Graphic Design Process, Part ONE:
The Company Logo

Overview of the Project: You will be creating a complete company identity and advertising campaign over the next couple of months. You will be given a fictitious small business, complete with the company name and the products and services offered. Later stages of the assignment will include target goals for public imaging, sales and advertising.

Rules for Creating a Good Company Logo:  Mr. B. showed a slide show regarding the six principles of good logo design.  Please review this, as needed, when working on your ideas.

Getting Started: To start, you will need to create a company logo (service mark or brand mark) for use in creating the company’s image. In the graphic design business, a customer will expect a number of mock-ups of various ideas for a design before they can make recommendations for final approval. This being the case, the first assignment is to complete a mock-up portfolio for presentation to your customer (Mr. B.)

  • Your customer is looking for a company logo that they can use in all of their business communications and advertising. A good business logo should be:
    • Relatively square or circular in proportion
    • Use fewer than 3-4 colors and be recognizable in black and white
    • Show the character of the company
    • Be visually simple and easy to recognize in any situation, be it on a business card or on a highway billboard.
  • Using pens, pencils, markers, etc., create a mock-up portfolio of AT LEAST 10 different possible logo designs for your company. It is possible that you will need to be bidding on your company, in which case you may owe me more than 10 trials. Think creatively and crazily. Come up with as many dynamic and exciting ideas as you can for logos that identify your company while still keeping the four points above in mind.
    • Do not worry about artistic talent, rough sketchwork will be fine for this first step in the project. You should try to think about and include colors in your ideas, however.
    • I want to see 10 different ideas for logos! Do not use the same idea over and over again. Try using the company name in various looks, try company initials, try incorporating pictures or representations of the company product or service into the logo. Try using stylized animals or objects to catch a customer’s eye. Do not feel that you have to “illustrate” all facets of your company within your logo. Simple is better.
  • You will need to turn in this portfolio of at least 10 different mock-up images to Mr. B., who will select one for you to create in a final product. He will likely make suggestions for changes to the logo, colors, shapes, etc. Do what he says, he is the customer. (You will receive 10 points for each well-thought-out design that is unique, total points possible = 100)
  • Once you have received the approval of your final design, you will use your PhotoShop or Illustrator skills to create a final draft of the logo on a 700 x700 pixel canvas. This will need to look professionally created for a passing grade. (In other words, perfect= 100 points, not perfect= 0 points)
  • Once the final product has been created and approved, the student will move to the next step of the project, creation of public relations and advertising materials.

The Companies:

Dr. J.'s Bicycle Shop- Bicycles: Started as a used bicycle shop, now specializes in mountain and off road
biking.

Whistlestop Antiques- Antiques: Owned by a family specializing in collectible antiques and furniture.

The Third Branch Flowers: Country flower "farm," specializing in bridal arrangements and sales to other flower shops. ANGELICA

Street Dreams: Vintage Automobiles- Specializing in vintage automobiles and muscle cars. ALEX

Wolverine Farm Book Store- New and Vintage Books and Publishing: Specializing in books and publishing of local writers. ISAAC

Sugar Beez- Candy: Specializing homemade and retro candies. NIKOTA

Rabbit's Den-
Tattoo Parlor:
Specializing in Black and Gray tattoos and memorial pieces.
RICHARD

Dire Wolf Digital- Video Games: Specializing in collectibles products for video game and app manufacturers. CODY

Lulu's on the Avenue- Jewelry/Wedding: Specializing in vintage jewelry and wedding gowns. DAVID

O2- Cell Phone Accessories: Accessories, skins and other cellphone accessories and gear. IZAYAH

Windpower Sport Kites- Kites: Specializing in sports kites for higher end sport enthusiasts. FABIAN

The Vintage Cosmetic Company- Cosmetics: Specializing in 1950's style cosmetics and fragrance products.  Targets trendy young women. MIREYA

Year One- Auto Parts: Specializing in parts for older and vintage cars, specializing in Muscle Cars.

Brother's Hardware- Hardware: A family hardware store, going back 4 generations, holding out against the big box stores.

Oklahoma Joe's- BBQ Restaurant: Hickory Smoked BBQ on slow cooked beef, pork and chicken. TREY

Fish Planet- Tropical Fish: Specializing in fresh and salt water aquarium fish and aquarium services for businesses. Kaytlyn

Pine Tree Lighting and Furniture- Lights/Furniture: Specializing in lighting the family home, including chandeliers, wall mounted lighting and remote lighting controls. JEREMIAH

Blaze Pizza- Pizza: Wood fired pizza in a historical building, specializing in deep dish pizza and specialty Italian pastas. GAGE

Gigasonic- Musical Instruments: Specializing in musical instruments and lessons for all types of instruments. BAILEY

The Holy Donut- Donuts: Specializing in donuts made with locally grown potatoes and sweet potatoes. IZZY

St. Peter's Fly Shop- Fly fishing goods: Specializing in flyfishing equipment, as well as flytying goods and regular and deep-sea fishing equipment.

Acorn Farm- Kitchen Goods: Specializing in kitchen items and appliances for the home cook. Dandre

Jetpack Comics- Comic Books: Specializing in new and used comics and related collectibles. JACOB