Comments for Processed Identity: Sharing How You Got There / The Creative Process of Identity and Logo Design

Comment on Study 03 by Bianca Yvonne

Bianca Yvonne — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:02:35 +0000

Love the concept and the process behind it. I also present sketches to the client for similar reasons. Discussion of the concept is much easier when they know they are involved in the process. Also, time isn’t waisted making ideas pixel perfect on screen only to have them not at all interested in the idea.

Comment on Study 01 by Ruth

Ruth — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:47:19 +0000

Just to clarify We are Him+Her was set up in Early 2009 and has been trading with this identity since then. We would love to think that the ‘B+L’ identity was ‘inspired’ by We are Him+Her.
As Michael Johnson said ‘The difficulty with these cases is ascertaining whether something is the same idea that just happened to crop up twice, a well-meaning homage, or a blatant rip-off’.
Each identity has a very different use, meaning and application, both identities have a valid creative platform for why the look like they do. You can not own an idea but you can own how you use it. Check out our website to see why it looks like it does and how it comes to life.

Comment on Study 04 by Steve Zelle

Steve Zelle — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:21:13 +0000

Great insight into your process Matt. I really enjoyed the inclusion of the references. Along with the rough concepts, they provided a good indication of your thought process. I am curious to know at what point of the process was the creative direction provided to the client and in what form? (verbal, written, sketches) Thanks for sharing this Matt.

Comment on When Clients Ask to Spitball by Steve Zelle

Steve Zelle — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:07:12 +0000

m@,

Completely agree that the focus of the client should be on the information & research behind the visual direction. I would like to hear how other designers go about ensuring this occurs with clients that want to co-design?

Comment on How do you handle smaller organisations who approach you for identity development but cannot afford a proper discovery process? by Steve Zelle

Steve Zelle — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:02:28 +0000

Great answer. What is essential for me is that a reduced budget should not remove the need for some form of discovery. Clients that come asking for that step to be skipped are not looking for an identity but generic clip art to decorate their letterhead. The “x” factor that Studio Junglecat speaks of means I know if I can properly meet the clients needs with reduced resources. If I can’t, then I don’t do the work.

Comment on Study 01 by Tristan

Tristan — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:15:58 +0000

I see someone already posted about Bausch + Lomb’s logo. I immediately thought of it when I saw the logo above. Here’s the link to an article about the B+L redesign on Pentagram’s website: http://pentagram.com/en/new/2010/01/new-work-bausch-lomb.php

Comment on When Clients Ask to Spitball by m@

m@ — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:20:58 +0000

agree w/alex — I think this depends heavily on the client + your relationship + the project. In my experience, the common denominator to a ’successful’ outcome is willingness to let the creative drive the creative. Easier said than done. I know we’ve all been there.

In my opinion, the biggest hurdle comes when the client sees the project as their opportunity to ‘be creative’ and influence the visual direction vs. the information & research behind the visual direction.

You have to have a careful balance of involvement, again, depending on the three criteria mentioned above.

Comment on When Clients Ask to Spitball by Steve Zelle

Steve Zelle — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:32:15 +0000

Alex, thanks for the additional insight. I agree, the Seven25. sketches are a great example of finding new ways to better serve clients by sharing our processes.

Comment on When Clients Ask to Spitball by Alex Magill

Alex Magill — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:22:19 +0000

I’ve never had success sketching logo ideas in front of/with a client for one of the key reasons you mention in your original post: – I’m always worried that what I sketch will be unworkable or just not as good as something I take time to think over and work through and yet will be seized upon by the client. More often than not these worries have turned out to be all too accurate.

I have had real success sketching onto existing mock-ups and have taken to printing out multiple spare copies of logo concepts which I bring along to client meetings and keep in my bag for just such an occasion. It’s a great way of showing a client how something would look if elements were more pronounced or subtly changed (and, on occasion, for backing up your reasoning behind certain choices if the conversation goes that way).

In terms of talking over concepts I’m really keen to try Seven25’s approach of presenting tightly sketched concepts to clients (http://processedidentity.com/study/study-03/ ) rather than computer-rendered clean versions. I can see no end of benefits to doing so, and it strikes me as the best of both worlds. You get the time to consider and refine your concepts and the client doesn’t feel like she or he’s having a finished product pushed at them which they are required to like or dislike.

Comment on When Clients Ask to Spitball by Steve Zelle

Steve Zelle — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:26:57 +0000

Thanks Alex, great to hear from someone that has success with it. To be clear in my approach, I do welcome sitting with a client and discussing any part of the project — with the exception of specific logo ideas in a brainstorming session. How do you go about discussing concepts with a client? Do you keep it to a verbal discussion or do you sketch ideas on paper with them? Would love to hear more from you.