Elmwood (live)- Ideas.

78 violet- Final logo.

This is my final chosen logo for this brief. Looking back at the existing logo which the band had it is very similar with the use of serif font but the arrangement of the numbers and letters is more interesting and has a better concept behind it, before it was too straight forward and boring. Now it shows the two halves/sisters coming together to create this one voice. The decision to cut off the bottoms of the numbers and place above the word was so that the visuals represent this one voice but to also suggest that the voice is not recognise until all parts are together as one. The bands ambition and beliefs represented visually in concept. 

78 violet- Logo development.

Looking back at the sketches which I have come up with I started to work digitally with the strongest ones. I wanted to create a logo that was very fluid with emphasis on the numbers as these are used to represent the two of the sisters individually. Most of my inspiration used a script font and this is something which I want to re create as it is very different to what they have used in the past but has influences back from their early logos so their old fans will notice this but also the new changes made. 

At this stage I could see that this design was really not working and looked poorly constructed and childish. Also the alignment of the hand drawn elements was difficult and doesn't sit central in the circular guide even after much alteration as hoped for so looks unbalanced. This is far from the idea of togetherness aimed for with the concept and bands beliefs. Because of this I have decided to sit back down and sketch a few more ideas and some that are more closely linked to the existing so that the band can still be recognised by their already massive following but also suggest new and change made. 

From this I could see that my previous designs were ill considered for the band and their beliefs but now they are much better. Now they can reflect the two individual sisters coming together to create a third element/one voice with these new arrangements. I have tried a few of these digitally using various fonts to see which works best and which is still legible. 

Legibility of the elements when removing parts to create a new whole element/visual was something which I have struggled with throughout this as in some occasions the eight began to look like a zero which changed the meaning and name too much. But eventually I have re worked the arrangement until I was happy that all are legible and show the concept I was aiming for. 

Elmwood (live)- Existing logo research.

For inspiration I have just quickly done a Pinterest search for existing logos and icons to get a feel of what already works for general branding. I found that simplistic, one colour logos look the best because the imagery is recognisable without being too over complicated and can either work with or with type. Something I will consider with my own concepts and developments. 

Pinterest search 

Elmwood (live)- Accountant research.

An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting, which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.

Accountants can be classified into two categories one who are qualified under a statute of a country by clearing the necessary exams second non qualified who pursue the profession without being covered under any relevant statutory obligations.The accountants who performs duties under a statute can be held accountable for the professional misconduct whereas non qualified accountants are not covered any relevant statute so their work is not under any professional scrutiny.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accountant

Edge typeface- Development.

This development was relatively easy because it was formed from the two simple shapes used in the first two letters from my self brand and based on the sketches which I had already worked out at the concept stage. Working out the placement before working digitally worked better and quicker for me in this instance and the alphabet pretty much created itself. I did struggle with some letters and keeping their legibility high but after slight experimentation I have managed to come up with a final solution which works. Within the type specimen book I hope to highlight this success and show off its legibility when used in words and sentences.  

Elmwood (live)- Briefing.

• Brand the boring 
• Create a brand for chosen word 
• Research fully 
• Name, visual identity, tone of voice and applications 
• Design brand and attitude 
• Not re inventing the product just the brand 
• Set the company apart 
• Application most appropriate 
• Interim- sketches, rough idea 
• Go with gut and build up a story around it 
• Interim crit- 3rd December 
• Deadline- 16th December 
• Chosen word- accountant 

78 violet- Initial ideas.

78 violet- Logo inspiration.

The existing logo inspiration which I have looked at focuses on hand drawn script typography which I feel is the most appropriate way forward when initially thinking about the new sound and style of the band. Their transformed style is very floaty and girly and I feel that these logos are also inspired by similar thoughts because of their fluidity to form. Each of the examples picked also have reference to flowers which is perfect to link back to the lyrics of the songs I am working with. I have noticed that when working with a hand drawn aesthetic or script font each logo uses some form of circular structure to base the form around as a way of enclosing the design but also to work with the smooth flowing lines of the typeface chosen. The use of a structure to contain the text within is definitely something I will look into further with my own design as I feel it could work well when trying to place the logo onto the circular format of the CD or over detailed cover illustrations. By containing in one area/shape this would hopefully make the logo more legible over the other details of the design. 

I looked at the actual violet flower as this was directly referenced in the bands name and also links well to their lyrics and their new style/ethics. The colour is the most striking part about the actual flower and is something that I will take as the overall colour for the band just because it ties in with the other links strongly. The flowers themselves are small in size and simple in their form and because of this and the difficulty to get hold of them at this time of year I will use other related garden flowers to base my actual visuals on. I want to use flowers that have more visual details and that are more complex in form so that the cover patterns are stronger and more detailed to mimic the lyrics of their new songs better. 

Coeliac type (collab)- Type digital development.

Now that Mike has finished creating the basic shape of each letter from an adaptation of the base font Edmondsans I can now go ahead and add the illustrated elements to create the appearance of the cells involved with Coeliac disease. This was an aesthetic we had discussed previously but I decided that I would make each letter different by adding individual illustrations to each one. This would be more time consuming but well worth it. Hopefully by hand illustrating with the Wacom tablet this will give the appearance that every cell is different in its makeup but also appear more childlike for the younger audience. 

Dr ME- Final flag.