Business Card: Inquiring & Analysing

Business Card: Inquiring & Analysing

1. Explain and justify the need for a solution for a problem:

What is this project all about:

This project is about communicating our future identity. It is about our future job and how branding and logo will help us. We want to introduce ourselves to our clients. And my clients will be looking for cool-looking, style, high-quality gadgets and smart-electronics with new ideas packed into it. They are also looking for a big number of functions, and power-efficiency. This project also involves branding as branding allow our clients to recognise us and it tells our client quickly about what we do and what we make.

Here, I'm planning to be a designer for gadgets and phones. I think it's called industrial engineering.

3 Adjectives:

1. Quality: This is very important because it should be clarified that the products are not cheap products or made out of weak or poisonous materials. This also tells clients a bit that things are not fake, they are functional. It will give the overall feeling that it is safe to use (especially when there are so many cheap and poisonous products manufactured in China nowadays), and that you should trust the products, we want the clients to have confidence in and during using the products.
2. Innovative: This means having new ideas and new bits of technologies included. It is to make the products more special and to attract consumers that are interested in new things. Like when the first touch-screen iPod came out, although it probably wouldn't be such a big event, but just as an example.
3. Simple: This is talking about simple designs and looks, because people like things to be simple, human brains like things to be organised and less complicated. It is the style we want our products to have - simplicity. Like Apple is also famous for its simple designs and it's part of the beauty of their products. We want our customers to feel good and easy when they use our products.

My job will mostly be on the "Simple" part, and some "Quality".

The tools:

We should get some websites and video to help us through making the fonts with the tools (mainly Adobe Illustrator and Fontstruct).

1st:

This is a short video that teaches the basics of fontstruct. Fontstruct is quite simple and easy and fast.

2nd:


3rd:
https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/tutorials.html
This is a website which has a whole set of videos for each type of editing in Adobe Illustrator. It's also very organised so it is going to be very easy to find a video.

2. Primary and secondary research:

The concepts:

1. The Gestalt principles. In the Gestalt principles, there are mainly similarity and dissimilarity, continuation, closure, proximity, and figure and ground. Similarity: When two or more things looks similar or have similar features, our brains tend to link and relate them. Dissimilarity: When something is different than the rest of the group in colour, size, shape, etc., it would stand out more and we will pay attention to it. Continuation: It is usually when a line or lines have a smooth flow, we would see see motion in the picture from one end to the other. Closure: When a space is not completely closed, but the lines (usually) around the space seem to move in or is part of the shape, your brain would close it up automatically. Proximity: When objects are closer together, we tend to group them up. Figure and ground: It's basically how we arrange which part is at the back and which back is in the front.

You would probably group the black squares on the same line as a group and white ones on the same line as another. You might also see black and white lines. It's because black and similar the black and white's similar to white.

Dissimilarity: The yellow guy is going to stand out from the rest because it is different, and different attracts attention. Others are black, the guy is yellow.

Closure: Due to the point where the straight lines stop and the "packman" angle, you will see a white triangle without any lines literally around it. Figure and ground: As the lines of a triangle pointing up is stops at a point, it seems like the lines are partially covered, and that the the upright triangle behind the downwards one.

Proximity: On photo left, you see vertical lines because the squares are vertically closer to each other than horizontally closer to each other. And photo right works exactly the opposite way.

Similarity: This line flow and that it is from large to small makes it seem like it's in motion from close to far.

ARMM:

1. A is for attention. In order to get attention, there are 3 techniques. Novel stimuli: Something special to grab people's attention. Supernormal stimuli: Things that will attract attention normally, these are passed from our ancestors for survival (bright coloured are poisonous, be aware...) And finally, partially obscured stimuli: People would want to find out what is it about because it is interesting.
2. R is for response. If you want to show dominance, authority, boldness, and motion, we use angular shapes, vertical lines, and asymmetry. If you want to show friendliness, submissiveness, honesty, and stability, we use round-curvy shapes, horizontal line, and symmetry.
3. The first M is for meaning. To measure how much meaning there is, we should find out the propositional density. To calculate that we divide the deep propositions by the surface propositions Keep in mind 1: When counting surface proposition, we don't need to count every single feature, what matters is how they're naturally grouped together. 2: Deep propositions highly depend on the person that's looking at the logo, they can vary. 3: We should not brainstorm deep propositions, just naturally think of what's come up to your mind. Neautral shapes like squares should be avoided unless the other features give the logo plenty of emotions.
4. The second M is for memory. In order to make a logo more memorable, we have to... Von restorff effect (special), mnemonic device (feature name & First letter), and the concreteness effect.

Elements of Graphic Design:

There are type, line, shape, texture, colour, and space.

The other design vocabularies that we knew were:

• Alignment: How texts and images are lined up.
• Balance: If all spaces on a surface looks equal to the others, if they have a close amount of stuffs and business.
• Contrast: How different things differentiate in different elements.
• Emphasis: How you make something stand out by size, colour, shape...
• Harmony: If all the elements on a page come together nicely as a whole.
• Movement: Basically like continuation.
• Proportion: The relative visual size of an element compared to the other.
• Repetition: Repeating something, a pattern. For example, same typefaces and sizes for each headline on a newspaper.
• Rhythm: An effective flow. Elements on a page should seem patterned. For example, a yearbook usually have pages with same layouts, colours, and decorations.
• Unity: Feeling of a whole
• White Space: Empty space on a page

Analyse a range of existing products:

The apple logo is surely very simple, just like its products. It doesn't have any bright colour, which is part of why it's so simple. But it doesn't grab as much attention. There is also nothing special nor is there any obstructed shapes. The apple logo has no straight lines and very little sharp corners (only those necessary) making it look friendly. It doesn't specify in any straight of horizontal lines making it look kind of neutral in that perspective. All it is is just a bitten apple, and a leaf. Yet, it has meanings of apple makes you healthy, apple makes you smart, people use the products (bitten), apple is popular... So it's kind of meaningful. It is a feature name, because the company name is "Apple" and the logo is an apple, makes it easier to remember. Also, they have used a concrete thing, an apple, to represent the rest of the meanings and ideas. So I think it's memorable. But I chose it mainly because it's so simple and it connects to simple concepts and products.

Attention: It has a very bright colour, and it has an obstructed face that requires people to think, grabs attention. Response: The lines are mainly curved, plus the circle and the smile, makes it very friendly. However, that little bit of angle, especially the right angle for L/nose gives it back a little authority. There is not much meaning. There isn't much meaning, it is lacking some deep propositions. It is memorable because it uses the First-Letter mnemonic device (LG: Life's Good). The designer tries to tell that products have a good quality, and that it would improve the life of someone. The round face also symbolises the globe and humanity. Everything on the logo is very neat and tidy and for the 3D version there's that glossy feeling which also feels very high quality.

It was hard to find a logo that is "Innovative", it's even hard to think of or imagine one (and it would probably be tough to make one). It's because "innovative" is kind of abstract and hard to show or represent. But I come up with one that best fits my thoughts. This logo has some very bright green. And it is kind of obstructed, when you look at it carefully you see the combination of "S" and "E" in the grey part. There are no straight lines nor sharp corners (accept for the top left of the bottom green part). So it feels very friendly, especially when it uses green which is a calm and peaceful colour. I can't really see any deep propositions though. It is okay memorable because it uses the first-letter mnemonic device. But it isn't that special and it's not very concrete, it's just a name. But in a way it looks very high quality because of the glossiness it gives.

It is hard to find, and obviously hard to make a logo that feels "innovative" because it an abstract thing. But I think it is a very important part of the company - making new things and having new concepts are what we want.

Notice that all of them are san-serif because serif is usually for on paper and san-serif looks more simple and neat.

This font is called Fortheenas 01 from  dafont and I chose it for quality because it is very fine and detailed. And the fineness also makes it simple. The only letter I don't like is the "a". This "a" doesn't look simple enough.  Letters like "r", "h", and "n" tend to have their horizontal lines going upwards and it seems to me not very natural. Otherwise their shapes are quite normal. All the capital letters are made out of simple shapes and lines, symmetrical, and equal, so it looks very tidy and neat and it has a neutral feeling.

This is kind of like the previous font, but everything is even straighter and more tidy, without those kind of going up horizontal lines and with the small case "a" being the simpler, more modern one. But if I was to create one similar, I would make the ascenders and descenders have a little bit bigger ratio compared to the x height.

This font is called 01 Digital. Which barely made it into the "Innovative" category. The font is unusual but it doesn't tell any innovativeness about our products. But I chose it mainly for one of the adj I considered This font looks stylish, futuristic, "digital". It kind of have the "tron legacy" feeling to it. It's very cool. It has turned many curved lines to straight lines but a lot of sharp corners into round corners. It also only allow capital letters, but the caped letters will go bold. So it looks in a way strong but gentle (with the round corners). However, what is a little bad is that it has those little confusing short lines. And like the B, and the dot under the m and above the w, that's just confusing.

This font is very simple and looks a little "overdone". But it gives a really quality and simple feeling. By "overdone", I mean, like the "p" doesn't even have the little line on top of the circle. And the small "u" is the same shape as the capitalised one, it doesn't have the small line. And the other thing is that many letters seems to be "connected". It's similarity. A lot of the letter (especially small case) that has any circle in it (even an "e" though it's more obvious for the counters), it is the same perfect round circle. And it makes it even more neat and you kind of put them together. Just the first look it looks very circle-ish and round. It gives a friendly feeling. 

Below is a website that talks about "apple's favourite fonts" and I also like the style of it. So I will also take some ideas from it:

http://gizmodo.com/5930274/this-is-apples-new-favorite-typeface

It's simple and easy to read. It has sharp corners and a bit longer than standard. It has a special texture to the apple sign. The fonts look simple. Layout: I think this is a good layout though it's a little formal. There is the apple sign right in the centre placed appropriately (not too high, not too low) in the upper half of the card. And below it says it more detailed which part of the world is it, it's in bold and bigger letters compared to those below. The rest of the text is left alignment. And there is a double-line-space between each information which is a good way to separate them. This card is good, tidy, and formal.

This business card is actually very catchy because of the background and it has similarity with that "galaxy" backgroud. However, I do not like the information to be centred because it kind of conflicts with the title and info just should be more on the sides. Also, the background doesn't really suit my case because I want it to be simple, and the background is quite busy. Also, I think it's lacking contrast, so I'll not take it as a good example for myself

This is a windows business card I believe. And it's cool that it has similarity with the windows os/page. But I'll take it as a not-so-good example because the info side is too crowded, there isn't enough white space. But this card attracts attention well due to the bright colours that contrast with each other. And I should take reference of the colours.

  
The similarity of the two business cards above is that they have the image/logo/picture on the left. And the information is on the right. I like that a lot because there is a rhythm to it so it looks right and it has a flow to how you will look at the card. But I like the info side of the blue one more because there is a white space above the info and it doesn't take up the whole half page while the other half is empty. The black one I think is tricky if the logo stays that way. Because if it does it like the blue, it would look too empty (as the logo is tiny). But if it is how it is right now, the right half just looks too busy and it isn't balanced. So I think Maybe making the logo a bigger would help. Although, on the other side, I like the black card more. I like how the logo is placed in the centre. And if I have the space I think I would do so too with the same size. I think its size is a very good one because it is a logo, so if you make it too big, it kind of loses proximity when you look at normal distance, and unity is gone. However, too small is not catchy enough and just how can people see it.

Develop a detail design brief:

Our products are kind of similar to Samsung. We sell electronics including washing machines, vacuums, televisions, refrigerators... but we are well-known for our phones and gadgets.  My company name should be SLS (stand for Simply Live Smart). Because "smart" is something human are working towards, and innovative kind of pairs with it. The smarter the more innovative. And putting the simple adjective inside makes it sound more simple, and we make our point clear: Live Smart and we will help you do so. This idea is from LG. SLS takes up about 6%-9% share on the global market of mobile terminals and about 4% share for other products. Kids start to have phones around 8, and some elderly use smart phones ad other gadgets too. But we mainly focus our gadgets on teenagers to 50-year-old people. However, washing machines and refrigerators and essential for all families. We have a wide range of products and their prices can vary 10 times, so low, middle, and high class people use our products. But when using our products, people shall feel cool, stylish and a bit luxurious. Our company is global, but mostly in developed country where people can afford and bother to get a good quality electronic. Our customers and clients will be people that catch up with trend, and value and love technology, and like to seem high class (luxurious, quality). However, everyone needs a phone and house electronics so even if the don't really value these, they'd find the best ones among the same price, or the cheapest among the same quality. I need a business card and a logo. I want people to always pay attention, remember, and recognise my company from it. Standard size with sharp corners. It will be used mainly when I see my clients. The logo should first letters like Sony ericsson and a face kind of thing like LG should be considered. That is my taste. It has to be done around the 13-10-2014. Budget should be around $750.

Branding:

Colour:
#feb402 - orange (orange that is a little bit yellow), Means creativeness, confidence, friendliness
#00ccff - Light blue, means smart, loyal, dependable, strong, digital
#acacac - Grey, means professional, authority, practical
They contrast too, grabs attention using one another.
About 63% blue, 30% orange, 7% grey

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/195202965074139752/

Font:
Modern, neat and tidy