identity project

Just thought I'd bang this rough attempt at a personal logo up here before my formative review. Obvously just at a very early stage that needs to be built upon and thought about...

Giving Myself A Corporate Identity

Off the back of a tutorial I had with our lecturer early on we discussed the possibility of creating a corporate identity for myself which I think is a strong idea.

Just thinking about what I actually need to create for this I feel that the logo is very important. From the research I did on logos I know that it needs to say the right things about me and the product I’m promoting (which could either be my work or myself in an abstract sense, not decided yet). I also need to create things like a continuous graphic style to be used throughout the website and mission statements with goals and aims which could drive the graphic style.

A corporate site for myself needs to communicate certain things like my personality, a degree of professionalism and reflect my style and work.

From my personality I visualise something nicely structured, simple and minimalist perhaps. I’d quite like to include some thing to do with my surname, ‘Pidgeon’, into the logo, almost like a crest. I’ll try and do some graphic experiments with this and stick them up on this blog.

IDENTITY (2003)

"Stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rainstorm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they're being killed off one by one."

So the basic plot structure of this fantastic film begins in rural Nevada USA. The story opens with a horrendous thunderstorm that basically renders all routes away and mobile phones useless. The only establishment in the immediate area is an isolated motel in the middle of nowhere which becomes the meeting point for all the characters.

There are several strong characters in the film including: a limo driver and his has been actress passenger, a police officer transported a convicted killer, a Las Vegas prostitute, a mismatched newlywed couple and a timid couple with there young boy.

Once the scene at the motel has been set murders start taking place. Alongside this main plot a side story is developed involving the potential execution of a deranged serial killer, where the psychiatrist of the killer is trying to prove that his client suffers from multiple personality disorder where a separate identity committed the murders which has since completely left him.

I thought this film was worth mentioning because it addresses several starkly different identities later revealing that they all belong to the same person. I guess everybody has different facets to their own personality and display different qualities depending on the company, environment or social appropriateness.

‘Multiply Personality Disorder’ (MPD) also known as ‘Dissociative Identity Disorder’ is the real psychological disorder that is embellished in the film. It is generally thought to be caused by trauma or extreme stress, researchers for instance have found connections between MPD and childhood abuse. Victims of sever trauma or abuse are said to develop MPD as a defence mechanism to cope with the situation. It is difficult to diagnose as it of course is usually not as extreme as depicted in the film but the goal of the treatment is the same, to try and integrate personalities into one.

For this project I think it might be good to look at the different personalities I have in relation to the situations I adopt them in. I think this might be interesting so I’ll come back to this…

I was having a think about the visuals that a passport throw up and I did just a little composition....



I thought of a really nice organic feel that a passport seems produce.

Anyway just a thought.

I think passports are a really interesting specific purpose form of ID. Obviously this is the only way you can travel with ease between countries, showing it at every border. But what interests me are the stamps that are collected within them. Although this is becoming more and more redundant in the digital age, I love that one document can detail your travels of the world. Whenever I look at a passport full of stamps I try and visualise a route that might have been taken crossing continents and oceans, I think it inspires the imagination. If where people are going depends on where they’ve been then this is the perfect log. But as I say this is being phased out in favour of database driven documentation of your travels which is a shame.

This is a page from my own my passport, I find myself quite proud of the stamps as they show where I’ve been almost prompting me to gain more…





The visuals thrown out grab me as well, authentic and original with some real quality to them.

An ID card is another way of identifying an individual, although in this case unlike the previously discussed identifiers that are biometric, a government or establishment introduces this for a purpose.

Over 100 countries around the world have national ID cards, not all of these developed, in fact the majority aren’t and the UK as you may well know is currently debating whether there is to be one introduced. The function and integrity of these cards can vary enormously from country to country. More commonly used are specific purpose ID cards, for social security, health or since 1996 the UK photo-card driving license. The key to these cards is generally the number contained on it, either just as text or through technologies such as a barcode or magnetic strip. This number then links to a database containing information on its owner.

The UK version of this ID card which is due to be implemented by 2007-2008 has been fuelled by various reasons including the need for a document that is acceptable to other European countries, and to combat illegal immigration and working, terrorism and identity fraud.

The heart of the plan however would show a parallel increase in police power and the ‘big brother’ society.

Below shows what the UK ID card might look like….



ID cards can have different visual elements, such as the photo, crest and flag shown here on the mock UK ID. Brazil and Italy for instance hold the owners fingerprint along with personal details.

Now retinal scanning is thought to be the most accurate biometric, much more so than fingerprints. The error rate for fingerprint identification is sometimes as high as 1 in 500. A retinal scan, on the other hand, boasts an error rate of 1 in 10,000,000. Fingerprinting is of course the most popular test, largely due to the economics as retinal scanning devices are still expensive but also because it is generally not that easy to use.

It works using a low intensity light source and an optical coupler that reads the patterns of blood vessels at the back of the eye. There is no known way of replicating a retina either and the retina from someone deceased deteriorates too fast to be of any use.

Fingerprints have been used as a means of identification for many years; they are an example of biometrics, which is the science of identifying individuals by their physical characteristics.

Its by no means foolproof however, you can quite easily fake a fingerprint, in fact there’s a quite detailed tutorial on how to do it that I found on Chaos Computer Club e.V.

I quite like the visuals produced by fingerprinting, I got my self some ink and had a look at my own, and I used the index finger for the background of this blog to the bottom left. Below are all the scans, kinda like the whole hand, reminds me of a film called 'Identity' whose cover I've included too.

image taken from deviantArt

"Like the fingerprints that came into use by detectives and police labs during the 1930s, each person has a unique DNA fingerprint. Unlike a conventional fingerprint that occurs only on the fingertips and can be altered by surgery, a DNA fingerprint is the same for every cell, tissue, and organ of a person. It cannot be altered by any known treatment. Consequently, DNA fingerprinting is rapidly becoming the primary method for identifying and distinguishing among individual human beings. "

excerpt taken from www.accessexcellence.org

Another thought I had about Identity was about the way people are identitied using technology. I think I'm going to edge my research in this direction to see if theres anything that grabs me.

Will have a look at things like:

• DNA
• Fingersprints
• Retinal Scanning
• I.D Cards
• Passports
• Driving Licences
• Birth Certificates

An advertisement from BP I was shown in the Times newspaper caught my attention recently. It’s a new campaign launched by the popular British petroleum distributor giving information about a person or households ‘carbon footprint’ and encouraging people to reduce theirs. Basically a carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide emitted each year due to the energy we use.

BP explain that they are trying to reduce theirs and so far have reduced emissions by over 4 million tonnes, sounds impressive doesn’t it. Funny that a company selling a product that adds to emissions should be so concerned, but I guess that’s the point, to be seen to be doing something to help the environment.

Well it was the logo that caught my eye, mainly because this is the first time a noticed they have updated it.

This is what it used to look like…



And now it looks like this



I think that perhaps the primary reason for this redesign is to appear more eco friendly. Re-designing a logo is usually said to be detrimental to a company as any established brand identity can be lost so this was obviously a large step to take. The reason I say this is because of the new shape. I think it looks just like a flower, conjuring images of nature and cleanliness. The green and yellow colour scheme was there before which helps the transition along with supporting the naturalistic feel to the new logo. Another between shade of green/yellow has been added too. I think this adds to the flower image that is conjured, representing the different shades of a flower.

I always thought BP stood for ‘British Petroleum’ but now the tag line is ‘Beyond Petroleum’ again hinting at a new eco friendly company.

I thought this was a good example of when a logo directly represents what a company is trying to say.

Just off the back of the logo analysis, I thought of a possible idea for the experimental website.

A website that companies could upload their newly designed logo to and for a price they could have members of the site (who would be offered rewards) analyse the logo and explain what messages it conveyed to them. Market research on your logo completed from the comfort of your desk. Designers could also use this service before a logo design is handed over to the company that is commissioning it. That way possible refinement could be made before handing over the finished article.

Just a thought...

I’m thinking this one could be for something like an architect. The image almost looks like some blue prints for a building and in the shape of a building itself. I think the length of the shape is powerful and as it looks like a tall building it almost tries to demand the same respect. It seems detailed and accurate with the use of fine white, straight lines. All the qualities that you would want from an architect. Black is the only colour used which is powerful but elegant at the same time. The typography hints at something oriental although I’m not sure whether it’s the font or just how the text is positioned in relation to the image. But this of course is a Japanese design so that could be the reason for this. Apart from that the letters are tall like the image and clean cut without any curves, which is in line with the look and connotations of the image.

It’s actually the logo for a bar and restaurant so I was well off the mark. I don’t think it represents a bar and restaurant quite as well but now that I know it does remind me of some restaurant signs that I vaguely remember.

This logo I think appears to be for some sort of technology type company. The 3D render of the shape with its reflective appearance I think says modern and innovative. The colours again represent wisdom and intelligence as with Kobayashi but coupled with the shape it combines to give the impression of some sort of modern technology. The typography used gives it a technical feel; slightly slanted forward maybe conveys that the company are moving towards the future or forward thinkers. I am given the impression that the company know what they are doing from the spacing between the letters, which is confident and definite.

At first I thought this was a logo for an airline. I think this is firstly because of the angle and shape of the image. The shape almost resembles the tail of a passenger plane, the angle adds to this resemblance along with giving the impression of motion. The colour blue is used; this colour is used in other airline logos such as ‘British Airways’. According to colour theory blue is a retiring colour and conveys feelings of restfulness and passivity. It is thought to be a colour of loyalty, confidence and wisdom. All these colour connotations could be consistent with what an airline might want to promote. It is difficult to comment on the typography here as it is in an alphabet other than English but I guess the clean cut, structured way about it gives the impression of reliability and professionalism.

The logo is not for an airline however; it’s actually for a pharmaceutical company. The effectiveness of this logo to convey the company isn’t necessarily lost of course as its Japanese therefore could hold a different meaning to people of a different cultural background. This is important to take into consideration with a logo that may have application in different cultures.

I decided to analysis a couple of logos that I found in a book called ‘Japanese Graphics Now!’ by ED. Gisela Kozak & Julius Wiedemann. I chose to look at Japanese logos because I wanted to see if the logo itself could tell me what the company is and what they are trying to promote. I chose these particular three because I thought I might have an idea about what the company might be, I managed to guess one of three correctly.

I found this explanation of logo design that I think encompasses all the elements that need to be considered:

Logo design

Logo design is commonly believed to be one of the most important areas in graphic design, thus making it the most difficult to perfect. The logo, or brand, is not just an image; it is the embodiment of an organization. Because logos are meant to represent companies and foster recognition by consumers it is counterproductive to redesign logos often.

A good logo is:

• unique, and is not subject to confusion with another logo among customers
• functional and can be used in many different contexts while retaining its integrity
• presented small or large
• in full-color, but also in two colour presentation (black and white), spot colour, or halftone.
• presented on backgrounds of different colour and texture
• printed on various materials (where the shape of the product may warp the logo's shapes)
• abides by basic design principles of space, colour, form, consistency, and clarity
• represents the brand/company appropriately

Colour is important to the brand recognition, but should not be an integral component to the logo design, which would conflict with its functionality. Loud colours, like red, that are meant to attract the attention of drivers on freeways are appropriate for companies that require such attention.

For other brands, more subdued tones and lower saturation can communicate dependability, quality, relaxation, etc.

Colour is also useful for linking certain types of products with a brand. Warm colours (red, orange, yellow) are linked to hot food and thus can be seen integrated into many fast food logos. Conversely, cool colours (blue, purple) are associated with lightness and weightlessness, thus many diet products have a light blue integrated into the logo.

When designing (or commissioning) a logo, practices to encourage are

• use few colours, limit colours used to spot colours
• avoid gradients as a distinguishing feature
• produce alternatives for different contexts
• design using vector graphics, so the logo can be resized without loss of fidelity
• include guidelines on the position on the page and white space around the logo for consistent application
• do not use a specific choice of third-party font or clip-art as a distinguishing feature
• do not use the face of a (living) human being
• avoid the usage of photography or extremely complicated imagery
• avoid culturally sensitive imagery, such as religious icons or national flags, unless the brand is committed to being associated with any and all connotations such imagery may evoke.

(excerpt taken from Logo Design Article - What Is A Logo)

Logo's can have different formats and can evolve over time switching between these different formats. I have distinguished from various sources that there are generally five types of Logo:

• Text plus Image (Iconic Logo / Combination logo)
• Only Text (Wordmark Logo)
• Abbreviation plus Image (Iconic Logo / Combination logo)
• Only Abbreviation (Lettermark Logo)
• Only Image (Graphic Logo / Symbol Logo / Brandmark Symbol)

Here are some examples of different types of logo…



The Nike swoosh is established enough to include just the image and identity the brand clearly to clients, suppliers, users, affiliates and the general public.



The McDonalds logo now includes a brand slogan instead of the name which helps to build up the brand image. As the emblem is so well known the name of the company is not needed at all.



The Kelloggs logo is the name in a special typeface of font which is identifiable as an image itself. The cereal brand can be differentiated from the other brands by its unique typography and recognisable colours.

I've chosen to start my research with corporate identity, mainly because of the amount of thought and design that goes into a companies identity. All the visual elements that identify a company to its customers are througly considered and they can communicate very different messages.

Take a companies logo for instance, every aspect requires thought, the size, shape, colours, typography & overall image need to represent what the company is about.

I'm going to look at some information on logo design to see what it throws up.

As part of our visual studies module we have been given a topic that we are to research with the objective being to create an interactive website. My subject is Identity and this blog will be recording my research and idea refinment and development.

Below is the brief more or less....

Visual language is the 'look and feel' of an item of design - created by such elements as colour, proportion, letterform, shape, texture... it communicates on a level independant of the descriptitve elements - literal or symbolic - of the imagery. It conveys emotional messages to its audiences and they 'feel' something about the client, service or product. It is just one of a range of non-verbal languages with which we are all familiar. We read these languages easily and make judgements based on the messages we pick up through them.

In this module you are required to explore the notion of visual language through a given topic and experiment with a variety of conceptual and visualising techniques. You will use this research to develop the second part of this brief.

By week twelve each student will be required to submit research, evidencing visual understanding of their topic and demonstrate the ability to generate and refine ideas. This could be in Director, Flash or traditional sketchbook format. please note the research is ongoing throughout the module and does not finish with week twelve.