'Brash' Manifesto

Consider the...

• Synonyms 
• Antonyms
• Definitions 
• Interpretations
• Connotations 

Leading onto...

• Uses
• Purpose
• Differentiation

Atlas - corporate typeface for Munich Re.

Austin - created for British style magazine Harper's and Queen.

First manifesto
A shy and timid typeface than will look narrow and reserved. The sans serif will look coy due to its basic lettering shape. This typeface will look its best used in bodies of text as it will be easy to read on a smaller scale and with its slim lettering.

My manifesto:
A bold and loud sans serif typefaces is guaranteed to make a statement. It is unique due to its modern style to an old, outdated word. It's quirky and fun personality could be seen on various different posters and albums to make them stand out. 

Typeface Design

Mueller Brockmann's classic and lead typeface consists of: Garamond, Caslon, Baskerville, Bodoni, Clarendon, Berthold, Times, Helvetica and Univers.

The task is to repurpose individual shapes (letterforms) to work together. 

I was given the word 'brash' therefore I have to make my type look bold as the meaning is assertive in a rude, noisy or overbearing way.

Synonyms

Bold, cheeky, cocky, imperious, reckless, rude, brassy, shameless, forward, disrespectful, brazen, assuming, imprudent, nervy, insolent, defiant.

Antonyms

Cautious, shy, timid, afraid, careful, discreet, fearful, reserved. 

When thinking of the word 'brash' I would associate the type being in movie posters and CD covers. Therefore, I have researched into metal and rock genre for music; film noir and thriller for movie posters. The typography in each image is what I would think brash typography would look like and where it would be in its element. Although the typography is different on each image, they all have this bold and harsh type in which I would have to make mine look similar but with a serif font.

I have chose Clarendon and Caslon as my two first instinctual typefaces because I think they both look bold and harsh. I have chosen serif typefaces because I think the extra details from the strokes makes it look that more assertive than a sans serif font. I think Clarendon may be better than Caslon because it looks thicker and stands out more.

Colour Relativity

Subjective colour

Dimensions of colour

- Contrast of extension 

- Contrast of temperature 

- Complementary contrast 

- Simultaneous contrast 

Consider monochromatic the when discussing the contrast of tone. 

Contrast of hue:

Formed by the juxtaposition of different hues. The greater the distance between hues on a colour wheel, the greater the contrast.

Saturation:

Formed by the juxtaposition of light and dark values and their relative saturation.

Extension/proportion:

Formed by assigning proportional field sizes in relation to the visual weight of a colour. Also known as the contrast of proportion.

Temperature:

Formed by juxtaposing hues that can be considered 'warm' or 'cool'. Also known as the contrast of warm cool.

Complementary contrast:

Formed by juxtaposing complementary colours from a colour wheel or perceptual opposites.

Simultaneous contrast:

Formed when boundaries between colours perceptually vibrate and relax.

A problem with purple 

There are blue-purple, purple, red-purple.

Purple is a rare colour. The expense creating the colour has given purple a supernatural aura for centuries.

Purple is a powerful colour and has a powerful history. Symbolism of purple are more significant and interesting than those of any other colour.

Study task:

I picked brown as my least favourite colour. The brown colour I chose from the Pantone colour chart was DE 69-5. I chose this brown because it looked murky and unappealing.  

Black is a standard colour and compliments all colours therefore I chose a solid black which is    DE 325-1. I chose a solid black shade so the colour would stand out from the dirty brown.

When looking at complimentary colours for the brown, it suggested a light pink so I chose           DE 153-7. I like the shade of this pink because it looks appealing and bright therefore will make the brown look more lighter and cheerful.

This is all the three colours that I have chosen. The two end colours compliment the brown and would possibly make it less displeasing.

In the lecture, the tutor showed us how different colours (complementary contrast) clashed such as red and green, blue and orange. It was difficult to see as my eyes couldn't adjust the the variations and vibrancy of the colours as they did not work well together. I have found to use Adobe Colour CC to help me chose complimentary shades for each colour which I did and will find useful.

Designing the detective

Since it's Agatha Christie's 125th birthday, The Guardian newspaper has celebrated it so that people to submit their own artwork of their favourite novels, written by Christie. I was given the book 'Death on the Nile'.

Summary:
1Death on the Nile is a Hercule Poirot mystery novel by the best-selling author Agatha Christie. The story follows the main character, Hercule Poirot, where he embarks on a vacation in Egypt, but finds himself solving two murder cases. Hercule Poirot is a French private investigator that is famous for solving some of the world's most perplexing mysteries. While he is on vacation and sailing on a river boat up the Nile, he finds himself in the middle of not one, but actually two murder mysteries.

It all starts when Linnet Ridgeway, one of the richest young ladies in London, steals the fiancé of her best friend, Jacqueline de Bellefort. Linnet Ridgeway not only steals Simon Doyle away from her friend Jackie, but she marries Simon and they head off on their honeymoon to Egypt. In revenge for stealing her man, Jackie starts showing up at all the locations where the newlyweds are present and harasses them. Coincidentally, Hercule Poirot is vacationing in Egypt and boards the same ship to sail up the Nile that the Doyles and Jackie de Bellefort take.

While on board, Jackie shoots Simon Doyle in the leg one night in the saloon. On the same night, Linnet Doyle is shot in the head while she's sleeping. Hrecule Poirot takes on the case with his friend and fellow investigator who has come aboard the ship, Colonel Race. During the investigation, two more people are shot and killed, including Linnet's maid and one of the other passengers, Mrs. Otterbourne. Just in the nick of time, Hercule Poirot finds the murderers as the ship returns to port and justice triumphs.

Research on exiting book covers:

Since the book is about Egypt, there are cultural aspects in the books such as palm trees, pyramids, camels, statues. Iconic items from the book is also included such as guns and also an image of a couple or just the woman to represent the romantic aspect of the novel.

Design ideas:

• River Nile
• Egyptian lettering
• Cruise ship
• Pearl necklace
• Palm trees
• Nail polish ('Cardinal' - deep, dark red and 'Rose' - pale pink)
• Gun

This is the novel cover I created. I wanted it to be simplistic and also iconic to the plot therefore I chose to use the River Nile on the cover as well as Egyptian pyramids to represent Egypt. The background does have a sandy/grainy effect to it so it represents the desert. I made the type very simple an because I thought it would go well with the simplicity of the background. The River Nile also represent leading lines so it leads the reader throughout the entirety of the book cover. I have submitted my work onto The Guardian's website shown below.

1 BOOKRAGS. Death on the Nile Summary & Study Guide. [Online] Available on: http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-death-on-the-nile/#gsc.tab=0

Logotype - Claire's Crit Feedback

Why I chose to rebrand Claire's:
I felt like the logo looked boring and plain. I didn't think it represented the store well and it doesn't give any idea about the target audience as it is purely just a name made with basic type. I wanted to rebrand the logo so it could give an idea of the target audience and possibly what the store would supply. I wanted it to represent the store for what it is.

Logotype crit:

I produced 5 set of questions and the responses for each questions were:

1.     Do you think that the overall final design is suitable for my target audience (handwritten type/colour and features?

·      I think the type works well and so does the colour, however I think if this logo was put on tags and smaller things it may look quite squashed.

·      Yes, handwriting gives a very feminine look. Looks like teenagers writing.

·      Feminine handwritten type = perfect for target audience.

·      Hand rendered outcome targets the young audience that visit store, works well. Doesn’t look as effective small scale.

·      Good for target audience as girly, pretty and fun. The heart works really well at making it unique.

·      I think your typeface definitely fits the target audience, due to your use of colour and the handwritten style.

2.     Do you think I should’ve renamed ‘Claire’s’? If so, why?

·      Claire’s is a well established brand and think the name is still ok.

·      No, because someone named Claire obviously wanted to be associated with the company.

·      I feel its too much of an established brand to completely change its identity (name).

·      Quite a childish name, but that is the target audience, if you wanted to widen the target audience, a name change would have been suitable.

·      No, Claire’s is well known, it could make the brand unrecognisable if you changed it.

3.     Do you think the logo is effective? Does it stand out? Why?

·      Yes, I like the gradient colour.

·      Yes, as the typeface is very bold – may struggle to read accessories on a smaller scale.

·      I think the kerning could be more spaced out as on the shop front image it looks quite squashed.

·      I don’t think the hand rendered text goes well with the other font.

·      Stand out well due to unique handwritten type – also shadow of the type adds to

-       would suggest a different colour for the shadowing – might help it stand out further

-       also could have made shadowing more equal and edited more evenly – although I understand it’s suppose to look hand rendered

4.     Do you think the colour and gradient effect is successful? Why?

·      I think the logo is effective and does stand out.

·      I prefer the drop shadow, as it makes it stand out more – especially with the gradient.

·      Final one displayed.

·      Colour gradient makes the writing stand out more.

·      I think the flat design is more effective than your final design because its easier to read, its not over complicated and would be much more transferable.

5.     Which design do you think is the most appropriate and why?

·      I think the most effective logo is the one without the bold outline.

·      I like the logo without the shadow.

·      Maybe have more experiments with sans serif fonts and have a more modern outcome.

Other feedback:

·      I really like your final idea, the colour and typeface makes it friendly. I like the heart shape.

·      Hi! I really like your rebranding – the gradient is pretty – it’s the best rebranding of Claire’s I’ve seen. However, test it at different scales. I think it would work though.

·      I prefer it without the drop shadow.

Feedback summary:

From reading my feedback of my rebranding of Claire's, I got all positive feedback and advice for my design. Everyone that left feedback though the hand rendered type was suitable for the younger target audience and that it looked girly and feminine and they liked the gradient effect as it made the logo stand out to the audience. Everyone agreed that the 'Claire's' name should be kept the same as it is a well-known established name already and may confuse others if I were to change it. 

However, some were worried about how the logo would look when it is made at a smaller scale, such as on labels/tags as they think that the 'Claire's' lettering will look too close together, making it difficult to read. They also thought that the 'accessories' may be too small to read also. Most people preferred the logo without the drop shadow as they thought it looked more complicated that the logo without the shadow because it was too much.

Most people would've preferred this one as my final design instead.

Logotype - Claire's Accessories

I had decided to rebrand 'Claire's Accessories' because I think the logo looks too simple and outdated. I want it to look more childlike and sweet so that it attracts their target market which is children aged 3-18 years. I want it represented so that people know exactly what type of shop it is and what they sell just by looking at the logo (which it doesn't currently do). When I think about Claire's, I immediately think about the 'trendy' things they stock that I would've loved as a younger girl. I think that the shop is aimed at working class people as the items they stock are affordable and they have a wide selection of products for young children.

I have researched into the company and have found out that Claire's Accessories is a retail store that was founded in the 1960s in Chicago, U.S. They currently have their headquarters based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, U.S. They are made up of 2 merged fashion accessory retailers (merged with Fashion Tress Industries in 1973). They have a high reputation of being the worlds number 1 ear piercer and currently has over 3,000 stores worldwide, located in 46 different countries. They want to inspire women around the world to express their own unique styles so in that, they have both an online and in-store shop that stock cosmetics, hair products, jewellery and provides an ear piercing service. Claire's target customers are aimed at girls aged 3-18 years and use 'role model' celebrities such as Katy Perry to promote and endorse their products to attract girls further. They want to be seen as 'a girls best friend'. They use most social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram to attract a wider audience and interact with their consumers. I struggled to find where the name 'Claire' came from; I found a source somewhere that suggests it was a popular baby-boomer name in the 1960s but I cannot find any evidence that confirms it.

The only competitor that I have found to be of a similar business to Claire's is Accessorize, which also sell jewellery, cosmetics and hair products. However, I don't think Accessorize are suitable for children under 8.

The rebrand of the logo will appear on their packaging such as their tags, receipts, social media websites and online store website.

After a discussion with people on my course, I have decided to keep to the name 'Claire's'. I initially felt like the name was archaic because I would now associate the name Claire with an older middle aged person, the name doesn't seem adolescent. Having said that, if I were to change the name to another name, in a couple of years time the chances that the current new name I picked may become outdated like 'Claire's' and so then they would have to keep changing names to current and youthful names which is hugely inconvenient for a business. The reason why I want it to be a name and not a word is because I want to keep in mind that Claire's wants to be 'a girls best friend' in which it makes sense to have an actual first name for the store as it seems more personal and more like an actual best friend. The name 'Claire's' is also widely well know worldwide as it has a reputation this means that people such as parents, grandparents know this store even though they don't shop here for themselves, they will still know what 'Claire's' is. So to completely change the name may result in existing consumers to become confused, especially children that already know the store by its name 'Claire's'.

These images have been taken in Claire's Accessories in the Leeds Trinity shopping centre.

These were the previous Claire's logo. I think they look plain because it doesn't represent the store well.

I tired some and drawn typography. I tried to make my design look fun and quirky it would attract Claire's younger audience. I added heart and infinity symbols to make it look interesting and cute. I tried different calligraphy styles but I felt they all looked very similar and not very distinguishable.

I think this one looked quiet good because I thought it would represent a hair clip which will be significant for the products they sell in the store. I decided not to go further with this idea because some people may not understand what it might look unnecessary and random.

This one looks more suitable because its easy to read, simple and the heart dot makes it look more girly.

I also tried experimenting with digital typography but the felt limited with the fonts because I wanted fonts that looked fancy an these were the only ones that stood out to me. Some of these still look boring while others look over complicated.

Taking inspiration from my handmade typography, I chose the second one that I liked the most. I handmade the typography using the paint brush tool on Illustrator. I used a 5pt calligraphic brush to because I felt like it make it look more professional and personal at the same time. I slightly changed the 'r' and unjoined it on this one because I thought it may be difficult for children to read. It was very time consuming and I found it struggle as I don't really know how to use the software but I am proud of the outcome.

Colour tryouts:

The first colour is the same colour as the original logo. I wanted to make the logo a slightly lighter purple because it looked more feminine. Out of them all I would prefer the lighter one because I think children that come into the store will appreciate the softer shade.

I felt like a solid colour looked too boring so I tried using a gradient effect instead. I tried in both vertical and horizontal direction. I prefer the vertical gradient as it is more easily seen than the horizontal gradient.

Final designs:

This was the original final logo. I added the 'accessories' because I wanted to incorporate it from the original black Claire's logo. I like this because it looks dainty and sleek. I think it suits perfectly for the store and attracts the target audience well.

Although I liked the previous design, I decided to experiment some more. I put the first purple Claire's logo behind the gradient logo to make it look 3D and effective. I think this worked out well as it looks more detailed and lively.

In-situ:

Finally, I added the logo onto the store front and the website as these will be the places that the logo will be seen.