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IDENTIFY YOURSELF - Grade 7 Logo Design

Unit question: How do Logos represent identity?

Significant concept (s): Logos represent Identity, Logos define who you are. 

Why and how do we create? We will look at human ingenuity and how logos are used to promote businesses and organizations. Human ingenuity is at the heart of Technology and in this project you will examine, question and reflect upon the process of logo design and why companies develop them. You will then design and create a logo that represenrts you.

  

A. What's the problem?

AIM: To design and create a key chain

You will design a logo that represents who you are. You will then use Adobe Illustrator to design a keychain based on this logo. The keychain that will be cut out of plastic using our laser engraving machine.

Task 1: Create a title page

Create a title page for this project. Use Illustrator and/or freehand drawings

Task 2: Why do we use logos?

Write about :

Why do you think logos are used?
How do you think logos can represent a company?

 

(HINT! Look at the box opposite for some help!)

a

Why do companies and organisations develop logos?

Large companies spend millions of dollars on logo identity and brand identity trademarks, and for a very good reason. Logos are effective. With only a glance they are instantly recognized.

Before many people could read, symbols or pictures were used by businesses to identify themselves. As far as we have come with technology and the information age, symbols are still the most powerful means of establishing identity. Just look at your desktop screen. When you want to find a program, like the rest of us, you look for the icon (picture), not the words in the label beneath it.

An image can impress itself on a mind in a way that words can't. Think of the logos you see every day. Even most pre-school children can identify many companies by their logo.

A simple but distinctive logo is much more powerful than one that is busy and complicated. Think of how basic these companies’ logos are; Disney, Pepsi, the Coca-Cola "Wave", the Nike "Swoosh”. Do what they do and keep it simple

Logos help people recognize organisations. These logos often give an impression of a company and the quality of their goods and services. A corporate identity is often based around a logo, but may also involve other elements such as company uniforms and advertising.

Task 3: Describe the design problem.- The design brief

Write the title, "Design Brief "

In two or three sentences - Describe the design problem (What you have been asked to do) by answering the following questions:

  • Why do you think it will be useful to have your own logo?
  • What have you been asked to make?

B. Research about the design brief

Task 4: My research plan

This is where you need to think about what you are need to find out. Copy out the table below. Add more of your own questions as you think of them.

What I need to know Where I can find the information Why I need to know this / What I will do with the information Reference? Done?
1.What are the different kinds of logos? MYPTtech (Task 5 below!) This will help me to create a wide range of designs tick here when included in your bibliography tick here when you have used this resource in your reportand you have filled in all the columns.
2. What is a laser engraver? and what can it cut / engrave? MYPTtech (Task 6 below!) This will help me to decide what to make    
3. Whatis acrylic? MYPTtech (Task 7 below!) This will help me to decide what to make my product out of    

Include a MLA style bibliography - Use Easybib see below for an example using this website page. You can tick the reference section of the table above when you have written its entry in your bibliography.

a

Design Considerations

When working on a logo for an organisation, the design ers must take many factors into consideration, for example:

  1. Is the logo clear and eye-catching? These elemnts can be achieved by using contrasting colours and simple shapes
  2. Will it transfer to all types of material for use by the organization? THe logo will have to be applied to a variety of items and be produced in a variety of sizes - will it l be effective as a key ring or as a black and white a letterhead?
  3. Does it tell you enough information to become the trademark for the organization? Many organizations will want to just put the logo on their products and not include their full name. Will it be suitable for this?

KEY TERMS

Corporate Identity: The images, colours and slogans that help you recognise a company.

Trademark: A unique mark that helps you identify a product or range of goods by the same producer.

Logo: An image associated with the organisation

Task 5: Exploring Logos. What are the different kinds of logos?

Look at your research plan above . The first guiding question we needed to answer was, "What are the different kinds of logos?" We will try to answer that during this task.

  1. Think of your favourite brands. Go to their web sites, right click on their logo and save to your network folder. Search at home for other logos and cut them out of magazines or draw them. Collect as many as you can, scan these and upload them as well.

    Only collect logos that you think have been designed well.

    Look on the OLC here for many examples from other students

  2. Upload your favourite logos onto the OLC here.

  3. There are the three main groups that designers use to describe logos.

    4. Signature: A signature is the name of a company or an individual using a distinctive style of type (writing) Examples here

    Mark: A mark is a graphic design (picture) used to represent a company. Marks generally represent (suggest something about) the company. Examples here

    Wordmark: A “wordmark” is a graphic design that includes the name of the company into the design (words and pictures). Examples here

Briefly describe the three types of logos and give 3 examples for each.

  1. Stick your logos into your portfolios under the three headings - Signature, Mark and Wordmark.
  2. Here are some more signature logos. Look at them65. If you think you could write your name like these, then copy them into your portfolios.
  3. Evaluate some of your chosen logos. What is good about them, what is not so good and what could you do that is similar in your own design?
  4. Add your comments to our logo forum here. What is your favourite logo in the gallery? Explain why you think this.
  5. What makes a good logo? - Use everything you have found out to describe what makes a good logo. Write one paragraph in your own words. (Dont forget to look in the box opposite for some help!)

Looking at materials and laser machines

Task 6: The laser engraver

  1. Find out about our laser cutter. the Universal VersaLASER® VLS3.50.
    • see here for some pictures of what can be done with the laser machine
    • see here for a description of our laser engraver (VLS3.50)
  2. Write a summary of our laser. Include what it can do and the type of materials it can cut. Give some examples. You can use your research from the website here to help you.
  3. Include a bibliography (use easybib)

Task 7: Is plastic fantastic?

Your logo will be cut out of or engeraved on acrylic.

  1. What is acrylic?

Our plastic is called LaserMax it is 2 ply acrylic and is made by a company called Rowmark.

  1. Look at the link here and try and find out what 2ply means. Hint. How many colours are there for each sheet of platic?
  2. Include any website you have looked at in your bibliography (use easybib)

a a a s

Getting along with Illustrator

Task 8: Work through these tutorials

    1. Create the pencil logo here.
    2. The Pathfinder tool

      This tool is used to join or divide two or more shapes. Complete the following tutorials.

      1. Biohazard tutorial here. Using the Ellipse and Divide pathfinder tools.
      2. Making clouds using the Add to shape Area command here

 

C. Creating a Design Specification

Task 9: The design specification

After your research you can develop a Design Specification. This is a an accurate list of facts such as dimensions (lemgth width, thickness), materials (wood , plastic) , methods (create in Illustrator, engrave with a laser machine) that are important for the designer and for the user. All design solutions will need to follow the design specification.

The design specification should include:

    Example: Always write a possitive specification, the design will...... Not I will try and.....

The Audience- Who you are designing for

 

  

The Audience- Who you are designing for

  • The design will be made for me!
Production -
  • What it should look like (Size/colours/etc)




  • What it should be made from


  • Tools needed to make the product
  • Time needed to complete the product

  

Production

  • It will be a key ring
  • The design will relate to myself
  • It will have rounded corners
  • It will have a simple shape
  • It will be red and white (this is an example - you may want a different colour!)
  • It will be made from 2ply plastic plastic
  • It will be 5cm x 3cm x 0.5cm
  • It will have a small hole at one end for the key chain
  • It will be made by the school laser machine
  • It will be completed by..?....!!

Usage -

How it will be used

 

Usage

  • It will be used by me to hold my keys

 

FInally, Create a table. You must include a reason for each of your design specification point:

Number Specification point Reason / justification
1. It will be made for me! It is the requirement of this design problem to make the product for myself
2. It will be a key ring It is the requirement of this project to make a key ring
3 It will have rounded corners We will put this in our pockets and we dont want it to cut us!
4 It will have a simple shape It will be cut with a laser machine and shouldn't have any small pieces that may fall off.
5 It will be red and white I am going to use a piece of red plastic that can be engraved in white. These are the only available colours. I chose red and white because this is the colour of my countries Flag.
6 It will be made from 2 ply acrylic This is the best material the school has for this job
     

The design specification will ensure that your designing gets off to a good start. As you develop your design ideas, it is important to check your ideas against the specification to avoid losing sight of what the product has to do.

You need at least 10 specification points. You can use some from the example, but will have to add your own too!

Task 10: Evaluate your progress so far, include:

    • The Process - (Approaches to learning)
      1. research skills
      2. organization skills.
      3. Attitude to work (this unit)
      4. suggest improvements.
    • The content of your work -
      1. what level do you think you have achieved in this section? Explain your answer.
      2. suggest ways to improve in the future.

Task 11: Stick your work into your books and add the rubric below:

0

You have not reached a standard described by any of the descriptors given below.

1-2

You have explored some existing logos. You have collected information from sources. You have listed some specifications (included a design specification).

3-4

You have included a design brief. You have investigated why logos are important. You have explored some existing logos and described the three main types of logo, selecting information from some acknowledged sources. You have written about our laser machine and acrylic plastic and have used easybib. You list a range of specifications that must be met by your logo.(You have include a design specification with at least 5 bullet points)

5-6

You have described why logos are important and have created a design brief. You have described what makes a good logo. You have described what can be done with our laser engraver and discussed acrylic. You have evaluated examples of each type of logo and have acknowledged all your sources using easybib. You have included a full list of specifications(at least 10) that must be met by your logo, giving the reasons why you have included each specification point.

 

 

Investigate Design Plan Create Evaluate