Few interested in designing
Then an invitation “GANG of designers who will either design together or in subgroups or even individually but would meet regularly to discuss, question each other, give ideas, read design books, see videos and so on. We would get designers of different kinds to do guest sessions or workshops or just to mentor us.
And then a proposal to design in real life “I am setting up a natural farm in my native place Palani with my family. I need help with logo designing for the farm. Could you please connect us with any of Aarohi students who will be interested in designing logo? If interested we can discuss further on ideation and cost with them”
And we replied “Yes, we can design you a logo.. Our team will make you the best logo ever. To make your logo please share details about your farm or also what you want to see in your logo. What elements should be there and what color do you want it to be”?
And then some EXCITEMENT
About Open designers of aarohi (ODA) : we are a team of 5 young people ( from 12yrs to 35 yrs ) who are passionate about designing. We do take projects,co-learn, discuss, give feedback and support each other by meeting daily at 8:30 pm.
And then some RESEARCH
I like the simplicity of this article which points out things we need to keep in mind/consider/understand while designing a logo… Do give it a read and maybe we can brainstorm on what do we want to ask the client when we interact with them. https://designpowers.com/blog/why-a-good-logo-is-important-for-your-small-business
Properties of Color 1. Hue: Hue is the name of pure color, such as red, blue, or yellow. 2. Value: Value is the lightness or darkness of a hue (color). The value of a hue can be changed by adding black or white. Light values of colors are called tints. Darker values of colors are called shades. 3. Intensity: Intensity is the brightness or dullness of a hue (color). Pure hues are high-intensity colors. Dull hues are low-intensity colors. The intensity of the color is changed by adding varying amounts of its complementary color. For example, to make a bright green duller a little bit of red could be added to it. I had always used words hues & intensity, never used value in relation to color. But I wasn’t too aware of its meaning. Now I am trying to see how these properties might impact the user experience of the product..
And some DISCOVERIES
Info I collected in today’s research: Types of logos – Logotype: word imprints, example-coca cola Ideograms: symbols, no words, sometimes abstract, the example-red cross means no Pictograph: pictorial representation, example what’s app logo Logo lockup: a combo of the above as one element Why did a logo emerge? Maybe because there was a need for business and other companies to set about them in the minds of customers and doing it by a visual representation is very effective. It makes a mark in people’s minds. Difference between logo & symbol? A logo is of pictures, words but a symbol is especially pictured Other places except for the companies where I saw logos are in the Mahabharata serial where the character or skill of each person is represented in their bindi. Example: Arjun had a bindi of bow and arrow.
for me logo is something that conveys a message without you going about and telling things thousand times …even not only business there is even logo for emotion, thoughts, etc..and logos the main thing is as Sumedh said..the title..because that summarises the whole thing
We went to the hill to collect leaves for tomorrow’s pooja. I observed different leaves. I found different shapes that I never saw before around me. I found these leaves which were similar but one made up with many leaves and another is one leaf. I found that a shape doesn’t just have to be a single thing but a collection of things.
I observed the shapes of leaves today some of them are symmetrically asymmetric, few of them are in perfectly symmetrical. The lines which make those shapes. These shapes have at least one pointed side (or what it is called as). They looked a bit similar but at the same time, they also looked different. This is what I made out of these leaves I collected.
And some ACTION
We discussed and made a list of things(a few) that we need to do and know before presenting the logos to sajita. The list as follows, Gathering information Typography Ideas Sketch Colours Drafts Observing existing logos Create our own pics instead of searching in google
And some SHARING
Here is a simplified article about elements of Design. I loved the various perspectives covered with respect to each element. https://www.invisionapp.com/design-defined/elements-of-design/ @sriya few questions you were wondering about covered here- Types of shapes- Geometric and Organic… Happy Reading!
And then DESIGNING some CHALLENGES
Let’s celebrate this week as OBSERVATION on one TRACK week What does that mean? Well choose any one element of design and look for that element in anything and everything you encounter in your whole day. Note all observations down and submit your report. Next day of the week – choose a different element. Elements can be anything – I am not giving examples – you create your own mind map of all the elements you can think of.
today I observed on a STRUCTURAL design I was just seeing a video on the English castles in the UK and seeing their structural designs And I got to thinking– Does all Turrets need to be a conical shape Is there a system for building turrets themselves What uses they have Why are their windows on one side and not on the other Hoe can turrets in castle be used for war What materials they have used What Techniques they have used to build What would their blueprints look Like The tools used to make
All of these questions were answered by seeing this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu3O70GeQFY
I observed clouds today. I was looking for shapes but all I could see and imagine were figures and then I had to intentionally break down those into shapes. That got me a few wanderings. Do shapes mean only which have lines? No, they can be of curves too. When I see something my mind directly goes into figures(sometimes complicated too) and not shapes but when I see shapes I just go with simple ones. Are there any complex shapes? If figures are complex can’t they be called shapes? May I go back to the basics of what shapes are? Also got another idea that I will be looking for different shapes this week so why not include them in designing costumes. So whatever shapes I observe around me I will try to design a costume using them. Also thought to look for another shape other than the basic ones (square, triangle, circle etc etc) This was the cloud I observed today
I observed few government logos and some corporate logos and few things that made them(government logos) more formal are the colors like blue, green, brown, and especially which is in a circle and they also have many elements in them. For corporate logos, the typography plays a main role and the simplicity, mostly they are a break down of an animal or tree into something simple shapes. That simplicity gives elegance to the logos.
Lines as a design element. Have been observing how I perceive lines in designs of objects around me.. Lines on walls and furniture around me convey breaks/intervals, continuity. Lines make up shape and forms (which are other elements of design) Lines guide my eyes to follow a direction in space e.g. on various signages. Different types of lines invoke diff emotions/thoughts like bold lines tell me it’s important to convey stress at times, confidence at times, curvy lines look more organic and give a natural feel to design, reminds me of snakes and creepers, dotted lines makes me think of porosity, 2way movement, small intervals. Crisscross lines talk to me of interconnectedness, at times of confusion, tangles, expansion, and extensions. And I am still collecting.
I observed the logos of the forest departments of a few states and India. I observed the simplicity of these logos. The way they give a formal feel is interesting yet I didn’t actually get what elements in those logos give that feel. The logo of the Odisha forest department was a bit of confusion as I saw different images there (horse and a person, elephant) that reminds me of few pics of whats app forward images my mom showed which had different images that can be seen from a different perspective and different angles.
Observation: REFLECTION I was trying to draw a reflection of light on an object and I had a hard time doing it. I just gave up on the idea when last night I saw a plant which water droplets in its leaves and I saw observed how it reacted with the street light and I was really intrigued by that so when I came home I searched some photos and reflection and how to draw it on digital format.. Then i finally drew the reflection element in my animation.
Some WONDERING
What is the purpose of those little bumps on that fruit fork? Why can’t a fork or spoon be in a curved shape? What if we attach a spoon or fork to the bowl in a way it works as see-saw works in the parks? Does using silver cutlery have any nutritional or health benefits apart from looks (as I remember my grandma telling me that there are some benefits by using a silver bowl that’s why they kept my first meal in the silver bowl) What if we combine knife and spoon in a way that’s not harmful to use. Why don’t we have any spoons in the shape of a palm? Maybe we can make something like a robot hand that can pick food and keeps it in our mouth just how our hands do. Ahh.. What about electric forks and spoons?
Yesterday Suhrud unpacked a new steel fork and he told me I love it is a mix of spoon and fork and it’s easy to eat soupy noodles with this. (Second from left) That got my attention to the forks’ designs I have in the kitchen. from LHS- First is the commonly found one. (2) mix of spoon and fork, (3)a plastic fruit fork (looks so sleek and creative), (4)a plastic fruit fork in animal theme, and (5)a steel one but had comparatively blunt points and grip on hands (marketed as safe cutlery for infants and toddlers)
After my last observations on the evolution of the Visa logo. I have been reading about what’s behind designing fonts itself. One simple, yet interesting article I came across was this on font psychology, just like we were looking at color psychology the other day. https://fabrikbrands.com/font-psychology-and-typography-inspiration-in-logo-design/ What I am loving is the way my vocabulary w.r.t design is expanding. Would be the first time I am giving attention to these aspects. Also, makes me think about emotions, purpose/meaning I want to communicate through my product and my designs. What would be the pointers which help me make it a unified whole experience? My mind has also now wandered into ways of designing my own fonts to communicate what I want to w.r.t designs I make.
Today while visiting Visa.Inc office, I was observing its logo and then did a bit of reading on its evolution. It’s an interesting aspect to look at. Am sure all Logos would have a story of their own. . Also, looking at these aspects might help us build a logo for our client (when she shared the softer aspects esp.). Example for Visa logo. Sharp Serif on the V of Visa only on the left side was to evoke a sense of movement and passion., then changes to make it look more sleek and exquisite… A quick read to get us wondering about more.
And some REFLECTION
While and after doing this presentation I got few thoughts like I need to be more specific on my targets and deadlines, should also know the technical terms in order to convey properly to others. And also that I need to keep all these records and processes in one place in order to get them whenever I want to. (As I had to search for a few this in the house as I just did a few things on a random paper and in an allotted book). Enjoyed doing this and also felt like a corporate, fancy meeting.
I completely agree with the point of commitment that Ratnesh brought in today (am sure we all do) . And I hold myself guilty for not completing the presentation I started on the weekend just because other things popped up.. ‘ Chalta hai’ attitude shouldn’t stay put when I have myself signed up for it.
She presented her methods and process for her Logo design for her local handloom shop – She told about her client requirements and details – She also saw videos on the STEPS of LOGO designing and ELEMENTS OF LOGOS which helped her understand how to design better logos – She collected words from her mind about the shop which helped her to understand how and what to design for the shop owners – She searched Photos as an example from google of handlooms and handloom logos so she could get some example to start drafting it – She made her first drafts (like 20-30) and explained that to us – Now she has to complete more steps and she also has plans to go deep into logo design until she reaches her finished product
While exploring fonts/typefaces, I have started exploring how to create/ design a typeface on my own. I enjoyed reading the terminology they use and also, this visual infographic gave a different perspective on Anatomy itself
OBSERVATIONS: FOLDS Yesterday I came across an instant feed of one contemporary artist (who works a lot with diff types of cardboards), about the usage of corrugated fiberboard to bring in folds in her sculptures. I went collecting about ‘Folds’. * Folds with respect to cloth- I have always paid a lot of attention (and spend energy) to get folds without wrinkles for laundry. I have always been fascinated by the folds of saree draping. Folds of curtains and how different folds change the look of its flow. Pleats on dresses- Ruffling look it gives, the way color shine changes with folds. * Folds of paper- Kirigami and Origami and I could think of all the explorations of @Jayashree. Folds on second-hand book pages (I kind of despise the dog-eared look of the pages). * Making folds in cement planters (where they throw on a cloth and then pour cement and let it dry to get the fold look)- It’s on my ‘to-do list’ *Folds on Sculptures: clay idols of Gods/goddesses- Esp- I love to see the folds on dhoti of Ganapati. Sculptures I saw across Europe * Folds in paintings- vivid memories of paintings by Michelangelo on ceilings of Sistine chapel at the Vatican. And the folds on drapes on women in Raja Ravi Verma’s paintings that I had seen in the museum as a kid. * Folds in space-saving furniture Something new that I read about: * Folds in Journalism: ‘Above-the-fold’ term meaning the content which is seen above the fold of newspaper/ tabloid (while it displayed on news-stands) * Folds in webpage design- Fold in the area at bottom of the page where the user will have to scroll down to see the content below. * Folds in architecture (esp. wooden one) I could gather this for now, and my mind still wanders to find more. Keep adding in if you wish to
And some FEEDBACK
While I respect the desire to create designs for the Logo what is missing is 1) Daily observations from everybody – observe any and many designs in your surrounding – this is your daily diet – without this nutrition how are we going to develop our design capabilities. (This is not directly related to the logo project) 2) Daily Collections related to the logo project. If you are wondering what can you COLLECT – then start with keywords that Sajitha aunty shared, also collect what and why famous logos were created and read about the importance and purpose of logos and so on.
There is much to dig before you find the gold
3) Also if you are into creating – then just keep creating more and more. Preferably do this as rough sketches using the good old pencil on paper – that is where the focus will be on the idea (and not on looks which is what tools like canvas focus on). We do not need to get into finished designs, we need to rather push our brains to think of as many ideas. These are my strong recommendations – if you need clarity – we can discuss more in today’s meeting.