logotype process
n hrom
table of contents Introduction
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Preliminary Process
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Sketches
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First Iterations
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Second Iterations
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Final Logotype
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introduction EnChroma is a California-based company that creates sunglass lenses specifically designed to address color blindness. Researchers, engineers, tech experts, and a board of world-renowned vision scientists work to develop products that will impact the lives of the estimated 300 million people worldwide who have color vision deficiency. To create the lenses, they utilize a 100+ layer dielectric coating they engineered for this very purpose keeping the physiology of the eyes of colorblind people in mind. The advanced optimal coating technology enables the lens to perform highly specific filtering of light reaching the eye. The “smart 4
sunglass” selectively filters the light to achieve an unprecedented super color enhancing effect. In addition to sunglasses for colorblind people, EnChroma also has a line of “super color enhancing” sunglasses for people with normal color vision.
The left side of the image indicates color vision deficiency. The right side shows how the color would be optimally corrected.
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preliminary process I began the brainstorm process by compiling a list of words that I believed EnChroma embodied. To generate the words, I researched the company itself, as well as competitors of EnChroma. Based on the aesthetics of EnChroma’s website, their product comes across as a medical solution, as the design is clean, orderly, and straightforward–the way you’d want an optician’s office to feel. The company itself is comprised of researchers and vision experts. That said, the logotype should feel intelligent, precise, and analytical.
color enhancing lenses called Chroma Pop. Ad campaigns shown on their website used taglines such as “The grass really is greener,” as well as attractive, young models to appeal to a hip and modern audience. Thus, the logotype for EnChroma needed to cast a wide net—it had to appeal to users that needed them for practical reasons, as well as stylish people who want their color vision experience enhanced.
When I was researching EnChroma’s competition, I found that Smith Optics has a line for 7
I created a mood board of images that I planned to use as inspiration for my logotype. These images consisted of EnChroma competitors such as Smith Optics and Oakley, as well as images found in fashion and lifestyle magazines. I made sure that the images used aligned with the words I had previously generated.
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sketches
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In my first stages of sketching, there was a lot of scribbling and experimenting. I tried utilizing the arms of glasses as extensions off of the e and a.
I tried different scribble techniques to emulate the handscrawled look of Chroma Pop.
More experimenting with the arm extensions, as well as different hand drawn looks.
Here, I started to look at the intersecting angles of the c in chroma. To me, drawn out angles look like a blueprint or scientific document, so I thought it might be a good direction for the logotype to go in.
I found that the lowercase e and c could interlock. The bottom right sketch is an exploration of how the negative space in the letter forms could function as lenses.
Continued explorations of stacking the en and chroma, as well as how the negative space in the e and c could act as lenses.
Continued exploration of the negative space in the c also working as sunglass lenses. Possibly creating other lens shapes within other letter forms?
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These were my favorite sketches that I presented in class after the first week of working on the logotype. We discussed the possibility of pushing the lens shape further. However, instead of pushing in direction of the frame of glasses themselves (which seemed redundant), I should work towards hinting at a diagram of an eye filtering light, which nods to the process that takes place with EnChroma lenses.
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refining sketches
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hroma
en
hroma
en
en
hroma
en hroma
en hroma
en hroma
en hroma
en hroma
en hroma en hroma
en hroma 14
en hroma
en hroma
en hroma Once I knew that I was going to create a logotype utilizing the overlapping filtered lenses, I went through many subtle variations of them. I kept one placeholder typeface at this stage so I could primarily focus on what kind of scale would be most effective.
en
hroma
en hroma
en
hroma
en hroma
en hroma
en hroma
en hroma
en hroma
en hroma en hroma
en hroma en hr
EN HROMA
EN
EN HROMA
EN HROMA
HROMA
I realized I hadn’t explored options including all caps type, so I created a number of variations. I particularly liked the options where the C fit in fluidly with the letter forms, almost as if it were just another letter.
EN HROMA EN HROMA
EN HROMA EN HROMA I decided that I liked the overlapping shapes more than the one with the points just touching. The area of overlap gave the shape more stability, and was also more legible as a C. At this point, it was a choice between the two shapes circled above. I moved onto the typeface selection because I believed that would be the deciding factor. 16
When selecting a typeface, I made sure to consider how it would interact with the shape of the C, as well as the list of words I had initially generated about EnChroma. I also considered both lowercase and uppercase versions.
Blanch Caps Eurostile Klinic Slab Medium Klinic Slab Light Avenir Light Museo 300
EN HROMA EN HROMA EN HROMA EN HROMA EN HROMA EN HROMA
en hroma en hroma en hroma en hroma en hroma en hroma 17
Josefin Slab
EN HROMA
en hroma
Mr. Eaves
EN HROMA EN HROMA
en hroma en hroma
Maven Pro 200 Arvil Fairview
EN HROMA
Mensch
EN HROMA
Governor
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EN HROMA EN HROMA
EN HROMA
EN HROMA I decided that using Josefin Slab in all caps was the best option. The slab serif type was reminiscent of the vision test, but the thin lines are made it feel polished and sleek, which would appeal to people looking for an haute-couture eyewear option. The wider C shape fit with the letter forms better than the slimmer shape.
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Upon bringing my logotype to an in-class critique, we found that Josefin Slab wasn’t the most effective type option. Maven Pro seemed liked a better choice; it still had thin lines and looked elegant in lowercase type. The san serif type was sparser than other choices (no tail at the end of the a), and contained unusual humanist angles (like in the arm of the r). My next task was to finesse the C shape to the most precise angles to fit the type in the best way possible.
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en hroma wider
en hroma slimmer
refined isolated shape
I began to model the overlapping shapes after the form of the lowercase c. I wanted the shapes to fit into the logotype as if it was a letter itself, while also hinting at both filtered lenses and an eye receiving light. The isolated shape was then copied and flipped horizontally to achieve the mirrored effect.
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The color of the remaining letters of EnChroma was something I needed to consider. In the early stages of production, I wanted to make sure it wasn’t reliant on color to get the point across, so I worked primarily in black and white. I realized that at this point, color was definitely something that I could use effectively without distracting from my concept. I liked the idea of using a soft shade of blue, similar to the tonal values of the green and red shades I used. Also, if the color-blind client was not able to see the red-green combo, it was likely they would be able to the see the blue type and vice versa.
en en en en en
hroma hroma hroma hroma hroma
I decided the option on the last row was the ideal shade. It aligned with the green and red shades and the desaturation gave the logotype an overall calming yet polished look. 22
final logotype
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en hroma full color
en hroma black & white
en hroma
Nate phone +1 (510) 497-0048 ext. 211 EnChroma Inc. email nate.miller@enchroma.com 2560 9th St. Suite #213B Berkeley CA 94710-2549
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EnChroma Inc. 2560 9th St. Suite #213B Berkeley CA 94710-2549 Phone: +1 (510) 497-0048 Fax: +1 (510) 877-7587 www.enchroma.com
en hroma
April 15, 2013
Dear EnChroma Client, Thank you for your recent purchase with us! I can personally assure you that the EnChroma Cx Explorer sunglasses are of the highest caliber of color-correcting lenses. I think you will be quite pleased with the results. We hope that your experience with us was a pleasant one, and hope that we can be of service to you again in the future. It was truly our pleasure to serve you. If there are any other ways to serve you better at this time or in the future, please get in contact with us. We will be determined to promptly address your needs. As with any business like ours, the greatest advertising we can have is word of mouth from a satisfied customer. We have enclosed a number of our business cards that in the event you know anyone that may be in the market for color-correcting lenses that we offer you may pass on our name to them. Any referrals you might provide are highly appreciated. Again, thank you for your business and kindness in mentioning us to others. Please contact us if we can be of any further service. Sincerely,
Don Nicholas, Ph.D. Vice President, Products don.nicholas@enchroma.com
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