Iconic Magazine

ICONIC The logo design the story behind the swoosh colour is back in business follow yOur Heart

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Magazine Designed by Madeline Pickering For educational uses only

The Logo designer Sourced from: http://www.howdesign.com/article/colorcomeback/

Colour is back in business Sourced from: http://www.adigitaldreamer.com/articles/logo-designer.htm

The story behind the swoosh Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swoosh

follow your heart Sourced from: http://www.howdesign.com/article/importanceofdesign/

Contents The Logo Designer 04 The Story behind the Swoosh 05 05 Colour is back in business 06 06 Follow Your Heart 08

A logo is a sketched or graphically designed symbol, set in a specific typeface or font, and arranged in a unique way, with distinct colours, shapes, and designs to represent a company, product, organization, agency, or service.

There are so many corporations, products, services, agencies, and other organizations that use a logo to represent their image that the uniqueness and recognizability of a logo becomes a very important element. A logo is what helps customers remember the company or product, and is often what brings them back. The right logo can be one of the strongest marketing tools as it is a consistent image that consumers become familiar with, and that provides clarity to consumers and suppliers as to what the brand or product is. Examples of good logos are those that can be easily differentiated form other logos, and ones that are easily recognized due to their unique typography or distinctive colouring.

A logo, however, is more than just a graphic symbol. A logo is a brand identity image, or a tag of a company or product. A logo is a tangible concept that provides a company with a visual image, and that fosters recognition by consumers.

IS “ AALOGO BRAND IDENTITY

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The Logo Designer

Companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to update and implement their logos, and to keep them fresh and innovative. Many companies will hire in house logo designers to design their logos, but most will turn to local graphic design firms or advertising agencies to design their logos for them as that is where most experienced logo designers work.

The job of a logo designer is to provide a new and innovative way to express the key message of a company through a recognizable image. Logo designers take the information given to them by the client and work, using their own creativity along with marketing strategy to find an appropriate image that their client can use to represent what they are trying to encourage, or sell, or what they are about.

Logo designers will often come up with several different designs before going to a client in order to give the client several options to choose from. From there, the logo designer will work with the chosen image, producing alternatives for different contexts, and making sure that the design can be consistent across a variety of media, until they have come up with exactly what they and the client are looking for.

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There must be very few people who do not recognize the Nike Swoosh logo.

With a big arsenal of superstars such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Andre Agassi, Shane Warne, Maria Sharapova, Venus and Serena Williams. This list is pretty long.

The company takes its name from the Greek goddess of victory, Nike.

The Nike “Swoosh” is a design created in 1971

by Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University. She met Phil Knight while he was teaching accounting classes and she started doing some freelance work for his company, Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS).

BRS needed a new brand for a new line of athletic footwear it was preparing to introduce in 1972. Knight approached Davidson for design ideas, and she agreed to provide them, charging a rate of $2 per hour.

In June 1971, Davidson presented a number of design options to Knight and other BRS executives, and they ultimately selected the mark now known globally as the Swoosh. Davidson submitted a bill for $35 for her work.

(In 1983, Knight gave Davidson a gold Swoosh ring and an envelope filled with Nike stock to express his gratitude.)

The Story behind the Swoosh 05

The logo represents the wing of the Greek Goddess. The Nike logo is a classic case of a company gradually simplifying its corporate identity as its frame increases. The company’s first logo appeared in 1971, when the word “Nike,” the Greek goddess of victory, was printed in orange over the outline of a check mark, the sign of a positive mark. Used as a motif on sports shoes since the 1970s, this check mark is now so recognizable that the company name itself has became superfluous.

The solid corporate logo design check was registered as a trademark in 1995. The Nike logo design is an abstract wing, designed by Carolyn Davidson, was an appropriate and meaningful symbol for a company that marketed running shoes. The “JUST DO IT” slogan and logo design campaign communicated such a strong point of view to their target market that the meaning for the logo design symbol evolved into a battle cry and the way of life for an entire generation. Isn’t it amazing how a small symbol we call a logo design can make a company into a huge success.

COLOUR IS BACK IN BUSINESS

Have you ever thought about how deeply a specific colour can influence your mood, buying decision or offer a different perspective? Do you think you would be more apt to support a business or product if their logo was blue rather than red? How about pink instead of yellow?

While you may think your decisions are based on more than just the colour of a logo, package or communication piece, subconsciously we all have a predisposed notion of what each represents; influencing how we choose to relate to the specific product or message being presented.

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how deeply influence you or offer a d

In business, choosing the right colour is just as important as determining the message. Colour is the first thing that attracts the customer’s eye, and once noticed, the colour may determine the entire tone of the piece. Because much of the human reaction to colour is subliminal, and for the most part inherent due to years of experience and conditioning, it is important for businesses to recognize the emotions each colour evokes and how to use colour to their advantage.

of relaxation. Naturally, humans are drawn to yellow tones since they exemplify the warmth and nurture of the sun. Yellow is seen by the eye before any other colour and appeals to both men and women, making it the perfect shade for point-of-purchase displays and direct mail pieces. Dramatic results can be achieved using a bright coloured sheet like Astrobrights Solar Yellow and pairing it with a rich iris blue ink colour.

Choosing Colour Wisely is Crucial By examining the current colour trends and popular shades used in business, we can determine what puts specific customers in the buying mood, when it’s appropriate to deliver a message in black over white, or if using a hint of colour will better reach the intended audience.

Appeal to the Sexes While pinks have traditionally been used to communicate solely to women or girls, in the past couple of years the traditionally feminine colour is making an inroad into men’s fashion.

Although this is an up-and-coming trend, orange and green are more commonly used to appeal to a unisex audience.

With the current state of the economy, businesses want to install optimism with their customers, employees and shareholders. For the past year, the general sense in business has been mainly doom and gloom, with less than impressive financial forecasts and extensive job losses. Now, as we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, it’s important to recognize that consumers are trying to look toward the future with a better and brighter outlook.

Therefore companies are beginning to change their collateral, messaging and tone to provide the same confidence and optimism.

As you most likely know, the Pantone® selected colour of the year for 2009 is Mimosa. Described as embodying hopefulness and reassurance in a climate of change, the warm yellow tone will garner attention but also creates a sense

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If, however, you are only targeting women, the default colour doesn’t always have to be pink.

While some love it, others hate it. Think about your target demographics, like their age, and the message you are trying to convey to determine if the perception pink demonstrates is how you want your product or company to be seen by a larger audience.

This brings me to my next point, should blue be used to target men? Blue is traditionally a favourite colour among both men and women of all ages; however, men have a much stronger preference for blue than women. Blue is often perceived as trustworthy, dependable, fiscally responsible and secure, and in the past it has most often been used as a marketing choice for targeting the male dominated audience in

u ever thought about y a specific colour can ur mood, buying decision different perspective?

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addition to representing financial institutions.

Purple is starting to transform the traditional take on blue making it an updated, creative spin on the old colour. Connoting a sense of sophistication and creativity, blue-based tones and dark plums are popping up to either put a fresh twist on an old logo or to illustrate a stylish new communications piece. Looking for a colour combination that will appeal to a masculine audience? Try using a deep silver or gold ink in combination with royal blue. The rich colours of both convey a sense of mystery, sophistication and prestige.

Environmental Fill It is important to note that in addition to colour, the green movement is receiving a lot of attention, and corporations are under increasing pressure to produce collateral that is both attractive to the eye as well as sustainable.

Warm basics, like the colour of sea grass and rattan and shades of khaki, moss and thyme are becoming more apparent as companies try to illustrate their environmental commitment. While brown conveys simplicity, durability and stability, some consumers can relate it to dirtiness, therefore be careful when choosing within this family. Terracotta, a colour popular among a female audience, can convey an upscale look, while using deep red with dark brown offers up a universally appealing colour combination.

Generation Colour Gap As baby boomers begin to retire and the next generation becomes the leaders of tomorrow, companies are recognizing that they now must change as consumers and influencers begin to take on a new form. This new generation has

been immensely influenced by technology.

Digital cameras, MP3 players, DVDs and cell phones have all played a role in defining the colour trends in the past couple of years. Noticing this, companies have used these palettes—think bright, vivid and futuristic hot pinks, silver and bright purples—to attract a younger audience to its products and services. Furthermore, metallic and pearlescent finishes often tend to appeal to these Generation Y’ers.

While Generation Y continues to grow up and Generation Z will soon be at their heels, don’t forget about the classic colours of black and white that’ll always have a place for any communications piece or logo, no matter the audience you are targeting. Black is serious and bold. It creates drama and is often used to market expensive products. There will always be a place for black since the contrast is powerful when used with almost any colour. White is simple, clean and pure.

The human eye is trained to see white and the brightness of it will make any colour stand out.

Colours will always remain a focus and an important part of how we view the world around us. It generates emotions, helps to facilitate a message, and creates a stimulating visual that catches our immediate attention. While specific shades may always connote certain feelings based on cultural or historic meanings, they are constantly transforming to illustrate the steady change in consumers and the society that they are a part of. Understanding the meaning of colours and which appeal to your target audience will allow a company to seamlessly transition as it continues to develop and provide its future services and products.

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By Jeff Fox

Follow your heart By Bryan Mooth with Daniel Pink

For the 2,400 design professionals in the room, Daniel Pink’s words in closing this year’s HOW Design Conference were golden: The future—the near future, at that—belongs to the right-brained. The audience roared.

Pink wasn’t just playing to the crowd: His theory about the importance of creativity, innovation, empathy and design in the emerging economy is based on extensive research he conducted while writing his new book, A Whole New Mind, which is due for publication in Jan. After the conference, HOW followed up with Pink and asked him to explain why and how design will shape global business. His responses will make you love your job even more.

You’ve said that in the emerging economy, the smartest thing someone can do is to be a designer and tell their children to be designers. Why is design a great career move these days?

Because the working world that you and I live in is very different from the one that our parents prepared us for. I grew up in a middle-class family, in the middle of America, in the middle of the 1970s—parents told their kids to become doctors, lawyers, accountants or engineers. Those jobs were the pathway to a happy and prosperous life. But that’s not true anymore. The economy that’s emerging today confers the greatest rewards on a different kind of person with a different kind of mind. It rewards not “left-brain” knowledge workers, but “right-brain” creators and empathizers. The future belongs to those kinds of folks—artists, inventors, caregivers and, yes, designers.

We’ve heard about this left-brain/right-brain division before. How does it apply here?

The best metaphor to describe what’s going on in work and business today is right inside our heads.

The structure of our brains reveals a lot about the contours of our times. Our brains are divided into two hemispheres. The left hemisphere is logical, linear and sequential. It works like a computer. The right side is holistic, artistic and big-picture. Of course, we use both sides of our brain for most things. But the sorts of abilities characteristic of the left hemisphere are becoming less valuable. And the sorts of abilities characteristic of the right hemisphere are becoming more valuable.

Why is this shift happening?

Three big, unstoppable forces. What I call the three A’s—abundance, Asia and automation.

What do you mean by abundance?

I mean that in material terms, Americans are astonishingly well-off. Let me give you some examples. It used to be that the American dream was to own a home and a car. Well, today, two out of three Americans own the home they live inand we have more cars than licensed drivers. Or think about self-storage, an industry devoted entirely to

housing people’s extra stuff. Self-storage is a $12 billion a year business in this country, bigger than the motion picture industry! That’s abundance.

Of course, we still have too many people living in poverty. But the standard of living in this country, for the vast majority, is breathtaking. Most of our material needs have been met and even surpassed.

Is that where designers come in?

Exactly. For businesses, it’s no longer enough to create a product that’s reasonably priced and adequately functional. Anybody can do that. Today, it must also be beautiful, unique and meaningful. That’s why people buy Michael Graves toilet brushes, Karim Rashid trash cans and Philippe Starck flyswatters. My gosh, one of the heads of General Motors says that GM is in the art business. The art business! GM! That’s a big deal.

In an age of abundance, appealing simply to rational, logical and functional needs is insufficient. If those things, experiences or images aren’t also pleasing to the eye or compelling to the soul, fewer people will buy them. Mastery of design, as well as empathy and other soft aptitudes—is now a key way for individuals, firms and consumers to stand out in a crowded market.

So what about Asia?

I guess this has something to do with the shift of jobs, a generation ago, they were manufacturing jobs, and now they’re technology jobs, from the U.S. to Asia.

Pink wasn’t just playing to the crowd: His theory about the importance of creativity, innovation, empathy and design in the emerging economy is based on extensive research I guess this has something to do with the shift of jobs, a generation ago, they were manufacturing jobs, and now they’re technology jobs, from the U.S. to Asia.

Right. Last year, I went to India and visited a bunch of software companies. One afternoon I sat in a room with six programmers. All of them had degrees in engineering or computer science. All of them did work for North American companies that would earn an American or Canadian about $75,000 a year. None of those six Indian programmers earned more than $12,000 a year. Scary.

We’ve heard a lot about outsourcing this year. But here’s the reality: Outsourcing is woefully over-hyped in the short term and woefully under-hyped in the long term. We’re not going to lose huge numbers of jobs in the next year or two, but over time we’re going to lose millions of jobs and entire categories of work.

And it’s not just computer jobs. There are chartered accountants in India completing American tax returns,

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Indian lawyers doing research for American lawsuits, Indian radiologists reading CAT scans for American hospitals. And it’s not just India. It’s Bulgaria, it’s Romania, it’s China, it’s the Philippines. Any job that’s knowledge-based and routine, that can be reduced to a set of rules—is gone.

Now, this doesn’t mean that all jobs in America will disappear. But it means the jobs that remain are those that depend on forging relationships rather than executing transactions, tapping emotions instead of manipulating logic, handling novel challenges instead of processing routine problems, synthesizing the big picture instead of calculating the details. Sounds a lot like what designers do.

Then there’s automation. That had a huge influence at the start of the Industrial Age. How is automation changing the game now?

Computers are now doing to routine knowledge work what robots and other fancy machinery have already done to routine factory work. They do the work faster, cheaper and often better. If a $200-a-month Indian chartered accountant doesn’t swipe your comfortable accounting job, TurboTax will. Again, computers and software won’t eliminate every left-brain job. But they will destroy many and reshape the rest.

Now, add up these three forces and the consequences are stark. The jobs that remain in the U.S. and elsewhere won’t be “high-tech.” Instead, they’ll be “highconcept” and “high-touch.”

cheaper—and they result in the kinds of products, services and experiences that are in greater demand in an age of abundance.

You’ve mentioned that, in your research, you identified six highconcept, high-touch abilities that have become crucial.

What are they?

Well, one, of course, is design. The others are story, symphony, empathy, play and meaning. Mastery them. I call them the “six senses” and these will increasingly mark the fault line between who gets ahead and who doesn’t. Fortunately, design is one profession that relies on all six of these abilities.

Design certainly makes sense. What do you mean by “story”?

I mean the capacity to explain, understand and persuade not only with logic, but also with narrative. There’s this notion that stories are either deceptive or ornamental—that they’re used to mask the truth or that they’re just a frivolity. But that’s wrong. Stories are how human beings have communicated since human beings began communicating. But the business world has largely neglected them. Now, with the surplus of information and products available, stories have become more important. Think about those great Apple ads a few years ago in which PC users told the stories of their conversion to Macs. Or go into a high-end grocery store.

Half the labels tell the back story of the product. Story is where design was maybe 10 years ago, when people began recognizing it as a point of differentiation in a world of abundance.

What do you mean by that?

High-concept means the ability to create artistic and emotional beauty, to craft satisfying narratives, to detect patterns and opportunities, to combine seemingly unrelated ideas into a novel invention. High-touch means the ability to empathize, to understand the subtleties of human interaction, to find joy in the pursuit of purpose and meaning. Those are the things that computers can’t do faster and foreigners can’t do

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What is Symphony?

That’s the ability to see the big picture, to make new relationships, to think metaphorically, to put things together, to make the whole greater than the sum of the parts. This is something that computers can’t do very well and that foreigners, since they’re responsible only for a tiny piece of the pie, can’t do very well, either. But it’s something that designers do every day. Sidney Harman, cofounder of Harman Kardon, has a great line about this. He says he doesn’t like to hire MBAs. Instead, he wants poets as managers. He says poets are our original systems thinkers and that it’s from their ranks that we’ll draw tomorrow’s business leaders.

Empathy is pretty understandable. But why is it especially important now?

Because computers can’t do empathy. Anybody who’s dealt with an automated phone service understands that. But human beings do it innately. It’s the ability to read emotions, to empathize with people, to understand where they’re coming from, to see with their eyes, to feel with their hearts. Those qualities weren’t so important back when a high SAT score and an aptitude for math meant you could get ahead. But today, it’s what going to separate the stars from the also-rans.

You mention “play” as one of your six aptitudes.

What do you mean?

I mean bringing to work a spirit of joyfulness and fun. For instance, there’s evidence that managers who are funny do better. If you go to offices where people are laughing, you’re likely to find that people are productive. And by “play” I also mean “play” industry in particular. Those of us over 35 or so have no idea how important and influential the video-game business is. And quote me on this: Games are the future of advertising. Even the U.S. Army is using video games in recruiting.

And Meaning?

This, too, is a really big deal. I wish we had more time to talk about it. As the Baby Boomers age, and as societies grow more prosperous, the pursuit of “meaning and purpose” is becoming a key part of middle-class life.

Think of the 10 million Americans doing yoga or the 15 million who meditate or the countless more who just want to live lives of meaning.

OK. Show us your skills at Symphony, and put it all together.

Let’s go through the list. You’ll see that designers are great at all six of these senses. Design? Of course. Check. Story?

Yep, designers are pretty good at that. Symphony—putting it all together, seeing the big picture, combining disparate things into something novel? Three for three. Empathy? That’s also a crucial part of being a designer—putting yourself in the shoes of the person who’s going to read your brochure or see your poster.

Same with Play. Designers certainly bring a much greater sense of fun to their jobs than, say, lawyers or accountants. And finally, there’s Meaning. That’s something else that designers accomplish, or at least try to accomplish, in their work. Indeed, that’s one reason you get out of bed in the morning—to do something great, to make a difference, to create an image or a typeface or a look the world didn’t know it was missing.

So you’re six for six. Not bad. In fact, in many ways, design is the quintessential high-concept, high-touch field. Tell your mother that the next time she calls you wondering when you’re going to get a real career.

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