VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
ZHEN JIMMY LI
VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
So the journey begins with a new course set, DeLorean is going to be a whole new company with bigger expectations and ambitions, a company to shake the existing system and to roar over the rules. Now the change begins, and the process is the best part of the journey.
CONTENTS
FORMER IDENTITY 01 01 Introduction 04 Brand History
CONCEPT RESEARCH
LOGO DEVELOPMENT
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06 Introduction
10 Logo Directions
08 Rebranding Potential
11 Keywords
09 Future Expansion
12 Direction 1 17 Direction 2 20 Direction 3 24 Further Development 26 Chosen Direction 29 Logotype
SIMILAR LOGOS
31 Final Logo
32 32 Logo with Phoenix 33 Logo in a Circle 34 Logo with Wings 35 Logo with Bird
REFERENCES & SOURCES 36
“I got my 15 minutes of fame when I designed the logo for John DeLorean’s car company.” —Phil Gibbon British designer for the original DMC logo.
FORMER IDENTITY
INTRODUCTION
The DeLorean Motor Company was formed by John DeLorean in 1975. The brand is best known for its only car model, the stainless steel DeLorean DMC-12, built in a state-of-the-art factory in Northern Ireland. More than 30 years since its launch, the DeLorean sports car with its gull-wing doors, rear mounted engine and stainless steel body panels is still an unforgettable sight...[1]
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FORMER IDENTITY | Introduction
Proudly mounted to the front grille were the initials “DMC� rendered in a stripped-down, brash and futuristic typeface. The vignette can be described as a mirror-image ambigram. To some, it may conjure an unsophisticated or even highschool aesthetic, but it was just like the car it represented: robust, dynamic, uncompromising and cutting-edge. Besides, it was a highly distinctive badge in an automotive world full of circle abstracts and stylised animals.[2]
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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
BRAND HISTORY
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The DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) is an American automobile manufacturer formed by automobile industry executive John DeLorean in 1975. It is remembered for the one model it produced—the distinctive stainless steel DeLorean DMC-12 sports car featuring gull-wing doors—and for its brief and turbulent history, ending in receivership and bankruptcy in 1982. Near the end, in a desperate attempt to raise the funds his company needed to survive, John DeLorean was filmed appearing to accept money to take part in drug trafficking, but was subsequently acquitted of charges brought against him on the basis of entrapment.
FORMER IDENTITY | Brand History
The car gained even more attention after it was featured in the popular 1985, 1989, and 1990 films in the Back to the Future movie trilogy. The car still attracts attention, as the film is so popular and the car in a main part in the film. The car gained a considerable amount of attention in 2015, specifically October 21, 2015. The characters Marty McFly and Emmett Brown traveled into the future in Back to the Future Part II and ended up in 2015 on October 21. On the real October 21, 2015, the movie was celebrated all over the United States, and some other countries, and the date became known as “Back to the Future Day.�[3]
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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
CONCEPT RESEARCH
INTRODUCTION
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John DeLorean’s vision was to create a car that was futuristic, sharp looking, and affordable. It should be totally different from every other car, and he wanted to find a brand new way to build cars. It was a modern dream for the car industry.
CONCEPT RESEARCH | Introduction
“he was buried in blue jeans and a black motorcycle jacket, playing the rebel to the end.”[4] —Aaron Severson Freelance writer Founder of ateupwithmotor.com
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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
REBRANDING POTENTIAL
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DMC was the innovative almost iconic new car company in the early 1980s. The only model they built was even more iconic after the release of the film franchise Back to the Future. Many of John DeLorean’s visions and ideas can be translated to other businesses, and you can totally see John DeLorean success in other fields.
FORMER IDENTITY | Potential and Expansion
FUTURE EXPANSION
The idea of building a good looking, futuristic and revolutionary product still was and still will be DeLorean’s main passion. Our business will extend to all the territories that matters: infrastructure, health, education and transportation. We will innovation new discoveries and inventions to improve human lives.
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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
LOGO DEVELOPMENT
LOGO DIRECTIONS
Now that the brand is chosen, this research has been conducted, and the spirits and souls of the brand is found, the next step is to establish a direction for the brand to grow. We have already discussed the possible keywords for the brand: Passionate, Rebellious and Restless. Based on these keywords, three key phrases are going to emerge. Then based on these key phrases, we will develop three visual directions for the brand identity. These directions will finally be reduced to one, and that will be advanced and polished into final identity.
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LOGO DEVELOPMENT | Directions and Keywords
PASSIONATE No matter successful or not, up or down, John DeLorean always believed in himself, and was always confident and passionate about what he does, and that is what we’d like to pass on to our new company. Knowing what to do and keep on doing it is the way leads to success.
KEYWORDS
REBELLIOUS The car was designed to fulfill a dream, a dream to break the hold of the three kings in American auto market. John DeLorean didn’t like the way GM does things, so he left it and started DMC. The car was different and the blood of rebellion was deep in its veins. RESTLESS Restless like a warrior, always prepared to fight, fight for what we set out to do. The mission of a rebellious entity is hard, as hard as it is to shake up a stagnating industry. It needs a tremendous amount of energy, and a heart with no wish to stop until the mission’s done.
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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
DIRECTION 1
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LOGO DEVELOPMENT | Passionate—Keen and Sharp
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LOGO DEVELOPMENT | Passionate—Keen and Sharp
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LOGO DEVELOPMENT | Rebellious—Rising from the Ashes
DIRECTION 2
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LOGO DEVELOPMENT | Rebellious—Rising from the Ashes
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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
DIRECTION 3
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LOGO DEVELOPMENT | Restless—Energetic Like a Warrior
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LOGO DEVELOPMENT | Restless—Energetic Like a Warrior
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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
Passionate—Keen and Sharp We need to develop three key phrases based on the chosen three keywords. Since our keywords are Passionate, Rebellious and Restless, we developed three key phrases. Let’s start with the first one: Passionate—Keen and Sharp. The purpose of this direction is to explore the possibility of having some kind of sharp ascending from a base, representing “rising from the ashes”, that is, the legacy and equity of the original brand.
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LOGO DEVELOPMENT | Further Development
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LOGO DEVELOPMENT | Further Development
Rebellious—Rising from the Ashes Our mission is to accelerate progress and to inspire new ways in communications. The spirit of innovation is rebellion. For thousands of years, the mythology around the mysterious animal phoenix stood for a rebirth. Rising from the ashes as they say, is what we need to break the hold of a monopoly in s stagnating industry.
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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
CHOSEN DIRECTION
The final logo is a flying phoenix, struggling to fight out of a circle —representing the rebellious force to break the hold of a stagnating industry. Its head feather is already sticking out of the circle, showing hope in the chaos.
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LOGO DEVELOPMENT | Chosen Direction
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LOGO DEVELOPMENT | Logotype
LOGOTYPE
During the sketching phase, we already explored the possibilities of using a logotype with the symbol. Some of the explorations are shown below, but most of them are abandoned. We want the logotype to be strong, tech looking and with a little character like a rebel.
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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
Final logotype The logotype should be contemporary, clean and grotesque. But since the symbol has so many curvy features, the logotype should in some way echo the design. We made certain parts of some of the letters curvy, to make the full signature more unified and complete.
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LOGO DEVELOPMENT | Final Logo
FINAL LOGO
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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
Phoenix Choice
SIMILAR LOGOS A tattoo design
LOGO WITH PHOENIX
City of Phoenix
Not everyone of them is from a company’s logo, but they all have a phoenix in the design and restrained in a circle with feathery designs.
“Phoenix Corporation”
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Phoenix TV logo
SIMILAR LOGOS
General Electric
LOGO IN A CIRCLE
These logos don’t necessarily have birds in them, but they are all restrained or partly restrained in a circle and have curvy features.
Skoda Motors
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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
Bentley Motors American Eagle outfitters
Hytera
LOGO WITH WINGS
Wingz
Mager Design
Logos with wings and curved features on both sides.
Crimson Circle Angels
McGuire Design
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Rebird
SIMILAR LOGOS
LOGO WITH BIRD
Invectra Design
Logos with any kind of bird in them, in a flying position.
HummingBird
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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
References & Sources
REFERENCES
IMAGE SOURCES
[1] https://www.facebook.com/logorip/
[1] Contents: http://orputcompanies.com/word-
posts/505533722827406 [2] https://www.facebook.com/logorip/ posts/505533722827406
press/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Development-Header-web_mini.jpg [2] P01 (Top to bottom)
[3] http://carnutcase.com/eventsreports/
a. http://dev.fragfist.com/fragfist_pub/personal/
uk/northern-ireland/2015/delorean-belfast-
DMC_001.jpg
reunion-2015 - - -factory-tour-photos-8.aspx [4] ateupwithmotor.com
b. http://st.motortrend.com/uploads/ sites/5/2016/01/delorean-dmc-12-04.jpg [3] P02 (top to bottom) a. http://momentcar.com/images/delorean-10. jpg b. http://wallpaperswide.com/car_designwallpapers.html [4] P04 05 http://carnutcase.com/eventsreports/uk/ northern-ireland/2015/delorean-belfast-reunion2015---factory-tour-photos-8.aspx [5] P07 (Top to bottom) a. http://www.wallpapervortex.com/wallpaper-34015_bentley_bentley_hood_logo.html#. WDGCr6IrKjQ b. https://hqwallbase.site/15333-motorbikelatex-high-heels-transportations-wallpaper/ (6) P08-09 (left to right, top to bottom) a. http://wp-admin.electromusicology.com/ wp-content/uploads/2015/11/dark_wave_by_russellwarner-d5hhsk0.jpg
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References & Sources
b. https://www.sce.com/wps/wcm/ connect/4cbc67a1-1e61-47bc-bc6910537d8e64e1/education_centers_314x149. jpg?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=4cbc67a1-1e6147bc-bc69-10537d8e64e1 c. https://static.pexels.com/photos/29068/ pexels-photo.jpg d. https://userscontent2.emaze.com/images/ a828aa84-417a-4784-afb5-ac66d7c252a5/9f865 353b9a6ca10dae30c39dffef949.jpg (7) P11 http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k7mpHh47bjY/ TuaQHtgxI6I/AAAAAAAAJS0/lKVCVQBJ4LY/ s0/Lamborghini-concept-Sesto-ElementoTeaser-03.jpg (8) P11 http://static.americateve.com/adjuntos/179/imagenes/001/487/0001487086.jpg (9) P12 http://miniwallist.com/wp-content/ uploads/2015/10/parkhouse-lugano-mobilewallpaper-minimalist-2400x3840.jpg (10) P17 http://cybershutterbug.com/wordpress/ wp-content/uploads/Curve.jpg (11) P20 https://wallpaperscraft.com/image/ hands_men_wrestling_biceps_black_and_ white_arm_wrestling_79971_3840x2400.jpg
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As the most beautiful part of the journey begins, our new identity is becoming clearer. DeLorean is off to exciting new adventures and explorations. To make this new adventures safe and successful, we have to set up some standards, which will be introduced soon.
ZHEN (JIMMY) LI GR 604 02: THE NATURE OF IDENTITY FALL 2016