Render Final Logo

Overview:

In this project, you will take your pencil sketched logo design from the previous project and render it with Adobe Illustrator. Students that are more proficient with creating vector artwork should assist the less experienced designers. Color choices, line quality and a polished final product is the goal.
This project is worth 50pts

Final Logo Render Project:

• You should work independently on this exercise and ask for help when needed or research your own answers online.
• You should work quietly but are encouraged to ask questions and share information.
• You must render your pencil sketched logos with Adobe Illustrator to create vector artwork as the final result.
• You will create a version in black and white, then color.

Vector Artwork Part 1:

1. Use a flatbed scanner to scan your pencil sketch artwork at a resolution of 300 DPI and save it to your computer in the JPG file format. If no scanner is available, use a high quality (or whatever is available) digital camera to take a picture of the design. Use a steady hand and make sure the camera is facing the artwork straight on. Then copy the photo to your computer.
2. Open a New Document in Adobe Illustrator and set it to Letter size, 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches, set the orientation to match your logo sketch paper, set the color to CMYK.
3. Bring the JPG file of your sketch into Illustrator by going to the File Menu and selecting Place, navigate to your image and click to place.
4. Scale the image if needed to fit within your page boundaries.
5. Save your document into a new project folder and title it " logo_version1.ai".

Vector Artwork Part 2:

1. Open the Layer Palette and set the opacity of the Pencil Sketch Layer to 75% and lock the layer.
2. Create a New Layer by clicking the New Layer button on the Layer Palette, rename it "black and white art".
3. Trace the line art of the pencil sketch with the Pen Tool, make sure all the curves are smooth and all the shapes complete. When complete modify the shape of the line with a custom brush or the Stroke Shape option in the Stroke Palette. Make every line graceful and precise.
4. When the outlines are complete fill in areas with black to create the black and white version.
5. When the B&W version is done, create a copy of that layer and rename it "color art". Edit that layer to become your color version. Use all the colors you want to see in the final version, gradients are allowed, choose your color palette wisely.
6. Pay attention to retaining quality line shape, good use of contrast and bright appropriate color usage.

Student Examples:

Low Performing

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Medium Performing

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High Performing

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Graphic Style Guidelines

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Why Vector Art? Why do we create logo designs with a vector art program? The answer is simple: Vector art is flexible and powerful. It is very easy to create multiple color tests, multiple typeface tests, scale and arrange objects quickly. This is all important when doing work for clients who change their minds on details all the time.

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Pencil To Vector: Executing a pencil sketch into vector art is a multi-step process, just as it is creating the design itself. Scanning your artwork is the first step, next comes tracing the shape with the pen tool, then adding color and text and final touches. Make everything editable and keep your art and layers organized, remember the clients will change everything so make it easy to change.

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Graphic Style: All logo designs have a certain identifyable style and that is usually in line with the nature of the business, brand or service it represents. You need to analyze your design and make sure your style fits! Do you want your style to be bold, fun and cute?

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Graphic Style: Or is your company technical in nature and your style is sleek, technical looking and a bit sedate?

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Final Art - Graphic Style: Maybe your client doesn't take themselves too seriously and wants a cartoony design, paying attention to your line shape really matters here.

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Graphic Style: Maybe your client is high tech and wants a design that appears three dimensional, this can be challenging to render in vector... but gradient shapes help.

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Graphic Style: Their are a wide range of design styles to use. Let your design style fit the concept it represents but still be unique and assertive.

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Line Quality: Line quality refers to the smoothness and preciseness of your shapes and lines in your design. Using the Pen Tool is the only way to acheive this, and while it can be a challenging tool to use all good designers are proficient with it. Master the Pen Tool and you can make a career out of using it. Pay attention to your efforts here, practice drawing a line to get it right. If it doesn't look right than try again. Make it perfect.

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Line Shape: If you are using line drawings in your logo or are creating cartoony artwork you must bay attention to your line shape. The Stroke Palette in Adobe Illustrator lets your change the shape by selecting a shape from a pull down menu, there is also a library of art brushes that can be used for a more organic and artistic line shape.

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Line Shape: Before and after versions of a logo design. Seperate shapes were drawn for color layers, line layers were modified to have tapered line shapes.

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Color Matters: Remember that color matters, research what your competitors use, use colors that are appropriate and are chosen to cause an emotional effect deliberately. Consistent Color choice increases brand recognition by 80%. Proper color choice is a way we add value to our work, rich gradients and color highlights can really make a logo pop.

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Review: Decide on your graphic look based on your design--it should be in harmony. Research your competitors: You can benefit from their work and research as well. Spend time on line quality--if it doesn't look right make it perfect and try again. Pay attention to line shape, graceful tapering curves, rounded ends, different thickness are all ways we add quality to our work.

Group Review of 3 Final Sketches

Group Review: Logo Design Critique Form

Overview:

In this exercise, you will display your 3 logo design final sketches from the previous lesson and you will review each others work in groups

Quick Story from Mr. Wilson:

When I was in a design class in college, I created a logo that used the silhouette of a bird. When I showed it to a classmate, they said, "What is it?" I replied, "It's a bird!" as if that was plain as daylight. The student said that all they saw were 2 crab claws. I was dumbfounded to say the least, but it is a good example of why we share work and ask for criticism, it makes our design work stronger.

Critiquing in the Classroom:

Critiquing sessions in the classroom requires conscious critiquing with guidelines:

• The Platinum rule is: "Try to write what you think that person wants to hear."
• The Golden rule would be nearly as good, "What YOU would like to hear."
• Critiquing is to describe, analyze, and interpret, not to be judgemental or simply say that they do or don't like something.
• Any critiquing should be constructive, not destructive.
• Our work becomes stronger when other people hold our efforts to a higher level of quality and this requires the ability to accept feedback and criticism.

Critique Format:

• Break into groups of 4
• You should each have 3 copies of the artwork critique form.
• Choose one person in the group to be the group leader and make sure that each student gets adequate critque time.
• Review each others artwork, one at a time. At the end of the exercise, each of you should have 3 critique forms that evaluates your logo designs.
• You should review the artwork and analyze the elements that work. Keep the criticism constructive and adhere to the printed form.

Critique Form:

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Rendering Final Sketches of Top 3 Thumbnails

Rendering The Thumbnail: Full Page Sketches

• Produce 3 final sketches.

• Sketch a full page example of your top 3 chosen thumbnail logo designs.
• You may use pencils, pens and colored pencils to create your final renderings.
• You have the entire class period of 50 minutes to complete this assignment.
• When complete, you should read/work quietly until the time limit is up for the final session.

Student Examples:

Low Performing:

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High Performing

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Thumbnail Group Review

Overview:

Break into groups of 4 by your row of seats and review each others thumbnail design work. You will define your 3 strongest thumbnail designs for further development. You will create full page sketches of your strongest examples for critique in the next lesson.

Group Work: Getting Feedback

• Break into groups (4 students per group) and arrange chairs in a circle or around a desk.
• Choose onne person in your group to be the group leader
• Taking turns, each student will show their thumbnail sketches to the other group members and explain the concept of the design and what kind of business or brand it is for.
• Each student must review their designs and choose their 3 favorites.
• When the group reaches a consensus on the strongest designs, they move on to the next student until everyone has had a chance for review.

At the end of the group exercise, review the chosen designs with your instructor.

Rapid Concept Development: Sketching Thumbnails

Overview:

Thumbnail sketching is for rapid concept development, basic composition or layout, client communication and approval, visual exploration and refining visual solutions. In this exercise, you will challenge and develop your design skills by creating 20 thumbnail sketches of potential logo designs for the brand/company of your choice. You can use this assignment and the following project as an opportunity to design a logo for your own self promotion, or to design a logo for a family members independent business. You are encouraged to find real world applications for your efforts in this project. It looks great in a portfolio and resume.

Materials:

Thumbnail grid with 20 small boxes for quick sketching. This helps you keep your designs small and quick. If you have their own sketchbook, that is fine to use, but the idea is to draw small.

20 Thumbnail Sketches Assignment Details:

• Time limit of 45 minutes
• You must choose a single subject for a logo design and draw 20 thumbnail sketches
• You must use pencils only-- no pens or colored pencils
• You will use one of the final designs for refinement in the next project
• You are encouraged to research the concepts, ideas and competing logo designs for their particular subject
• When you finish, you should review your designs quietly and continue working until the time is up

Examples:

Low Performing

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High Performing

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Design Exercise: 15 logo design study in 5 styles

Overview:

In this hands on design exploration exercise, you will use Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator to design 15 different logos in 5 different styles. This project will allow you to develop a serious understanding of logo design and design strategies. You should be proficient in using graphic creation programs.

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15 Logo Design Study Project:

You will create a series of logo designs to explore different logo creation styles. You will create 3 designs for each of the 5 styles discussed in the lecture, for a total of 15.

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Logo Design Assignment Details:

• There are 5 logo examples below. You will create your own logo designs: 3 for each of the 5 styles for 15 designs.
• Create an imaginary company, organization or think of what you would like to do if you began your own business. What would your business be called?
• You can make all the designs for a single company/brand, or you can make designs for different brands.
• Consider color choices... avoid colors that don't read well or clash together.
• When complete, combine your designs and group them by style. Make it look good!
• Post completed assignment to blog.

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Create 3 versions of each of the logo style examples below:

1. Typeface only: Create 3 logos using a different font for each one. Pay attention to spacing between your letters. Think of clever ways you can make a simple font-only logo have impact. Use color, proximity, contrast to your advantage.
2. Typeface's combined: Create 3 logos that use 2 different fonts, make your font choice strategic to add emphasis and draw attention. Avoid using 2 fonts or typefaces that are too similar.
3. Typeface plus an art element: Create 3 examples of an arranged logo that uses a typeface plus some simple elements, rectangles, lines or dots. Sketch on paper to aid your creativity if needed. Keep any graphic elements abstract.
4. Typeface plus a shape or symbol: Create 3 examples of a logo that uses a typeface in addition to an image or symbol that is relevant to your logo's subject matter. Sketch on paper to aid your creativity if needed. Make the image or graphic very simple
5. Shape or Symbol logo plus a typeface: Create 3 examples of a logo that makes the symbol or shape dominant and the typeface subordinate. Sketch on paper to aid your creativity if needed. Include a written explanation and description of your symbol or imagery. Spend the most time pre-designing this set of designs with pencil sketches and thumbnail sketches. Make the designs simple and bold.

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Student Samples:

Low Performance

Medium Performance

High Performance

Logo Design Styles Writing Assignment

Overview:

This is a short writing assignment where you will research the logo history of a brand or company of your choice. Use the Internet to research the design, show different versions, and discuss the language behind the design. You are to work individually.

Research Assignment:

• Use the Internet to research the history of a logo of your choice. Choose a brand/company/organization that has been around a while for the best results.
• Read about the history of the logo design and the symbolism or meaning of the logo. Use search terms such as "history of the "brand X" logo" or "symbolism of "brand X" logo". Try different search terms and read everything you can find.
• Does your brand have different versions of the logo design? Download 3 examples. They could be older versions, newer versions or versions that were used in other countries.
• Seek to answer these questions: When was the logo originally created? How does the original logo design differ from the current logo design and why? Does the current logo design retain any elements from the original logo design? What is the meaning of the logo design? What does it symbolize?
• Save bookmarks or download any information you find. Take notes to use in your writing assignment.

Writing Task:

Write a 1-2 paragraph summary (14pt text, 150 words minimum) of what you have learned about the logo you chose to research.

Answer these questions in your paper:

• When was the logo originally created?
• How does the original logo design differ from the current logo design and why?
• Does the current logo design retain any elements from the original logo?
• What elements define this logo's "DNA"?
• Does this logo fit into one of the 5 catagories discussed in the lecture?

Paper should be typed in Microsoft Word, Pages or Google Docs, printed and turned in to the class inbox for grading.

Student Example:

Logo Design Styles Lecture

This lecture is a presentation in logo design guidelines and a breakdown of 5 different styles and the components that they are created from.

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General rules for logo design:

In order for a logo to be effective and practical, it must meet certain specifications. A good logo design should be describable: can you describe what it is to someone else? A good logo should also be memorable, otherwise how will people recognize it? A good logo should also be effective with and without color--a good logo should be identifiable by it's silhouette alone. A good logo design must also be scaleable, so that it will look good at 12 feet tall or 1 inch small.

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Logo Design Style 1:

A very popular design style relies on a single typeface or letterform. You may know this as a "font", to create the design. The creativity of the designer is seen in the proximity, arrangement, color choices, contrast and style of the letterform.

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Logo Design Style 2:

This less popular style utilizes 2 typefaces to create a balanced logo design. This isn't an easy technique as the 2 letterforms that are used must work together, yet not be too similiar. Harmony can be difficult to acheive but it is possible.

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Logo Design Style 3:

This design style begins to adapt simple graphic elements to balance the logo design. Shapes should be simple, even abstract, yet should communicate or support some message in the design. A simple dividing line is sometimes what a design needs to create balance.

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Logo Design Style 4:

In this style we see recognizable shapes, symbols and imagery emerge. A balance is maintained between the graphics and the typography, neither elements being completely dominant. Remember the rules of logo design to ensure this style works at all sizes and with/without color.

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Logo Design Style 5:

In this final and popular style we are focused on the graphic elements. The graphics or symbols are the dominant element and the typography plays a lesser supporting role. Sometimes the graphic symbol or image can be used with no typography at all because it is so recognizable. Some examples are the apple logo or Nike "swoosh."

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Color Matters:

The color you choose for your design matters. Color increases brand recognition. Color can stimulate the appetite and even change the way your brain functions. Check out this color chart. What color does your favorite brand of soda use? It's important to use color wisely when it comes to design.

Logo Re-Design

Overview:

In this exercise you will find and choose a logo to rebrand and redesign and create a page full of thumbnail sketches. This just an exercise to get you used to the idea of rapid concept development

Choosing the logo:

• Find a logo to re-design or re-brand (Due Class Start Friday Nov 8, 2013)
• Research local newspapers, look in phone books or use the internet to find a logo to re-design
• The final design must be an improvement over the original
• Avoid choosing logo's from national brands such as pepsi or IBM, etc. Choose logo's from smaller businesses or local businesses

Sketching Thumbnails (In Class Friday Nov 8, 2013):

• 30 minutes to produce sketches, working quickly and don't over think your designs. This is rapid concept development.
• Fill up your page with at least 8 or more different logo sketches by the end of the 30 minutes

•Keep in mind what you need to communicate in your logo, how will someone understand what kind of service or company the logo represents just by looking at it? Does your re- design retain part of the original logo style or "DNA"? Are the new designs an evolution or a transformation?

•When complete turn in your sketches along with the self-evaluation grading rubric

Thumbnail Examples:

Video Case Study: Logo Evolution, Apple and RMI

In Class Exercise:

• Watch the logo evolution videos in class for Apple and RMI

• Write a short response essay, 150 words, 14 point text, Times New Roman, include name and title of essay at top of page

Address these questions in your essays:

1.Why do logos evolve or change over time?
2.Does the evolution or modernization result in a more effective logo design?
3.Can you cite an example of a logo that you remember changing?
4.Research and cite an example where a logo re-design was not successful.
5.Add name and title of the paper at the top and print to turn in

Assignment Date: Nov 7, 2013
Due Date: Nov 7, 2013

Writing a Good Great List of References

Students,

It is incredibly important to develop a great list of references. These references will help you obtain jobs, college admissions or acceptance into special programs.

Who makes a good reference?

• Teacher
• Coach
• Counseler
• Present or past employer
• Family friend
• Anyone that can speak highly of your abilities, skills and worth

References to avoid:

• Anyone under 18
• Personal friends
• family members
• Anyone who cannot speak highly of your abilities or skills

Important Tips:

The format of your references should match your resume exactly, same header, same fonts.

Do not include references on your resume

Include at least three references

All references should be responsible adults who know you well and can speak to your character and skills

Always ask whether or not someone is willing to be a reference before including them in your list

Verify the contact information before handing over to an employer

Format:

Use the following format for your references

Persons Name:   Bob Smith

Address:            123 Fake Street

                          Santa Cruz Ca, 95060

Phone #:             (831) 555-4321

Title and              Business Owner

work place:         Moland Spring Bottled Water

Grading:

Your resume's and reference lists are graded assignments. For a total of 10 points, grading is as follows:

2Pts - Resume and List of References is complete per Handbook Guidelines

2Pts - Resume and List of References is well formatted and easy to read

2Pts - Resume and List of References contains no typos or errors

2Pts - Resume and List of References are two separate documents with consistent style, font and header

2Pts - Resume and List of References are emailed to me as PDF files with descriptive file names (don't send a file called "untitled.pdf")

Follow Up Lesson: CareerLocker

Students, you can use Career Locker to develop a resume, research careers and salaries and complete assessments. Your follow up assignment to your resume and list of references is to complete the personal globe inventory on careerlocker.com and research details for 3 different jobs using the occupations section on careerlocker.

• Go to http://www.careerlocker.com
• Enter Registration Code scc-c846
• Enter your personal information
• Enter your Grade and Gender. For Group, select Wilson and any other ROP instructors you have
• Agree to terms
• Select "Assessments"
• Select "Personal Globe Inventory"
• Answer all the questions in the assessment
• Analyze the results...

Job Research:

Click on the "Occupations" tab and click on "Browse Occupations"

Search for a job title, something your would be interested in. Research 3 jobs and write a few paragraphs about why you would be interested in those jobs. Tell me information about the job such as:

1. Job Title
2. Job Description
3. Job Activities
4. Education Needed
5. Career Pathway
6. Salary Range

You can write up your research and post it on your blog. When your research is complete, work through these other assessments:

• Work Skills
• Work Styles
• Learning Styles

- Mr. W