Visiting Designer: Lunchtime Presentation

 SEE "STOP PRESS" above. There will be a lunchtime talk for Design Identity students in building 16 Room 125, at 12:30.

Genevieve Binnie, of First Nature Design, will talk you through her portfolio of work, specifically packaging design. This will give you exclusive and valuable insights into the workings of a professional and successful local designer. Not to be missed.

Identity Competitions

As mentioned in class, there's 3 things requiring your ideas and skills:

First: The Agility Nationals This is a logo for the national dog trials. The logo needs to incorporate "2010 Agility Nationals Western Australia. There some footage on YouTube where you can see the dogs go through their paces: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrPNQYdU4n0&feature=related . Competitors (and presumeably their owners!) are the audience for this, not the general public.

Second: Comiczone T-shirt design. Four T designs for the good people at Comiczone to wear at this year's Supernova. Email Stuart for details and logo ingredients, etc. The audience: Comic tragics like you!

Third: Technet Please see the TechNet website for background on the groups plans, goals, ideals as well as what happens at the conferences. TechNet is about creating connections across tertiary institutions nationally throughout Australasia. TechNet needs a logo to cover the whole organisation. A logo that incorporates the words "TechNet Australia". This can be applied to their web presence, posters, conference programs, letterheads, etc. If you get the gig, you may be asked if you would like to do the design for more conference material. http://www.technetaustralia.org

There's money in the T-shirt one ($100) and the TechNet one ($300) if you are the chosen designer.

Please choose one (though these are not compulsory, just good for the folio) These are all due with the packaging assignment. 

The Hand-in Picnic

Tuesday 31 March is the new hand in date for the Logo project. This session will take place in the Design Studio, not the computer lab. You will hand in your stationery set at the beginning of class.

In the same session bring in your chosen food or drink packaging. We can have a snack while we discuss some finer points of packaging: what the packaging is saying, how it's put together, and so on.

InDesign Basics

Hi people. Have a look in the sidebar for the InDesign basics link if you need it. Just a word o' caution tho': these resources are for InDesign CS4 not CS3 (which we are still using). The principles are mostly the same in either case. Any  probs, email me or come and see me in 5.123. All the best

Stuart

Illustrator basics

Don't forget to have a look at the Illustrator Basics in the sidebar if you get stuck. Also, go to the library to have a look at the logos stuff. 741 to 745 or so should see you in the right section. Level 4. you know, the Library? Big building full of books? Books? Those bound collections of pages with words and pictures in them. Go there!

Also check out the serials. Same call numbers but with an S in front and found on the third floor.

Stu

Developing your logo

Now it's time to move from the brainstorming phase to actually formulating some ideas, and then developing the best ones into useable brand marks. Refer to the 'Example logos' post in the sidebar. What makes these logos work? in some cases it's visual wit, in others a limited colour palette, appropriate shapes and typography. Sometimes all of the above. Think carefully about your identity: does it need an image or would some typographic mark be enough. Note that nearly all good logos have EITHER a good pictorial device OR engaging, sometimes complex typography. Very few have both as these two elements, if not handled with care can compete with each other for attention, creating a 'split personality' rather than a strong and clear identity. As you develop your logo, make many attempts at developing shape, changing colour schemes and typography. Keep pushing, and saving as you go. When you think you're on to something worth keeping, save the file and start a newly named file where you left off. You can always come back to a good point if you get lost. That can happen a lot. All the files you keep go towards your 5 pages of development.