Project Length: 1 month
Week by week schedule
Week 1: Illustrator review, Typography, Color Theory, Branding Meeting
Week 2: Logo Deliverable Deadline (end of week)
Week 3: Business Stationary Deliverable Deadline (end of week)
Week 4: Packaging Materials Deliverable Deadline (end of week)
As you can see, you will have a week to work on each section of the project. At the end of the week, you will submit the deliverable to the client. For instance, in week 3 you will create all of the stationary products during the week, and send them to your client by the end of the day on Friday.
Within each week, there are multiple items to review, as well as separate components of the project to complete. There is a break-down of what you will need to complete below, but keep in mind that as the designer you will need to manage the time you have throughout each week in order to complete all tasks on time. Mapping out the weeks ahead of time will give you a strong start and allow you to plan your time efficiently.
Week 1
Illustrator Basics
This week we will be reviewing some basics of Adobe Illustrator, which is a software program widely used by graphic designers such as yourself. There are other software that designers choose to use, but for this project, Illustrator will be the program of choice. You will be watching some video tutorials created by Adobe, that are helpful because you can review them at any time if you need help with a tool or concept. The videos that are linked below must be viewed, but feel free to delve into the other videos in the Illustrator series if you want to learn even more.
Key Tasks
1. Setting Up Your Document
2. Using The Selection Tools
3. Working With Artboards
4. Understanding The Layer Tool
Skills for logo design
1. Pen & Pencil Tools
2. Using The Shape Tool
3. Using Fill & Stroke
Make sure that you have completed all seven videos before moving on to the next stage of the project. You are also challenged to review some of the more advanced videos to help with your project, and just for fun as well!
Typography
Let's look at some laws of type! You will have already learned a few of these concepts from your readings (Thinking With Type, Ellen Lupton) but the links below will add to your repertoire and make you a more thorough and thoughtful designer.
1. Basics of Type
2. The Art of Combining Typefaces
3. Creating a Typographical Logo (you will need to download the tutorial PDF from this page)
4. Creating a Graphic-Based Logo (again, you will be downloading the PDF from the page)
Branding meeting
One crucial step in the design process is the creation of a mood board that will help you and the client make sure you are on the same page, in terms of your vision for the project. You can see some examples of mood boards here. One way to go about this step is to have the client pick out a number of images (10-20) that include colours, packaging, decor, type—anything that represents how they see their brand and business. Once they have selected the images, you will pull out common themes and colours, and arrange them into a mood board. This makes for an effective way to present a vision to the client, and to make sure that you both have similar understandings for the project.
TASK: Partner with someone else in the room and conduct a branding meeting about your project. Have them select 10-20 images from the internet that they feel represent their company, and then discuss with them what sort of elements they would like to have included in their design. Use this as realistic practice for what a branding conversation would feel like. You do not need to submit anything for this task, but do your best to have a thorough and organized brand meeting.
Week 2
Now you are ready to get started with the logo design! You already know from your readings that logos are one of the key elements of a company's brand. Whether the business is big or small, having a strong identity is crucial to success. There are big companies with very famous logos, and then there are also smaller companies who have creative and unique logos. For your client, the latter is most likely going to be more fitting.
TASK: Create the logo for a client using the tools you reviewed last week, as well as the typography and logo design tips and tricks that you learned. Save the logo as a .ai file, and submit it to the client (your teacher) by Friday at noon.
Helpful Hint: Remember that logos do not need to be complicated or fancy. They need to say something important about the brand, and convey the message that the company is looking for. Sometimes the most effective logos are the simplest ones.
Week 3
Now that your logo has been created, you can start designing the elements that will include the new logo. This week you will be creating business stationary for your client. She has asked you to create a business card and a letterhead for her company. You can see an example of a stationary suite here. Although you will not be creating as many elements, it is still fun to see how far a project like this can extend!
TASK 1: After looking at the images on the stationary suite linked to above, try and pick out three elements that have been extended across the suite. You do not need to submit these thoughts, but take the time to look at that designer's work and understand the ways in which a brand can extend across different mediums. Once you have completed this, take a look at this link and you will see the original elements that they designed. Admiring other talented designer's work can be a very enjoyable part of being a member of the design community!
TASK 2: Create a business card design, as well as a letterhead design. Take time to consider what elements would be necessary on your client's card and letterhead. Having their logo, name, and contact information is probably necessary, but feel free to get creative with the ways in which these are presented, and what other design elements you want to include in order to extend the branding. Please submit these two documents as .pdf files to your client (your teacher) by Friday at noon.
Week 4Using the logo design that you have designed, create a mock-up of a shopping bag that will be attractive and appeal to potential customers after the purchase, while also being practical for the type of store. Please submit this document as a .pdf file to your client (your teacher) by Friday at noon.
