST UDI OS
LOT U ST R E E R ECORDS A N D S TUDIOS
REFLECTIONS Working on Lotus Tree has been a wonderful and enriching experience not only because it was my first individually directed large scale assignment but also one of the most challenging and intensive ones I have done in my course of two years in Srishti. Both successes and failures I have faced during the process and result of this project have taught me valuable lessons - breaking away from cliches and stereotypes, the value of storytelling and presentation before clients, the need for and importance of constant communication with one’s seniors and peers, the value of constant curiosity to explore and jitters thereof over complacency, knowing when to ask for criticism and when to stop,TThe importance of maintaining a good relationship with your clients, and your faculty, taking responsibility of both credit and criticism. And much more. This work in progress has really helped me realise which areas I’m strong in and where I’m lacking and need to buck up and correct my mistakes. And as goes without saying, I’m more confident about DIP after this process. A true learning experience indeed.
1. Ability to iterate & explore, prototype and develop ideas 2. Ability to synthesize & apply techniques, skills, concepts leading to aesthetic or effective outcomes 3.Ability to manage time and meet client deadlines 4. Ability to work autonomously and independently 5. Ability to incorporate the needs of users and audience 6. Ability to draw upon multi disciplines, multiple perspectives and wide range of resources 7. Ability to write clearly and effectively communicte and ideas, reflections and evaluations
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Kruti Saraiya for giving me the opportunity to take this project forward Panel and classmates for giving the nervous wreck in me the confidence to carry on Agnishikha Choudhari for taking a keen interest in my logo and giving me ideas to carry forward Bhanu Sharma for believing in me and being a very supportive client Krishna Rao for mutually respecting the artist in me Pulak Bhatnagar (Codesign) for being a harsh critic and an equally just in positive feedback Kshitiz Sharma (Codesign) for his sensitive approach towards criticism when he knew I was one mean word away from crying Rachit Jain (IIT-K) for constant ideas and criticism late into the nights Akshan Ish (NID) for great criticism and constant lectures to become more confident of my work Gauri Gupta for letting me stay at her house for nights and disciplining me to work when I was giving up Aditi Jain for the constant feedback on my work from a commercial aspect Keshav Iyengar (musician|Team Sona Mohaptra) for giving me the musician’s perception of studios Kruttika Susarla (Gopika Chowfla Design) for kickstarting me with ideas for SIP and making me less clueless
THANK YOU