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To create a brand for the Monterey County Family Justice Center, I began by researching competitors' logos and finding images which represented key words mentioned by the speaker, such as hope, safety, inclusivity, and the connection of a bunch of separate parts/services. In addition to this more targeted research, I also collected other images and color palettes which inspired me or which arose from ideas I began considering for my logo.
In designing the logo iconography, I first considered using a flower to represent the idea that the center would help survivors to grow and see more beauty in their lives. So, I researched flowers local to the Monterey area (to connect the logo to the county) and learned of the Monterey Gilia, an endangered flower species protected by the government. I chose to use this flower in the final logo icon because like the survivors this flower was being helped and protected, and its colors matched with the blue and teal schemes used by other family justice centers. Surrounding the flower is a second image, a ring of differently colored people holding hands. To me, the interconnectedness/overlap of the differently colored people shows the idea that the center connects many different services together and at the same time shows that the center is diverse and accepting of everyone: there is a community of support to help to tend to the blossom. Furthermore, because the people are surrounding the flower, it suggests that they are supporting the flower, the survivor, and helping it to grow. The overall circular nature and relative symmetry of form in the logo icon also suggests that the people and many services of the center are forming a solid foundation of continuous support for the growth of every flower/survivor. The lack of hard edges for the logo icon also implies a sense of gentleness and openness, as does the actual open/negative space within the logo. I omitted any kind of justice iconography as the client said this could scare people away, and I wanted to create something more universal, inviting, and relatable.
I settled on the name Blossom Support Center for a few reasons. For one, the word blossom has two meanings which are significant: the first, a verb, is that blossom refers to a flower growing and developing, just like the survivors will by coming to the center. The second meaning, a noun, is that blossom refers to a whole bunch of growing flowers: implying that there are many survivors out there who need support, who need help to grow. In other words, blossom both refers to the people the center will be supporting and describes how those individuals will grow and change for the better. I also decided to use the term "Support Center" as it avoids justice-related terms (which the client said could scare people away) and simplifies the wide variety of helpful services offered by the center into a single term without using a word which sounds too medical (like "Care Center").
The color palette, featuring analogous ranges of magenta-purples (which imply the idea of justice) and teals was inspired both by the Monterey Gilia and the similar color schemes of other family justice centers. In the logo, however, I choose more vibrant, brighter hues as I wanted to make the logo feel hopeful and happy: in other words, I wanted to communicate hope and inviting feelings through the colors. This lighter color scheme also communicates feelings of airiness and openness which further welcome survivors. I also feel the rich magenta-purple tones represent strength and appeal to feminine and male audiences while the range of coastal teal tones provide depth and represent water-like life resources. For the text, I chose the typeface Haboro Serif for its more softly serifed, rounded, and open nature (which resembles the circular logo icon) and because I felt characters like "S" and "C" had some unique charm which reminded me of plants/vines extending their reach to grow. The typeface also has a very friendly feel to it without feeling comical: it is welcoming but professional. The typeface is also very versatile and has a wide range of boldness levels and text densities (from condensed to extended), so there are plenty of font options which the center can choose from for all business uses.
The final logo designs, which I first drafted from sketches, went through many iterations in order to polish the flower shape, properly express the ring of people, and adjust the application of color in the design. Ultimately, I created a few different variants for the logo: the logo icon, a horizontal logo (with a second variant for a specific office/location), and a vertical logo. My intent by including all these variants was to give the center different logo styles/orientations for different layouts and media.
Once the logo was complete, I began work on the business cards: two front and back horizontal cards, and one single side vertical card. To make these cards I used gradients and manipulated the logo icon to create interesting patterns and layouts. For example, on the back side of the first card, the teal shape cutting into the white space creates the edge of the letter "B" for "Blossom" and echoes the logo design on the front of the card. Overall, I feel these cards are aesthetically pleasing while at the same time remaining professional and communicating the brighter feel to the brand, especially through the color palette.
After I had finished the business cards, I began creating sketches for the web page. In my final web page design I worked to demonstrate the versatility of the Haboro Serif typeface and modified common website elements (like social media links, a chat bot, etc) with a rounded, purple and teal theme to match with the logo's colors and the more circular nature of the logo and typeface. I thought including a location selector was also an important feature to add the to web page since the center will have multiple locations. In the web page I also left space between elements and in the margins to the make the site feel open and inviting.
Planning Materials
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Design Work
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I began planning for my typography posters by drawing up a series of sketches where I experimented with different layouts, abbreviations of words, type sizes and styles, distorting type, and combining type into new gestalt forms/playing with negative space. Ultimately, I settled on two of my experimental ideas: one made the word "TYPE" very large and placed title/poster content inside of the letters, and the other repeated and faded out various words to create an interesting movement/drifting effect.
In my first design (the big "Type"), I used the typeface Dunbar. Created in 2015 by CJ Dunn, Dunbar is a geometric, sans serif type inspired by the pioneering sans serif Erbar-Grotesk, featuring varied character styles and x-heights. Included are Low and Tall variants for large display and a Text variant for smaller type, each with Italics and differing weight scopes. Dunbar can convey looks from modern to retro. I chose this typeface as I wanted letters which were very tall and could extend to the edges of the poster, as well as a letter "p" with a circle center (this was especially key to prior iterations where I used this circle as the "o" in "Communication"). The playful nature of the type with its varied x-heights also compliments the playful nature of the poster, such as the rotated "e" and the vibrant color scheme. The lack of serifs also help the form of the word "Type" to be more simplistic and clear to see from a distance.
In iterating on this first design, I began by displaying "TYPE" in all caps but soon began to make my usage of Dunbar more playful and characteristic by incorporating the stylistic lowercase characters in "Type". I also deviated from my original sketch in the layout of elements, as I experimented with using the circle in the letter "p" as a placeholder for the letter "o" (as described above), and put keep both information elements (instead of just one) in the negative space outside of "Type", only leaving the text for the title inside of the big letters. I also put effort into the use of color and gradients in this design, trying multiple differing palettes and punching holes through to text within the "Type" letters to let the color shine through. In my final design, I feel this "punched through" text (in addition to the hierarchy and layout of type) helps to balance the negative and positive space of the design while also meshing the this text with the background and making it stand out. I also feel I didn't make the words inside the "Type" letters too large and overpowering as the form of "Type" can still be clearly made out, especially from a distance (where one's attention may first be grabbed).
In my second design (the repeated "Typography"), I used the typeface Filson Soft. Created in 2016 by French designer Olivier Gourvat, Filson Soft is a rounded sans serif type derivative to the geometric Filson Pro (2014). Included are eight weights from Thin to Heavy with Italic variants. Filson Soft’s rounded nature is welcoming and inviting, with support for over one hundred languages. I chose this typeface as I wanted a modern-feeling typeface without serifs in order to remove serif 'clutter' that would make the 'fading'/'repeating' effect hard to read: the rounded edges of the type further help to make the 'fading' effect feel cleaner and more modern. I also chose this typeface as it has some unique flare and visual interest (such as with the letter "R") which makes it stand out from similar 'modern' and sans serif fonts like Futura.
In iterating on this second design, I worked to balance the 'flashiness' of each word or line of information and ensure that one section of the type did not outshine the others or demand too much attention. This balance was important for both the color and grayscale versions of the designs, though creating the color version had additional concerns such ensuring that there was enough contrast in the background to read certain parts of the poster's type. I also had to ensure there was enough contrast between the 'solid' word versus the 'faded' words as the keep the type readable. Additionally, I had to choose a color palette which was pretty but not too distracting from the type. While I did not deviate much from my original sketch, I did adjust the level of boldness of all type on the poster in order to properly and effectively establish an information hierarchy.
Planning Materials
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Design Work
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I began to plan out each of my business cards by thinking of an idea for a fictional company and translating this company idea and its theme to a fitting graphic style and layout. I came up with three ideas: a bow tie company called "TIE" (based off of a logo idea from a prior assignment), "8 Bit Arcade" (a retro video game arcade), and "Club Karaoke" (a karaoke destination). In all of my sketches I experimented with different layouts and combinations of type with graphics on vertical and horizontal planes.
In my designs, adjusting the tracking and leading of my type was key to increase certain fonts' legibility and make room for other elements or empty space. Adjusting type boldness, color, and size also helped to establish hierarchy and make certain lines or words (like the person's name) stand out from others. I also paid attention to the alignment of my text, lining lines up with each other or other elements to help reinforce the hierarchical structure. Choosing fitting typefaces for my designs (including deciding between serif and sans serif) was also key to their effectiveness and cohesion: for example, my "TIE" design uses a more angular typeface to fit with the angles and straight edges of the triangles used through the whole design.
Besides working with my typography, I also translated the visuals from my sketches, which are simplified in the final designs (especially the design for "TIE"): I did this to keep attention on the card's information and not the detailed aesthetic of the card. In some cases I had to put overlays on the background or increase its transparency in order to take focus away from it. I also used color (and font boldness) carefully to help key elements and focal points to each business card stand out: this further helped to reinforce the hierarchy of the type, as using color to make the person's name stand out, for example, implied its importance over the other information on the card. Ultimately, thanks the information hierarchy and variety of focal points established by boldness, scale, and color on each card, I feel all of these designs are well balanced.
Planning Materials
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Design Work
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I began planning my logos by choosing a specific gestalt concept/technique we had covered in the lecture and thinking of interesting ideas for a fictional company which could incorporate this technique. The result is ten sketches which explore different gestalt methods, some better executed than others.
My first design, Castle Gate Games, largely uses the principles of Closure and Figure/Ground to create many forms which the viewer can alternate between. The negative space creates the form of a large castle gate which is curved at the top. The positive space (representing darkness behind the castle gate's bars) creates a tic-tac-toe board at the top and a small castle at the bottom, creating the form of an open gate: the rounded squares at the top of gate help to further reinforce this image. Each of these forms support the company name, Castle Gate Games, by visually expressing those words.
This design well balances negative space, with the tic tac toe board balancing the small castle door at the bottom. The design is also symmetrical, has equal proximity and spacing between elements, uses repeated elements (squares) to create a sense of unity, and is high contrast.
While I made a few color iterations of this design, I settled on an analogous green palette, as this color implies Video Games and a Medieval/Earthy/Forest theme. Specifically, the lightest color tints highlight the tic tac toe board (the games) and create a kind of 'path' at the bottom of the image which grounds the large gate and the small castle. The darkest color shades help to establish depth, support the figure-ground gestalt, and add contrast.
In regards to this design's typography, I made the words “CASTLE GATE” largest in order to highlight the graphic uniqueness of the brand (there are many other game companies, but "castle gate" is unique) and establish hierarchy. The serif nature of the font adds to the rustic/medieval feel established by the color and forms of the design, and is legible and readable. The text also extends from sides of the gate to suggest the shape of an arch surrounding the gate.
My second design, Trident Otolaryngologists, uses the principle of Continuation to create a trident shape which cuts through the logo (this form is made clearer by the added hilt and the trident head letter "E"). Otolaryngologists are Ear, Nose, and Throat doctors (ENTs), so the letters "ENT" are outlined to emphasize this meaning and create contrast with "TRID".
I made a few key choices to balance this design: one was to stroke the letters "ENT", which not only contrasts them with TRID (instead of being filled in, these letters are outlined), but also emphasizes the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor connection. The way which the trident and arrow tips cut through the design and point to the right also help to establish rhythm in the design and move viewers' eyes through the logo. I also ensured the text had even height and spacing.
In terms of color, I chose an analogous blue and teal palette. The blue is used to highlight the "ENT" letters and the trident shape since blue is a medical, trustworthy color and clearly contrasts these more important elements from the "TRID". Teal, representing the ocean and sea, is used for all other iconography and type in the logo. Having the gem of the trident be teal helps to link the "TRID" to the trident shape and reinforces the gestalt continuation of the trident's hilt in both directions down the trident.
In regards to the typography, I modified the letter E resemble the form of a trident, theming the type to the logo iconography. I made the word "TRIDENT" the boldest and biggest text to establish hierarchy in the logo and to highlight the graphic uniqueness of this otolaryngologist company ("trident" is a unique name). The sans-serif nature of the type gives a modern, clean feel to the logo and is legibile and readable.