Research, Rework, Reimagine - The De-Evolution of a Logo - Dalia Gendi 2022 by School of Art, George Mason University

THE DE-EVOLUTION OF A LOGO BY DALIA GENDI

Copyright © 2022 by Dalia Gendi All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Editorial, design, and cover by Dalia Gendi

Dedicated to my amazing friends and family. Your love and support have gotten me through this journey. I love and appreciate you all so much!

The Project...........................................................................8 Goal........................................................................................10 Process..................................................................................11

1- RESEARCH

Design Movements........................................................14 Victorian...............................................................................16 Art Deco...............................................................................18 Mid-Century Modern....................................................20 Flat Style..............................................................................22

2- REWORK

Amazon...............................................................................26 Beyond Meat....................................................................34 Peloton................................................................................42 Hulu.......................................................................................50

3- REIMAGINE

Ruby Chocolate...............................................................60 Madame Pink...................................................................62 Conclusion.........................................................................74 About The Author...........................................................76 Sources................................................................................78

The Pro 8

Have you ever wondered what today’s modern brands would look like if they were established at an earlier time period like the 20s or 50s? What would the logos have looked like? What elements would have inspired or affected their designs? How would have the logos changed throughout the years to get to the result we have now? Well, so have I, and let me tell you, these questions have been keeping me up at night. So, naturally I had to look it up, but while I found a few good redesigns here and there, none of the results were quite what I was looking for. Seeing as I couldn’t really find the answers I wanted, me being the curious designer that I am, decided to create my own. Thus, my senior project was born!

image in order to evolve and keep up with the modern world. These updates are usually influenced by design trends, customer feedback, the marketplace, and internal changes. Their goal is to ensure that the company’s image accurately and effectively reflects the brand’s current state. For this project, I will be going into a journey through time, or should I say, a journey through design. Where I will not only be exploring the history of graphic design, but also the impact each movement had on the logos and brand design during its time. During this journey, I may or may not change a few things here and there purely for my own amusement. And guess what? Today’s your lucky day, because you’re tagging along for the ride! So please keep your head, arms, and legs, inside the time machine at all times and prepare yourself for an interesting ride.

ject Logo evolution is a practice that has been around for decades. It’s when companies continuously make changes and modifications to their brand

Goal All jokes aside, the main goal of this project is to answer the age-old question, which I’m sure most people have asked themselves at one point or another, “what if?” I want to explore some of the design possibilities that humanity didn’t get a chance to explore. Because while most people are interested in predicting the future, I on the other hand, will be taking a step back and predicting the past instead. 10

PROCESS

I will start off by doing some research on the different design movements as well as the elements, cultural influences, and characteristics of each one. My research will also include studying multiple brands’ logo design and how they evolved throughout the years; what they changed and how they implemented those changes. I will then create my own series of logo de-evolutions, by taking four modern day brands and redesigning their logos three times, each one inspired by a different design movement. After reimagining logos for wellknown existing brands, I will then be using everything I’ve learned in that process to design the timeline of a fifth fictional brand of my choosing. In order to do the brands justice, I will need to research the history of how each brand came to be. Seeing as I will be working with newer brands that don’t really have a long history, I will be coming up with my own fun stories of what I personally think each brand’s timeline would be. Because, why not right? However, I must point out, that while the stories will be fictional, I will still maintain most of the key elements from the actual events.

RESEARCH

DESIGN MOVEMENTS 14

For the purpose of this project, I’ve narrowed it down to three design movements –Victorian, Art Deco, and Mid-century Modern – with the fourth being present-day (Flat Style). The reason I chose these particular movements is because they each have a clear and distinct influence on logo design. This gives me the opportunity to experiment with different design styles while still maintaining a convincing transition between each redesign. The first four brands I will be reimagining already have a present-day logo design. However, for the fifth fictional brand that I’ll be creating from scratch, I will need to design a present-day logo along with the three other redesigns.

CHARACTERISTICS: • Decorative outer borders • Elaborate ornate typography • Applied shadows • Outlined and embellished letterforms • Symmetrical layouts • Highly ornate and busy romantic imagery • Very few straight lines or edges • Often fills the entire page with images and type • Typography usually in a curve or wave and is often encompassed in a banner

CHARACTERISTICS: • Combines mechanical elements with llltraditional craft motifs

• Bold geometric shapes and sharp lllaero-dynamic shapes

• Uses motion lines, bold curves, and strong lllvertical lines

• Uses lavish ornaments • Often has a grainy textured look • Rich high contrast in colors • Flat (in terms of depth) • Industrial and often futuristic • Represents glamour, luxury, and llltechnological progression

CHARACTERISTICS: • Clean lines • Clean typography (sans serif, slab serifs, llland fat faces)

• Light bright hues and warm, rich earthy lllcolors are used most often

• Simple geometric shapes dominate the style • Often uses bold, reductive images • Playful patterns and textures • Boundary-pushing typography and llltypeface design

• Uses negative and positive space

Time period: (2001 - Present)

CHARACTERISTICS: • This era includes a wide variety of design styles,

lllwith flat design currently being the most popular

• Flat design is not minimalism • Flat design was made popular by the MidlllCentury Modern movement

• Primarily influenced by Swiss Style, Bauhaus, lllModernism, and User Interface

• Creates the illusion of three dimension using lllsans stylistic elements

• Clever use of negative space • Uses straight lines and simple elements lllwith no depth

• Uses flat colors and neutral tones

I wanted to give Amazon a specific motif that could later transition into their iconic arrow. Seeing as Amazon starts off as a bookstore, a bookmark seemed the most fitting.

DIGITAL LOGO DRAFTS

Amazon was founded by Ebenezer Bezos in 1898, where he started off selling books from his home in Seattle, Washington. His goal was to one day own one of the biggest franchises in America and keep his legacy going. In 1906, he opened his first bookstore, which eventually gained a reputation for its wide selection of academic books, general trade books, and fictional novels.

By 1918, the company had already opened 25 stores nationwide. They continued making numerous acquisitions throughout the 1920s and 1930s, adding new bookstores throughout the U.S. Bezos also made the decision to update Amazon’s logo because he felt their current one was too outdated. He kept the brand’s signature color, and emphasized the bookmark used in their previous logo, in order to give the brand a more modern look while still staying true to its heritage. 31

Ebenezer Bezos passed down the company to his son Theodore in 1943. By then, Amazon had more than 600 stores nationwide. However, they still had a long way to go in order to catch up with their competitors. Theodore felt that the company needed something new to distinguish their brand, so he decided to expand their product range in order to bring in more customers and increase their customer base. They started by introducing a large selection of music, games, stationery, gifts, and educational toys. Amazon also revamped their logo, reworking 32

their classic bookmark as well as connecting the A and Z, to signify that the company has no limits and can sell anything.

Theodore’s grandson Jeff Bezos inherited the company in 1994, however, the business was not doing as well as it once was. So, to keep his family business alive, Jeff decided to create an e-commerce website for the business. But he didn’t stop there, Jeff shared his grandfather’s dream, but he took it a step further. He wanted Amazon to be an “everything store” and quite literally sell anything, or at least almost anything. So, over the next few years, he gradually sold the company’s bookstores and replaced them with warehouses to store, pack, and ship his

products all over the U.S. His goal was to take the company worldwide, and that’s what he did. Today, Amazon is a multinational company that offers a huge selection of products at low prices and fast, free. It is also one of the world’s most valuable brands. Their latest logo dropped the brand’s iconic bookmark, and instead emphasized the A to Z by connecting it with a larger arrow that represents the smile that Amazon puts on their customers’ faces (“Amazon Logo and its History”, n.d.).

Beyond Meat was a bit trickier to work with for the earlier logos. So, I decided to maintain the bull icon, as well as some form of a border that would later be simplified to their current brandmark.

DIGITAL LOGO DRAFTS

Beyond Meat was founded in 1885 by Jackson and Martha Brown on 5th and Washington in downtown Portland, Oregon. A small local family butcher shop run by the couple and their two sons. The business continued to sell fresh high-quality meat for the next fifteen years, which earned them the reputation of having the best meat in town. 38

In 1901, the couple expanded and fully renovated the shop for the first time since its opening, and in 1928, the couple’s eldest son George took over the business. During this time, the vegetarian fad diet has been getting more and more popular, which made business a bit slower than usual. So, George took it upon himself to create his own recipe for a soy-based meat substitute to sell in

the shop and help bring in more customers. He also gave their logo a slightly more modern refresh, making it sleeker and cleaner while still maintaining the main characteristics from their old logo. Word spread fast, and the product became a big hit.

The meat substitute product continued to be a best seller throughout the years even after the fad diet was over. By 1948, the business had now been passed down to the thirdgeneration, George’s son, Sam. However, unlike his predecessors, Sam had no interest in being a butcher. So, he took a different approach decided to focus on plant-based products instead, seeing as the product was one of their best sellers and there was a lack of good vegetarian options in the market at the time. 40

Sam sold the shop, bought a factory, and started selling his products in local supermarkets. He completely rebranded the company’s image to better represent their new products and appeal to their new target audience. However, he chose to keep the icon and border to honor his family. He even introduced their first plant-based chicken and pork substitute. By 1955, Sam made a deal with Kroger to get Beyond Meat products sold in their supermarkets nationwide.

In 2009, George’s grandson Ethan, now the CEO, updated the recipes and introduced more product variety. He also simplified the logo, turned the icon into an official mascot, and built the company’s online presence, which helped the brand go international. Today, their products are being sold in over 80 countries. Beyond Meat even started partnering with fast food chains such as Denny’s, TGI Fridays, Carl Jr, and KFC back in 2018 to add their products on the menu.

Peloton’s logo has a clever and distinct brandmark that combines a stylized ‘P’ with the circular shape of a bike pedal. So, the goal was to start off with an old school wheel that slowly transitions into the modern wheel we see on the Peloton machine.

DIGITAL LOGO DRAFTS

Peloton was founded in Jacksonville, Florida by David Brooks, Jerry Miller, and Alex Wilson in 1892. Three enthusiasts who were very much a part of the huge bicycle craze that took place in the 1890s. They started this local cycling club to create their own community of like-minded individuals. The trio would host occasional races, activities, training sessions, and bicycle repair 46

workshops. It didn’t take long for the club to grow after that. And in 1904, they held their first big local race where cyclists from all over the east coast would come to participate. This would later end up becoming an annual event.

In 1925, bike racing was still a popular pastime, so the trio decided to expand their business by selling a wide range of bicycles, parts, and accessories. They also hired professional bike mechanics to offer repair services. As a result, Peloton rebranded their logo, opting for a modern design that accurately represents and markets their new services. 47

Alex Wilson left the company in 1933. Four years later in 1937, Jerry’s son Scott Miller inherited the company. He continued running the business for the next few years before ultimately selling the company in 1979 to fellow bike enthusiast, Robert Foley. He transformed Peloton into a gym, opening multiple new locations nationwide. In addition, he revamped the brand’s image by creating an icon that combines a stylized version of the letter P with the circular shape of a bike pedal. Then in 1986, he held his first spin class, which would later become a staple at Peloton. 48

Robert’s son, John Foley joined Peloton in 2005, and would later take over the company in 2010. John has a background in business and engineering, and he spent most of his time working on a new invention. In 2012, he officially released indoor stationary bicycles and treadmills that enabled consumers to participate in classes via streaming media. Today, these are Peloton’s main products. Before the big product launch, John refreshed the company’s logo to mark the beginning of a new era for Peloton. 49

Each one of Hulu’s redesigns involves a screen in one way or another. So, I decided to maintain some form of a border that gives the illusion of a screen throughout all the redesigns.

DIGITAL LOGO DRAFTS

Hulu was founded in 1898 by William Brown, a passionate and well-known actor who’s performed in melodramas all across America. After a long and successful career in acting, Harris decided to purchase a theater in Chicago, Illinois where he would go on to direct his own plays; as well as encourage a new generation of aspiring actors and actresses. 54

In 1934, Hulu was passed down to William’s son, Jonathan Brown, who decided to sell the theater and open a movie theater instead, which was gaining a lot of popularity at the time. This led to the creation of a new logo that fit the company’s new business endeavor.

In 1952, Jonathan partnered with Paul Kilar, a television producer who wanted to take advantage of the boom in programming that was transpiring at the time and take a risk by entering Hulu into the world of TV broadcasting. So, the two began their journey by rebranding, giving Hulu a more playful design that was more suitable for TV network. The channel started off by only airing what was popular at the time, which 56

were variety shows and serious dramas. However, Hulu’s popularity quickly grew over the years, and so did their audience. Thus, they eventually started airing a wider variety of shows including sitcoms, game shows, and cartoons.

Decades later, Paul’s grandson Jason Kilar ended up taking over the company in 2007. But Jason, who had just come out of Amazon, was interested in the new digital age and had bigger plans for the company. So, he partnered with businesswoman Beth Comstock, and decided to shift Hulu into a streaming service, and ended up giving the company a simpler and more modern brand revamp in the process.

By implementing a direct-to-consumer strategy, Hulu was able to eliminate the middlemen of movie theaters and cable systems and offer customers on-demand services instead. This ended up making Hulu one of the first, and most popular subscription streaming services to date.

Reimagine Reimagine Reimagine Reimagine Reimagine

RUBY CHOCOLATE 60

I had a hard time choosing a product for this redesign at first, mainly because I wanted something that was discovered recently, but isn’t technology related. Something new that most people, including myself, haven’t heard of before to contrast the previous four brands which are easily recognizable. However, during my research I came across a really interesting product called “Ruby Chocolate.” It’s a new type of chocolate that was introduced in 2017 by a Belgian¬-Swiss Cocoa company called Barry Callebaut. Many deem it the fourth chocolate flavor alongside milk, white, and dark. The thing that makes this product so unique is that the chocolate is 100% naturally pink. How cool is that! The information on this product is still fairly limited, but what we do know is that it’s made from “ruby cocoa beans,” and it has a slightly sweet and sour fruity flavor that can be compared to berries. It started gaining some popularity recently, when it made an appearance as a special ingredient in a handful of baking shows. The company has also partnered with a few brands such as Starbucks, Haagen Dazs, and KitKat to release limited-edition ruby chocolate products. I was honestly in awe when I first saw this product, and immediately knew it was the one. So, for this redesign, I will be using the product but completely reinventing its brand and history.

With Madame Pink, there were less restrictions, so the changes in the redesigns are slightly more drastic compared to the other brands. I chose to give Madame Pink an elegant, yet playful look. Keeping an overall swirly and wavy aesthetic that matches the mascot, as well as give the brand some personality.

DIGITAL LOGO DRAFTS

Catherine Bradford was a young chocolatier who had a passion for the art of chocolate making. She would often spend most of her free time experimenting with different recipes and honing her craft. One day in 1883, Catherine discovered a recipe for naturally pink chocolate. Elated by her discovery, she took it as a sign to quit her job at the chocolate factory and open up her own chocolate shop in Brooklyn, New York. Her little shop would sell a variety of high-quality, hand-made, and elegant chocolaty treats, but her scrumptious invention would undoubtedly be the star of the show. Thus, she named her business “Madame Pink.” It didn’t take long for Catherine’s divine pink chocolates to become the talk of the town. Everyone wanted to try this hot new commodity, and business was definitely booming.

In 1901, Catherine relocated to a bigger shop in Times Square, where eager crowds from all over the country converged to try her magnificent creations. However, Catherine wanted more people to be able to experience and enjoy her pink chocolates. So, she decided to release a new commercial chocolate bar that would be sold nationwide and bought a factory to keep up with the orders. In 1925, Catherine’s son Michael took over the family legacy, and by then, Madame Pink had already become a household name. Michael rebranded the company and spent the next few years launching new products and expanding the business.

In 1953, the company introduced a series of new Madame Pink flavors which were released internationally. In preparation for this new launch, the company decided to change their brand identity in order to standout in the international market and grow their customer base. The rebrand introduced a new brand mascot and paired it with fun, bold typography. This was the company’s biggest rebrand yet, and needless to say, the chocolates were an instant hit.

In 2015, Madame Pink updated their logo for the first time in 60 years, simplifying it and giving it a modern look to keep up with the current trends. Today, Madame Pink is one of the most popular chocolate brands in the world. They even started partnering with other brands and food chains to create special limited-edition products, and now have over 100 unique products and flavors.

Concl 74

usion Logos are one of the most important and influential branding tools a company can have. It may not be the only tool, but it’s what gives a brand its identity and sets the foundation on which the rest of the brand is built. Logos are considered the visual representation of what goes on inside a company, which is why they evolve whenever the company does. As a result, the evolution of a logo can tell us a lot about the history of a brand, as well as our own. Through this project, I was able to learn so much about logo design and how it can be influenced by everything going on both inside and outside the company. The process of designing 16 logos all at once was interesting to say the least. I found myself constantly going back and forth between them rather than design one specific brand or era at a time. Because of this, the research and

brainstorming part of this project ended up taking the most time and effort, and it took me a while to organize my thoughts. Once I did, everything else just fell into place. Looking back, I noticed that some of the designs actually turned out exactly like how I imagined they would be. While others took a lot more trial and error, only to end up looking completely different. In the end, I definitely did not expect this project to evolve the way that it did. It was challenging, time consuming, and extremely stressful but I enjoyed every minute of it, and I am so proud of how it turned out. I loved experimenting with the different design styles, and creating my own funny little backstories for each of the brands. I look forward to redesigning even more brands in the future, and I hope you have as much fun going through this project, as I did creating it. 75

About The

Author 76

As a designer, I find myself navigating through life fueled by curiosity and inspired by beauty. I’m always experimenting with different design styles and mediums, pushing boundaries, and tackling new challenges. I personally find the whole process of creativity extremely captivating, and I strive to use my passion for visual storytelling to create innovative and functional designs that will help my clients share their stories with the world.

Sources 78

1000 Logos. (2021). PELOTON LOGO [Image]. Retrieved from https://1000logos.net/peloton-logo/ Agency, R. (2019). Learn more about pink chocolate, the latest major innovation in the chocolate industry [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.dallasnews.com/ espanol/al-dia/noticias/2019/09/06/conoce-mas-sobreel-chocolate-rosa-la-mas-reciente-innovacion-mayorde-la-industria-chocolatera/ Amazon Logo and its History | LogoMyWay. Retrieved from https://blog.logomyway.com/historyamazon-logo-design/#:~:text=What’s%20the%20 meaning%20of%20the,focused%20on%20positive%20 customer%20experiences. Barry-Callebaut. Ruby Volcanos [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.barry-callebaut.com/en-US/rubytrue-gift-nature Cacao and Cardamom. RUBY RASPBERRY ARTISAN BAR [Image]. Retrieved from https:// www.cacaoandcardamom.com/products/rubyraspberry-artisan-bar?variant=31297853915238&cu rrency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_ source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_ campaign=sag_organic&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgYSTBhDK ARIsAB8Kuks2yFOhtEEfpD66WmjTN0wLK01jBFxxwSPa-YvuW29PB_ZKdzIDw8aArPGEALw_wcB Cousins, C. (2019). Mid-Century Modern Design: An Emerging Trend. Retrieved from https://designshack. net/articles/trends/mid-century-modern-design/ Daily Hive Branded Content. (2019). Purdys’ new ruby confections will have you seeing pink [Image]. Retrieved from https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/ purdys-chocolatier-ruby-bars-2019 Graphic Design Styles. (2016). Retrieved from https:// www.onlinedesignteacher.com/2016/05/graphicdesign-styles.html#victorian

Holder, T. Chunky Ruby Chocolate Bars with Brioche and Raspberries [Image]. Retrieved from https:// tenina.com/recipes/chunky-ruby-chocolate-bars-withbrioche-and-raspberries Logo Wine. Beyond Meat Logo Download [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.logo.wine/logo/Beyond_ Meat MEDIA LOGOS. (2022). Hulu Logo [Image]. Retrieved from https://logos-world.net/hulu-logo/ nieburg, O. (2018). https://www.confectionerynews. com/Article/2018/03/01/Ruby-chocolate-for-craftchocolatiers-and-chefs-to-launch-in-April [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.confectionerynews. com/Article/2018/03/01/Ruby-chocolate-for-craftchocolatiers-and-chefs-to-launch-in-April Ruby - A true gift from nature. Retrieved from https:// www.barry-callebaut.com/en-US/ruby-true-giftnature The New York Times. (2021). See’s Turns 100. Plus Other Quintessentially California Foods. [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/12/ us/sees-candies-california-foods.html Underhill, A. (2020). What in the World is Ruby Chocolate?. Retrieved from https://www.foodnetwork. com/fn-dish/shopping/2020/01/what-is-rubychocolate Wallpaper Access. Amazon Logo Wallpapers [Image]. Retrieved from https://wallpaperaccess.com/amazonlogo Zavoral, L. (2021). See’s Candies timeline: 1921 to 2021, a century of highlights [Image]. Retrieved from https:// www.pe.com/2021/06/11/sees-candies-timeline-1921to-2021-a-century-of-highlights/amp/

Have you ever wondered what today’s modern brands would look like if they were established 100 years ago? Which styles and elements would’ve influenced their branding? How their logos would have evolved over the years? Well, so have I. So, in this book, I will be going into a journey through time, or should I say, a journey through design. Where I will be reimagining the logo evolutions of some of today’s most popular brands, and putting my own unique twist on what I think their stories would have been. Because when it comes to design, most people are interested in predicting the future. I on the other hand, will be taking a step back and predicting the past instead.