IxD103 – Developing a Visual Marque
Our next task for developing our brand, is to create our very own visual marque. This should be something that represents the persona of our brand. Many global companies are primarily recognised for their visual marques, even before their name or wordmarks etc. For example Starbucks or Pepsi…
When a trademark is used to identify an organisation it works together with other graphic elements in a design programme, each part of the plan for a visual identity. Through this a company can inform people who it is, how it is, or how it wants to be seen. Pictorial marks are non-abstract and iconic in nature. They depict a stylised version of something—anything, really. Some pictorial marks represent something to do with the brand, however these are more likely to be forgotten. The more random the better. A pictorial logo may be preferable when your brand name is a bit abstract or open to interpretation.
Developing Ideas…
For my own I had a couple of ideas. This is when I began mind-mapping…
I just wrote down words relevant to my brand’s personality and then started thinking about objects that may be associated with these words…
Initially I had the idea of a slinky, as I like to think of myself as a very flexible worker and I thought it might make for an interesting theme. However I soon realised that it was going to be too simplistic and just not what I wanted for my brand. I wanted an object that could influence the style of the icons I want to show on my website, something original and maybe something that I could also tie in with my monogram. Below I have linked my first Pinterest board. I used these to just ignite more ideas.
https://pin.it/1eVO4OR
I then came up with the concept of a lightbulb. I really liked the thought of this because I knew I could make it a curvy shape, which would match the rest of my branding. The concept behind it is that I am energetic, full of passion and ideas. Lightbulbs are often associated with creativity and thinking, which I think is very representative of the designer I want to become. Personally it represents positivity, something that is very important to me. I like to keep a positive mindset when working and I was really excited to see what further ideas I could come up with.
Designers who Inspired my style…
One of my all time favourite designers is Vic Bell. I can always feel myself being inspired by her style of work whenever I am using Illustrator to create icons etc.
Her work is very line based. I hope with some practice I will be able to design like her someday!
I also created my own collection of inspiration on Dribble, specifically looking at lightbulbs. I think this was really useful as it made me realise that there are so many different styles of design I could use.
https://dribbble.com/emcgurren/collections/4626761-Visual-Marques?utm_source=Clipboard_%22clipboard_collection%22&utm_campaign=%22emcgurren%22&utm_content=%22Visual%20Marques%22&utm_medium=Social_Share
Sketching…
I find sketching to be the most enjoyable part of the design process. Oliver Jeffer’s children’s book explains “How to draw a Penguin”, in a few simple steps. The comical guidelines he gives, explains as long as you know what the object is, it can always be broken down into basic shapes and developed using more details.
I think it is really important that the sketching stage is not taken too seriously, however it should never be missed out. This is the part where all of the unique ideas come alive. I think it is definitely my strong point over designing on Illustrator.
Developing on illustrator…
Here is how my designs have turned out. I cannot decide if I want to keep the monogram included, as I feel that it does represent a lightbulb shape. I am excited to see how I can develop my visual marque even further through adding colour.
