The Real Impact of Logos

When you walk into a store and see all the different types of drinks and food, your first thought most likely isn't about how cool or great each of the products logos look. You also most likely think that you are going to pick a product on its quality and taste rather than its appearance. However, I have found that when I have not tried a specific product, I am definitely going to pick the one that is the most aesthetically pleasing and gives me the best vibe. As I was up studying late one night recently, I had a realization as I drank my favorite energy drink. Whenever I look for an energy drink, a relatively rare event I might add, I automatically go for a Monster. Although I do like the taste, I remembered that, the first time I ever bought an energy drink, I chose to buy a Monster because it looked the coolest. I mean, why would I want to buy a plain, boring Rockstar energy drink when I could have a Monster and look way more hip? Monster has one of my favorite logos; it depicts a capital bright green 'M', but it looks as if it was carved into the can by claws. The font the brand uses to write its name is also very appealing because it gives consumers the feeling that they are 'hardcore' and drinking something that is going to make them feel more alive, which is the entire message that energy drinks are supposed to get across. Overall I think that logos have a large impact on the purchases of products, even if it may not be a conscious thought by consumers. Everyone knows the saying 'don't judge a book by its cover', but lets be real. You're going to read whichever book thats cover looks the most interesting, and that is where designers come into the picture.

Comparison and Contrast

I am on the UC Davis women's soccer team so, as you can imagine, I have a pretty serious opinion when it comes to what gear I am going to use. One of the the products that has a pretty big impact on how I am able to perform is the pair cleats that I choose to wear. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and, as a result, there is a huge market for cleats and other active wear. Two of the biggest companies that compete with each other are Nike and Adidas. These companies have very different styles of cleats for different types of players. Nike generally carries the sleeker, 'flashier', and more colorful cleats designed specifically to be aesthetically pleasing. Adidas designs are usually more reserved and

designed solely for quality performance. I personally prefer Nike designs because they are usually sleeker and lighter than Adidas cleats. Most of Nike's cleats are made for players who have

a lot of speed, so their designs are created to maximize this aspect of a player's talents, while Adidas claims to be the best for performance and for quality handling of the ball. Both brand's cleats are very good quality, which leads to a lot of competition between the two to create the newest and most advanced cleats. This also leads to dedicated players who can become die-hard fans that stick to the brand their entire lives. Based on my personal observation, I think the older generations like Adidas because it is a more classic bra

nd, while the younger generation prefers Nike because they evolve their designs to be more hip and relate to new trends.

Design as Conversation

Although design is seen by many as simply a way of making things that appeal to consumers in order to sell them to society, there is much more that can be interpreted from this concept. Design can also be viewed as a type of conversation between consumers and designers in an effort to work together to create a product that is considered successful by both parties. An example of a conversation in society using design is the recent altercation between Gap and the design community about the company's proposed change in logo. Earlier this month Gap announced that it would be 'updating' its logo (of over 20 years) from the traditional big blue box to a new design with a smaller blue box above the 'p':

This change caused an immediate hostile reaction, from a large amount of consumers, claiming that this was the worst idea Gap had ever had and that many customers would no longer buy the brand's clothing if this logo was incorporated into it. The change is being seen as one of the biggest design flops in an extensive period of time and several social networks have begun to mock the company. Even a new website was created, with humorous intentions, as way to make fun of the company's failure: http://craplogo.me/post.php

Using this website, users are able to input whatever text they choose and turn Gap's redesigned logo into a personalized 'crap logo' that says anything users want. It has become a very popular website and has also been evolved into an application that can be easily accessed on networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Although most reactions by the community were angry, a portion of the community was sad about this change and genuinely concerned with the clothing line and many others were solely disappointed about this poor choice in logo by such a major company. However, despite this violent outburst, Gap treated the situation in a very positive manner. They agreed to rethink the logo and not release the newer version. They also spoke out to the community and asked for ideas from the public in an effort to create a new updated look that will be enjoyed by the majority of their consumers. When I read about this event in the news I was very interested because I had never noticed the impact that company's designs can have on society and how they treat these disagreements. This event definitely helped me realize that design can definitely be interpreted as a conversation between designers and consumers in large and small scales. Although Gap can't address every complaint individually, they realized the discontent in the vast majority of their customers and publicly announced their awareness of the situation and asked the very people who were complaining for ideas that would satisfy them. Overall, I think the ability of design to be a conversation is beneficial for both companies and consumers and can lead to products that are enjoyed by everyone in the community.

Cassette Creations

I found a website while surfing the internet one day that left me so amazed that I just had to share its contents with all of you.

I thought the idea was extremely unique and clever. The designer came up with the concept of unraveling film and tape cassettes and using the insides to create portraits of people and objects. I like these designs a lot because they have a very cool vibe and give of an old kind of retro feel.

They are very edgy, as well as precise, and are so intricate that, in many of them, you get the feeling that you are looking at a photograph.

All of these designs can be found at this website: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1QEFma/2photo.ru/en/post/17620

Creativity From Without

Although many artists and designers find inspiration from looking within themselves, such as drawing, many others are inspired from things outside of themselves, such as nature. An excellent example of an artist who finds creativity outside of himself is Andy Goldsworthy. Although we used him as an example in class, I took a look at some of his other projects and was amazed at all the different materials he has worked with and is inspired by. He has created so many amazing ideas out of things you can find anywhere you look in the world. He proves that you dont have to be skilled at drawing or painting or other traditional art in order to create intriguing designs. He has created designs using rocks, leaves, ice, feathers, petals, and even by digging holes. One of my favorite designs of his would have to be a work that he created using autumn cherry leaves.

I really like this design because Goldsworthy took the time to find the perfect shades of leaves in order to create this blend of colors that flows so smoothly it is almost unbelievable. I am also amazed at how he was able to think of such a beautiful idea simply by looking at nature and becoming inspired by the simple materials around him. After researching some of Goldsworthy's designs I am definitely inspired to be more open-minded about what can be found in nature and how many things can be created out of what is simply surrounding us.

More of Goldsworthy's designs can be seen here:

http://www.morning-earth.org/artistnaturalists/an_goldsworthy.html

Stone Soup

In an attempt to branch out of our comfort zone and to show that you can
create something out of anything, my design class took part in creating multiple batches of stone soup. I thoroughly enjoyed this activity because there was no possible way that you could make a mistake; you could put anything together in any order and it would still be an interesting design. My group brought extremely varied and interesting materials with which we created our own unique stone soup. Some of these materials included water bottles, boxes, flowers, christmas ornaments, paint, streamers, and even potpourri. Although many groups did sketches of possible designs they could create out of the materials, my group decided to get straight to the crafting with no specific expectations or pre-planning. We each created something individually and then, together, combined all of the separate creations afterwards. I thought the final design was very interesting and aesthetically pleasing. I like my group because everyone is willing to be spontaneous and take risks in order to get a finished product that we are all pleased with. Here are a few images of my group working with our materials and the finished piece that we ended up creating:

Multi-task

I have found that stumbleupon.com is one of the best sites out there when you want to search for entertainment or inspiration. I have found hundreds of sites with interesting examples of design that have definitely sparked my interest and have given me ideas for my own creations. One of the sites I stumbled upon recently definitely caught my interest and left me amazed: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2Ti5V5/www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2010/april/carnovskys-rgb-wallpaper

This site depicts a design by a studio called Carnovsky and was used for the Milan design week. It displays a series of wallpapers that reacts by showing different patterns to different colored lights. I thought this design was especially brilliant because it has multiple possibilities and lets the viewers choose which design they would like to see, based on whichever mood theyre in. I think this makes an excellent design because the viewers can manipulate the design to fit their own emotions, instead of just seeing just what the designer wanted them to see.

Here are example of the different types of lights and the designs that are hidden within the big picture. Not only did the studio manage to create an aesthetically appealing image, but they were also able to think outside the box to create an engaging atmosphere that could be manipulated at will.

The feel of words

One of my favorite design concepts is typography. Typography can be used in so many ways and can give viewers so many different emotions and vibes. The official definition of typography is 'the art, craft, or process of composing type and printing from it'. This may seem like a simple process that consists of typing up a few words in a cool font and simply printing it out, however, nothing could be farther from the truth. With the use of the imagination, typography can be used and transformed to create some of the most amazing and interesting designs that expand past the boundaries of just letters and into an immense realm of visual art and graphic expression. Using typography, words can be given different feelings by transforming their appearance in order to give viewers the mood that the designers are trying to portray. This can be done by changing their shape, color, or placement in a design. I personally find this element in design extremely fascinating and I can spend hours browsing the internet by designs that inspire me and leave me in awe.

Typography is also appealing in the sense that it can be created out of anything. Anyone with an imagination can see typography, not only online and in books, but also in the world around them. Examples include buildings, furniture, lights, and even people. The possibilities are limitless, which allows us to have an open mind and allows us to try and search for our own designs wherever we go.

My earliest memory of an object that impacted my ideas of design would probably be computer discs. Way back before ipods accomplished world domination, CD's were used, not only to hold music and images, but also as elements of design. Growing up, I expressed my creativity by using my immense amount of energy and hyperactivity to create the different projects that would randomly pop into my head. One of these projects that became one of my favorite designs was a mural of different colored discs nailed in rows onto my wall, so that they combined to take the place of a poster. Not only do they serve a functional purpose, but they can also have an aesthetic appeal. Their covers can also be used as carriers of visual art: http://www.mrmalique.com/index.php/compact-disc-art/

I also remember sorting through my moms collection of CD's and being fascinated by the graphic designs of the covers for bands like Cake, Metallica, and Rage Against the Machine. This cover art definitely was an inspiration that would influence my later studies. My main focus and inspiration is for graphic design and I believe that objects like compact discs were key elements in igniting my desire to pursue this specific concept.