IXD301: Elements Project Branding

Part of this project was to create a brand for the app including a logo and wordmark. I wanted something simple that matched the tone of voice of the app. I began by creating a wordmark.

Wordmark

I started by browsing different typefaces on Google Fonts. I then took some of my favourites into Figma and wrote the name of my app in the fonts. This allowed me to see if they were legible using real words and if they tied in with the overall look and feel. You can see some of the options below:

After testing different fonts within the app, the one that stood out to me was “Bubble gum sans”.

Reasons I chose this font:

  • Fun
  • Playful
  • Has character
  • Easy to read
  • Lively

Overall, I think this works with the tone of voice of this app as it’s for children. It’s fun and interesting to look at but also legible. It also stands out from the rest of the typography throughout the app, which is important with a brand.

Logo

Next, it was time to design a logo to represent the brand and to work alongside the wordmark. This part was challenging as there were so many routes I could go down. I started off, as always, on paper. Here are some of my initial ideas and sketches:

My two favorite ideas were the test tube and the octopus, so I decided to take these ideas into Figma. This would give me a better idea of what they would look like as I could be more precise and add colour etc.

In the end, I decided to go with the test tube. I chose this over the other one since I had already used an octopus illustration and didn’t feel like it was the brand.

Why this logo?

I feel that the test tube matches the tone of voice more as it has something to do with science. However, it also ties in with the ocean theme as the liquid inside the test tube resembles the ocean waves. This logo has a hand-drawn feel to it which works well for a children’s app. For the final logo, I took out the fish as it was unnecessary, and it makes it more minimalistic which is important in a logo.

 

Putting it together

Now it was time to bring both elements of the brand together and see if they work well with each other. I tried them with different colours on the blue background of the app to see what worked best. You can also see that I tested the other logo against the blue background, however, I still preferred the test tube.

The one I liked the most is when the logo and wordmark are both white. I feel that this stands out the most against the dark blue background and it’s more consistent with the rest of the app.

Final Brand

Overall, I am happy with how this brand turned out. It is simple, easy to comprehend, and represents the app well.

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