Process it
reflect on
identity culture simon sok / IDENTITY & CULTURE / process /
FALL 2011
DESIGN 451
&
20 11
manifest it
contents
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01
self portrait.............
pg. 04
Exploration with self-identity and cultural perception. What does it mean to be you? Two final portraits.
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manifesto.....................
pg. 28
Declare your beliefs and don’t be passive about it. My own written manifesto with accompanying visual response.
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logo analysis.............
pg. 44
An exercise in analyzing logos. Focused on what makes a logo conceptual and emotive.
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branding.......................
pg. 56
Branding a fictional company from the ground up (including naming, logo, and three applications).
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01 4
self portrait & reflection
What is identity? The condition of being oneself or itself, and not another. The sense of self, providing sameness and continuity in personality over time and sometimes disturbed in mental illness.
What makes us who we are? What does identity mean? Is it believable?
A universal aspect that everyone can relate to
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Challenge: Create two self-portraits. Look at a more universal approach to a selfportrait. Look for how others could relate to your sense of self.
Concepting: There is a weird perception of values I fall into when identifying myself. I’m too westernized for Korean standards, yet too Korean for western standards. The stereotypes associated with cultural relevance enhance the barrier I try to break between myself and people I interact with. This led me to think of the possibilities and thoughts if I was not born in America. Would I be doing art? Would I have a sense of voice and power that I have today in this country? Though I have no control over my fate, there are many contributions of my heritage background that shape my personality and identity. I began thinking about how I could portray this concept in a photograph without being cliché or confusing the viewer. How do you personify culture without using symbols or objects? Due to
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the nature of the iconographic association between my culture, and myself I felt like I wasn’t portraying myself in the way I wanted others to perceive me. It was not the defying concept that constituted my portrait. However I do believe my culture influenced and affected my behavior and personality, especially due to the conservative upbringing of my childhood. *Ideas for photograph composition: simplistic shots, no props, minimal expression, lost in space, reserved, contemplative, mysterious, curious.
Questions to think about: *Are there different types of identity? *What do we know about identity? *Do we have the same identity now as we did three years ago? Five years ago? *Is identity important? Why? *Do you fit a stereotype? What aspect do you want to explore? *Do other people look at you the same way you look at yourself?
What is this senior picture’esque nonsense? Does this denim jacket make me American or more like a hipster?
First Photoshoot— Diane Fox A&A Room 329
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Introversion, Intuition, Thinking, Judgment
1–4% of the population
MyersBriggs personality test
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Carl Jung circa 1910.
INTJ
INTJs are strong individualists who seek new angles or novel ways of looking at things. They enjoy coming to new understandings. They tend to be insightful and mentally quick; however, this mental quickness may not always be outwardly apparent to others since they keep a great deal to themselves. They are very determined people who trust their vision of the possibilities, regardless of what others think. They may even be considered the most independent of all of the sixteen personality types. INTJs are at their best in quietly and firmly developing their ideas, theories, and principles.
QUESTIONS &ANSWERS THOUGHTS
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What are you inclined to notice that most others do not? Details of the most simplest things.
What comes naturally to you? What are your biggest strengths? Adapting to technology. Visually intuitive.
What do you most value in life? Independence, close relationships. Technology.
What part of yourself have you wanted to let go but never been able to? Being an introvert.
What drives you nuts? Disrespect. Copying. What types of situations bring out the worst in you? Ignorance.
What do you do that you couldn’t stop doing even if it was illegal? Online interaction.
What are your biggest fear? Failing. Not living up to expectations.
After taking the personality test, I started focusing on my individuality rather than conceptualizing on broad aspects that make up my personality. My background culture encompasses my characteristics but I am not attached to it. Other features and facets like my interest in technology and its impact seems more fascinating than my cultural duality.
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What 5 words would you use to describe yourself?
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Passive introverted hard working indecisive reserved analytical
how do others perceive you?
summer 11. googz plus soirĂŠe.
01 Timid, Minimal, Adventurous, Enigma, Kind, Modest.
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Mysterious, Pixelated, Subtle, Hilarious, Modest.
Shy, Moral, Meme-ish, Mischievous, Gifted.
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Challenge: I created a headpiece out of chipboard and then spray painted it black. This would be my prop for my photo shoot. The concept of this piece focuses on my persona: interaction online vs. reality. I find myself often less introverted when I’m interacting with others online opposed to the real world. This headpiece represents the headspace and technologic world I live in. It’s a mask and just a facade that other people view me as in both realities.
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alternate reality
you make it look so effortless.
CONCEPT These photographs are much closer to my original concept than the first photoshoot. In this set I incorporate my prop/ headpiece as I levitate off the ground. Though the headpiece is the prominent feature in the photographs, the background and pose melds the concept together successfully. I wanted to show a vulnerability side as the photograph freezes the expressive movement. This idea of transcendence becomes relevant and is a though provoking juxtaposition with the barren background. As the jumping photos show movement, I hope people view it as I am confined in my own headspace.
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Second Photoshoot— Taylor Dudney @ A&A welding area.
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Third Photoshoot— Elizabeth Conde A&A, outside
CONCEPT For my second photo piece, I decided to focus on a different side of my personality: mellow, modest, analytical and often searching the details. I used a camera as a prop in the pictures due to my interest in photography. I wanted to show a humble side of me that is the opposite of my mechanical attitude. In this set, I relied on the facial expression rather than my body movement. The camera becomes an extension of my body as I process my thoughts through a viewfinder, and when I’m ready to commit it’s simple as a click. 16
i’m human too y’know.
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Challenge: Create hypotetical spreads that would feature you about your identity. Use photographs from your self portrait photoshoot.
Concepting: My spreads are quite simple yet visually pleasing. The first thought was to create something aesthetically strong and appealing so it can grab the attention of others. The use of overlapping of imagery creates meaningful juxtapositions. The content within the spread was found text about my personality and identity. The primary focus was to encapsulate my digital fascination.
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self titled
08. 2011
culture & identity
ONLINE CULTURE
INDEPENDENCE DUALITY
INTROVERTED
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‘Solitude is okay’
So essentially I’m sitting at home, in my room with a bowl of ice cream, pretending I have friends. I have absolutely no idea why I would write about this, especially to what
alone with my thoughts. Just because I’m not outgoing or talkative doesn’t
would be a grand total of about 9 followers (that’s including the two who
mean I’m not interesting or have interesting things to say.
are actually spambots). Why not?
ironment. The interaction, the possibilities, the ramifications of one being
had trouble being honest with myself. How can you hide something from
connected to one another gave me this sense of belonging. The virtual
yourself? Repress, suppress, forget about it, relax, relapse all over again.
realm. The anonymity. You could be whomever you want, whenever you
But the first step to improving yourself is to admit that you have a problem.
want, and didn’t have a preconceived notion of your past or present.
I am a classic example of an introvert. Sitting in quiet is a beautiful thing to me. Yes, I honestly believe I’m an interesting person. I know that I have interesting things to say when I want to say something. I’m not the type of person who needs company all of the time. As a general rule, I spend my non-work time alone. This suits me fine– I like the freedom, I like being
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Web 2.0 rolls around and without hesitation I explore the unfamiliar env-
I never knew what it meant to “be honest with yourself” because I never
BECAME MY REVOLUTION
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INTJ introversion, intuition, thinking, judgment
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What’s holding me back is my fear of defying gravity.
stripesarebetter: Hey
I let myself go through the digital space and formed fascinating relation-
021kernthatthing: hello!
ships. I keep coming back to this question and thought: what makes us rely
021kernthatthing: You wouldn’t believe what happened today
on others so distant, yet so connected? Why does one invest so much time
stripesarebetter: What?
and effort in communicating with an anonymous ‘avatar’? This transcend-
021kernthatthing: I found my professor’s twitter account
ence became so much of my personality that I identify myself within the
stripesarebetter: oh. god.
space of a digital utopia. This is a unique culture and I’m just one of many
021kernthatthing: He’s holding a cat in his profile picture.
involved in the new age interaction.
021kernthatthing: With lasers. 021kernthatthing: And showing off his Helvetica tattoo. stripesarebetter: wot. stripesarebetter: what. a. hipster. stripesarebetter: What does it meme? 021kernthatthing: LOL. He is either super cool or.... 021kernthatthing: a freaking loser wannabes. Just like us.
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Left: Final portrait No. 1 Right: 26 Final portrait No. 2
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it’s my manifesto
WHAT’S A MANIFESTO? Manifesto: man·i·fes·to noun \ A written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer. It’s a belief system and it shouldn’t be passive.
Inspirational manifestos from others
Good design is as little design as possible. –Dieter Ram
Just start. –Diana Lowrie
You should be exhausted. –Anna Woodard
Stay up late. Strange things happen when you’ve gone too far, been up too long, worked too hard, and you’re separated from the rest of the world. –Bruce Mau
Imagination allows us to rewrite perception. –Elizabeth Conde
Laugh at perfection. It’s boring and keeps you from being done. –Bre Pattis
Challenge: Write a manifesto. Visually represent your manifesto typographically. Then respond to your own manifesto and this can be in any medium, using any technique.
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Good work ethic is key. Work hard on any given occasion, for it can lead to unexpected rewards and opportunities.
Mentally prepare yourself for confrontation.
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Be reasonable with yourself. Learn to adapt and know your limits. Take breaks when needed.
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Search for the unsearchable.
Always listen and be tentative. Speak up when necessary.
Be respectful. Be nice. Be positive. Be Appreciative.
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Technology is your friend. Use it to your advantage without it controlling you.
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Being minimally minimalistic is sometimes beneficial. Organization requires strategic planning so arrange accordingly. The smallest error will become magnified due to simplicity.
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Contextualize your environment. Engage and analyze details presented in your field of view.
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Don’t wait for validation. You will be validated when the time is appropriate.
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Learn to be independent. The only person you can rely on is yourself.
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Engage yourself in obscene actions that often question your sanity. This shows dedication.
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Be modest.
belief
tri
proclamation
mandate
fecta 31
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No. 01 Good work ethic is key. Work hard on any given occasion, for it can lead to unexpected rewards and opportunities.
No. 04 Technology is your friend. Use it to your advantage without it controlling you.
No. 02 Be respectful. Be nice. Be positive. Be appreciative.
No. 05 Be modest.
No. 03 Being minimalistic is beneficial. The smallest error will become magnified due to simplicity.
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My typographic manifesto.
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the typographic v i s ua l My typographic exploration in 4D was to express a dynamic impression rather than approaching it from a flat medium. The video footage is a representation of my manifesto, see through my own perception. Most of the shots are simple with structured typography. The music accompanies the piece and holds the work together. I created something relevant that anyone could view and learn from. It’s universal.
http://vimeo.com/29053475
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Challenge: Respond to your own manifesto.
Concepting: My visual response to my manifesto is a chair. This concept stemmed from Dieter Ram, a pioneer in revolutionizing product design. His good design principles enabled him to extrapolate his core concepts while creating a dynamic design for his products. The chair is a representation of all my beliefs I hold from my manifesto, including the often under appreciated. It’s quite universal and adaptable. It resembles common practices that were constantly ingrained in us while growing up; these simple reminders or considerations greatly impact others and yourself if taken seriously. The form of the chair is minimal and bare, which alludes the question ‘It looks painful to sit in that.’ or ‘How uncomfortable.’ The purpose of this wasn’t necessary for reality use, but a reminder to others that something so simplistic, like a chair, offers so much to our society yet it’s always way under appreciated.
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the response “It’s your choice.”
My typographic exploration in 4D motion to express a dynamic mood.
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wo r k h a R D ef·fort [ef-ert], noun/
1.exertion of physical or mental power: It will take great effort to achieve victory. 2.an earnest or strenuous attempt: an effort to keep to the schedule. 3.something done by exertion or hard work. 4.an achievement, as in literature or art: The painting is one of his finest efforts. 5.the amount of exertion expended for a specified purpose: the war effort.
Manifesto: man·i·fes·to noun \
A written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer.
“There is no substitute for hard work.”— Thomas Edison
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Photographs of my visual response.
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logo analysis
symbol index icon
What defines a brand? A brand can take many forms, including a name, sign, symbol, color combination or slogan. A brand can take many forms, including a name, sign, symbol, color combination or slogan.
icon literal denotative
INDEX
SYMBOL abstract connotative
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Braun: 1955 Designer: Wolfgang Schmittel Typeface: customized Function: Index | Alphasignal
Lufthansa: 1963 Designer: Modified by OTL Aicher Typeface: Modified Helvetica Function: Index | Alphasignal
The geometric, simplicity of the logo correlates to the streamline design of Braun’s
Lufthansa’s logo includes an emblem of a crane. Though stylized and abstract, the notion
products.
of flight and freedom is apparent when analyzing the logo.
London 2012 Olympics: 2007 Designer: Wolff Olins Typeface: London 2012 Function: Symbol | Infrasignal
Android: 2007 Designer: Irina Blok Typeface: Norad Function: icon. Index. symbol | Alphasignal
The number 2012 is the brand. It is universal and understandable worldwide. The em-
Android Green is the color of the Android Robot that represents the Android operating
blem is simple, distinct, bold and buzzing with energy. Its form is inclusive yet consistent
system. The simple logo presents a fun and playful mood that makes the OS inviting.
and has incredible flexibility to encourage access and participation. It can communicate
It’s also memorable.
with anyone from commercial organizations to kids playing sport. It feels young in spirit. Full of confidence, certainty and opportunity. Not afraid to shake things up, to challenge the accepted.
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St. Petersburg, FL: 2011 Designer: Pentagram Typeface: Mr. Eaves Sans Function: icon. index | Alphasignal
kikkoman: 2008 Designer: Landor Typeface: ? Function: index. symbol | Alphasignal
This simple logo carries the motif of waves. This city logo encapsulates the vibe of the two
The traditional hexagon symbol is actually the family seal of the founder. The use of the
cities nestled along the gulf coast. Due to the simplistic nature, it’s easily adaptable across
seal shows tradition within its brand. The all-lowercase wordmark, gives Kikkoman’s
all platforms successfully.
identity a kind, warm, and approachable look that communicates its dedication to the joys of food.
Cisco: 2006 Designer: Joe Finocchiaro & Jerry Kuyper Typeface: cisco Function: Index. symbol | infrasignal
H&M: ? Designer: ? Typeface: custom brush script Function: index | infrasignal
The logo is a unified freestanding mark that discretely pops wherever it appears, adding
The H&M logo has a handwritten typographic treatment. The handwritten type adds
a touch of elegance to both products and communications media. The bridge device, inte-
a playful/ quirky characteristic to it’s identity. However, because H&M is a clothing
gral with the wordmark in a way that also suggests DNA. The simplistic, abstract bridge
company, it’s hard to correlate the handwritten logo to their brand. There is a disconnect
works well. This connotation of connecting to something larger is apparent within
between the projected brand and H&M philosophy.
the brand.
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Vodafone: 2006 Designer: ? Typeface: vodafone Function: index | alphasignal
qvc: 2008 Designer: MODE visual Typeface: gotham Function: index | alphasignal
Vodafone’s logo is clever in that it resembles a quotation mark and is associated with tele-
QVC’s logo is a large ribbon that shapes into the letter ‘q’. At first, it was hard to under-
communication. This typographic mark enhances brand identity, while keeping it simple.
stand the significance of the ribbon, but after analyzing it, it made sense. The connotation of wrapping or gift giving is associated with the brand. However, it doesn’t seem to be appropriate that the logo is so structured and not organic. It’s modern.
nypl: 2009 Designer: In house designer Typeface: Kievit Function: icon. symbol | parasignal
library of congress: 2008 Designer: Chermayeff & Geismar Typeface: Trajan Function: icon. symbol | Parasignal
The New York Public Library logo consists of a lion. It is inspired by the massive lion
The Library of Congress logo is simple and easily understandable. The logo is an illustra-
sculptures outside the library entrance. The symbolic meaning of a lion consists of power,
tion of an open book. The left side is solid while the right side is striped. This alludes to
courage, and wisdom. The lion incorporation works well as a brand for the library. It’s easy
the American flag.
to understand and truly memorable.
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king arthur flour: ? Designer: ? Typeface: ? Function: index. symbol | Parasignal
SAAB AUTO: 2000 Designer: C. f Reutersward’s design modified Typeface: modified gill sans Function: icon. symbol | parasignal
King Arthur Flour logo is a heraldic seal. The branding encompasses tradition and history.
Inside the SAAB seal rests a mythical creature, a griffin. The griffin is a legendary create
This denotes a trustworthy brand that one can rely on due to the nature of the iconic
with a body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. Often associated with royalty and
King Arthur.
kings, the connotation of a griffin denotes strength, courage, leadership, and boldness. As a consumer, SAAB projects reliability and trustworthy.
popcorn, indiana: ? Designer: ? Typeface: Rockwell Function: icon | infrasignal
Guild of Food Writers: 2005 Designer: 300Millon Typeface: n/a Function: icon. index | Alphasignal
Popcorn, Indiana logo falls short as a brand identity. The logo consists of a man riding a
The Guild of Food Writers is an association that brings together professional food jour-
stylized tractor. The tractor is ambiguous to the product of the brand: popcorn.
nalists, broadcasters and authors. The logo for this brand is truly memorable. The logo consists of a pen nib. However, when looked closely, the negative space reveals a spoon. The two different element cohesively brings the brand together.
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Delta Airlines: 2007 Designer: Lippincott Design Typeface: Whitney Function: Index. Symbol | Alphasignal
POM wonderful: 2002 Designer: Lynda Resnick Typeface: custom type Function: index | parasignal
The current Delta Air Lines logo consists of two 3D triangles which include a bigger
POM Wonderful’s logo is simplistic yet powerful. The use of a heart is done tastefully and
triangle with the word “DELTA” adjacent to it. The Delta Air Lines logo, also known as the
represents the advantages of pomegranate to the actual heart (organ).
widget logo, is said to be inspired by the swept-wing design of the DC-8 airplanes.
Budweiser: 2011 Designer: JKE Firm Typeface: Custom script Function: icon. symbol | Parasignal
milwaukee tools: ? Designer: ? Typeface: custom type Function: index | parasignal
The iconic brand, Budweiser, projects a sense of class and charm from their logo. The use
Milwaukee Tool has a typographic logo. The expressive logo mimics electricity and move-
of a bow-tie form further enhances the notion of class amongst other beers. Budweiser’s
ment. It is very successful in representing the feel and mood.
brand effectively target their products to a vast range of demographics.
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Challenge: Create a systematic taxonomy from analyzing 100 different logos.
We were asked to go out and find 100 different logos, from that 100 narrow it down to 20. The main objective of this exercise was to see examples of existing brands out in the market. We examined the characteristic the logo conveys emotionally, physically, conceptually. Then we each categorized the logos we found in different sections, ranging from animals to typographic marks. This helped me to understand the emotive quality such a simple mark can convey.
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BRANDING & identity
What is a brand? It’s a gut feeling. It’s what the audience says. The goal is to build a charismatic brand.
*A brand can’t fulfill everything, it has to give up something.
Aesthetic is powerful.
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Differentiate: logic and magic
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Sight: notice contrast
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Focus: provide difference
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Challenge: Successfully brand a company (including but not limited to: naming, brand mark, and applications).
MY 3 BRANDING OPTIONS. *A company that provides customizable furniture to people living in urban areas. The furniture will be completely customizable with the user in mind. A company that encourages people who spend majority of their time online to explore their outdoor surroundings. A company that makes easy to understand instructions for newbies wanting to use power tools.
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ZAG CHECKPOINTS: 1.Who are you? 2.What do you do? 3.What’s your vision? 4.What trend/s can you ride? 5.What category do you wan to be a leader in? 6.What makes you the ‘only’?
Checkpoints
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Who are you?
What do you do?
What’s your vision?
We have great design sensibilities and love modern furniture that does not compromise aesthetics over functionality.
To provide creative, customized furniture for an urban living space.
Our vision is to create simple, functional furniture custom tailored toward the user’s living space. We focus on the experiential process with each customer, from sketches to the final product.
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What trends can you ride?
What category do you want to lead?
What makes you the only?
Trends: user generated products, sustainable living, urban innovations, modular adaptability, modern lifestyle.
We would like to be the leader in customizable, modern living furniture
Our brand is the only urban living furniture company that gives the user innovative control with their products to meet their specific needs.
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Competitive Audit Ikea. 1943. $ At IKEA, our vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Our business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.
West Elm. 2003. $$ We combine global materials with natural and urban influences to create products that suit the demands of modern living. We strive to design clean, simple things that are a pleasure to live with. Many of these things are designed specifically for small spaces and a growing number of things we make are 100% green.
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Crate&Barrel. 1962. $$ Crate and Barrel offers a variety of “upmarket� housewares, furniture, and related merchandise. Crate & Barrel has two sister stores. CB2 is a home furnishings division geared toward young adults created in 2000.
MUJI. 1980. $ MUJI products vividly embody both our product design methods and our overall philosophy. Our goal of offering products that excel in quality at lower prices has been achieved by avoiding the waste typical of much product manufacturing and distribution, in the form of unnecessary functionality, an excess of decoration, and needless packaging.
DWR. 1999. $$$ Design Within Reach is your source for the best in modern design, from iconic mid-century works to innovative items designed today. We sell clean and simple furniture and accessories, representing designers, materials and processes that span categories and countries.
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Naming *Different than those of competitors
*Satisfying to pronounce.
*Brief. 4 syllables or less.
*Suitable for brand play.
*Appropriate, but not so descriptive so it sounds generic.
*Legally defensible.
*Easy to spell.
Marizumu Plyvik & Co. Nordostra Valsedd Val & Sedd Prisvara Durono Stadvik Hemvist Frizara Frevic
Norvivo Mizoma Varsbor Norvik Norvum Norva Profound Cosa Cosa Talo Talo Tahlo
The name Tahlo is modified from ‘talo’, which means home in Finnish. Originally, I was going to keep the spelling to the translation but soon I found out that Talo was an exhisting architecture company. Because of the similarities associated with furniture/ industrial design, I decided it would be best to change the name to the current spelling: Tahlo.
Mood board
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Din Regular abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789/., Din Medium abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789/., Din Bold abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789/., Din Condensed Bold abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789/.,
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logo sketch ideation Logo concept: Clean, modular, geometric, simple, modern, customizing, adaptable, urban, systematic. *Inspiration from environment, surroundings, products.
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tahlo design brief.
Business description
Services & products
Tahlo builds custom, modern furniture to fit the spaces
Tahlo provides customizable modern furniture for
of urban living.
people living in urban areas.
WHY
Big idea
Due to the limitations on urban living, there are very
Our brand is the only urban living furniture company
few options when furnishing a small space. Tahlo took
that gives the user innovative control with their prod-
this opportunity to bring this idea of customization to
ucts to meet their specific needs.
the user’s control. Tone and personality Purpose
Imaginative, trendy, urban, confident, streamline,
Tahlo’s purpose is to provide creative solutions in build-
simple, innovative
ing furniture to fit the needs of a small space. TAGLINE Vision
Reinvent your space.
Tahlo’s vision is to create functional and streamline furniture that is customized toward a user’s living
Trueline
space. We focus on the cliental interaction from the
Customizable urban furniture.
start process to the finish product. Application Position
Collaterals: logo, business card, letterhead, envelope.
Tahlo would like to be the leader in custom, modern
Pamphlet: Instructional steps explaining how to work
living furniture category. Our focus position consists
with us.
of user customized products, urban innovations, and
Website: information about the company (includes
modern lifestyle.
photographs of model furniture and short animation).
Promise
Call to action
Our promise is to bring a creative and experiential ap-
We want our target audience to asset their urban living
proach to furnishing a space.
space and seek us for home furnishing.
Audience Primary: Young professionals (mid 20’s-late 30’s) living in an urban city with limited options in furniture décor. They have a sense of style in fashion, architecture and design. Secondary: Older adults (40’s-60’s) living in the city that has an appreciation for modern design and values a minimalist lifestyle amongst the urban atmosphere. Tertiary: College students.
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ideation: round 1
Top: Looking that the components that build things inspired me to this exploration. The tall type becomes a symbol rather than a pure typographic mark and visually distinguishes the symbol.
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Bottom: I focused on the letter ‘H’ for couple of iteration due the shape and representation of a house. In this exploration I broke the text in three different levels with the ‘H’ in the center. My original concept was for the ‘H’ to be a joint that joins together for furniture. Though it’s just typographic I think it’s just stylized and not representing the brand successfully.
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Left page: I was thinking of a systematic process for the logo. The thought of the mark changing depending on the purpose of it was an interesting aspect I explore in the future iteration. Right page: These sets of logo were created using the letter ‘H’. I focused on the letter due to its placement in the word (in the middle) and also it being an abstract symbol for a house. I played with creating a bent shape that also would portray a house in the negative space. Though the logo works, I don’t think it works for my specific brand company due to its letter.
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ideation: round 2
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These next series stemmed from the idea of hardware. The hexagon shape is often found in screws so I started playing around with that concept. Then I started to think about the whole purpose of my brand, customizing. With that in mind, I visually represented the aspect of joining things together with nuts and bolts.
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tahlotables
tahlostorage
Left & right page: With the use of a hexagon, I started implmenting a system that would represent different things when applied to an application. These are just variation of logos that could symbol different types of furniture and the technique used to build it.
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ideation: round 3
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I figured that I will stick to the hexagon shape for my logo. The content that goes inside that shape is something that was explored. The erector set style ‘T’ is successful in portraying the mood and emotion as a mark.
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tahlochairs
tahlobeds
tahlotables
tahlostorage
Left page: These icon were created from experimenting with the geometric, modular shapes furniture could create. Other ideas were to create a system in which the logo would be modular and adaptable when paired with different applications.
Right page: After settling on the erector set like logo, I started planning the color scheme for the logo.
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*The next page consists of the final logo and the brand system.
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final logo: color
logo: black & white
logo architecture
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typeface
Din Regular abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789/.,!@%$? Din Medium Din Bold Din Condensed Bold
color palette
c00 | M07 | Y84 | k00
c00 | M85 | Y66 | k00
c64 | M04 | Y17 | k00
c58 | M90 | Y00 | k00
R255 |G228 | B067
R240 |G078 | B81
R073 |G188 | B207
R130 |G063 | B152
#ffe400
#f04e51
#49bccf
#823f98
primary icons
tahlochairs
tahlotables
tahlobeds
tahlostorage
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furniture sketch ideation Furniture ideas: minimalistic, simple, clean, geometric, functional, unexpected.
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furnish your urban home!
model furniture
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0 Coffee table: This coffee table is made out of birch plywood and stained with a walnut finish. The base of the table is made from bending plywood. I took 8 individual plywood and glued them together; then I clamped it to a circular structure to create a curve. Lastly, I painted the edge blue.
Desk: The desk is a simple structure with two joining pieces that create an angle. One base of the desk is created from joining two 45 degree angles together to create a perfect miter angle. The other two legs are created from circular plywood.
Chair: This chair was the most challenging to construct out of the three. The joints are created from various angles that create an abstract shape. This chair is also made from birch plywood and stained to a walnut finish plus painted.
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COLLATERALS
Application ONE/
Letterhead Business Card Envelope
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business cards
The idea to have multiple different business cards lend itself to our brand concept. There are four different color and icons on the front of each card. Each card incorprates different category of furniture we are able to construct. The back of the card remains the same. I used a wood texture for the background to bring a warmth quality considering the bold and vivid colors the front holds. Lastly, these cards are on thick chipboard to give weight.
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Letterhead & envelope
The letterhead is printed on an off-white paper. I’ve created a color-coated system for the collaterals: red- business cards, blue- letterheads, and yellow- envelope. Though it’s subtile I think it ties everything together. Because our company is all about adaptability & customization, the letterhead uses a sticker system that identifies the purpose of the letter. For example, there are sticker tabs for memo, meeting notes, invoice, etc. They all can be customized and changed depending on the written document.
The envelopes are gray to give contrast to the bold colors. The sticker system is also used in this application. The sticker contains the address of our company and as it wraps around the edge, it reveals our tagline on the other side: “Reinvent your space”. 95
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pamphlet
Application two/
Pamphlet exampling how to work with us
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pamphlet
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The pamphlet acts as an instructional guide for people interested in working with us. It provides step by step instructions to start their project. It is printed on a legal size paper and folded three times; this creates a visual square and allows for portability. The outside of the pamphlet is poster like, incorporating a full background image and large text. The inside has bold typographic treatment, which makes it easy to read and understand. The paper is folded in a way to create an exposed tab that reveals our logo.
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My third application is a website. I believe it is important to create an online source that others can view due to the our connectiveness to social media & online. The website is a simple structure focused on tabs. It’s quite intuitive to navigate. The site includes: About us, How to work with us, Past work, and Contact information. The ‘How to work with us’ page incorporates simple, fun illustration icons to accommodate the steps. Our ‘Past work’ section house our achieves of previous work we’ve created. The gallery is more for display purposes to show a range of possibilities.
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WEBSITE & motion
Application THREE/
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There also is an animation aspect to the website. When you first arrive to the site, the logo will morph into our four different categories: chairs, tables, beds, and storage. The animation will finish and then allow you to surf the site. The purpose of the animation is to incorporate something fun and to show our modular personality as a company.
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8 easy steps! Illustrations for instructional steps.
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Come by our shop: located on 15 N 38th Street, in downtown New York City.
Obtain a start-up kit (includes the necessities to begin your project).
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Measure the dimensions of your space.
Sketch your designs.
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Bring your sketches and photographs of your space into the shop to consult with a Tahlo specialist.
Production begins after final agreement.
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Mid-progress update.
Production complete. Your custom furniture is ready for shipment.
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