TGJ3M_Vector_Art_Animation_corporate

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=Vectors in Corporate Design=

The concept of commercial art varies with each person you ask. The general consensus however, is that commercial art is art for the sake of selling a product. William Morris, a school of arts and crafts founder, was but one of those who believed in and practiced the art of beautifying common things. Why run a newspaper ad featuring nothing but words? How about putting flowers on that tissue box? Wouldn't it be great if everything from magazines and brochures to food packages and road signs looked terrific while offering information? This thinking, a reflection of the world's growing desire to consume, formed the base of the movement known as commercial art. 1

Typical applications of commercial art are numerous, some include: print ads, website designs, product packaging, book illustrations, billboard layouts, TV storyboards, commercial signs, dust jackets, CD and DVD case and disk art, magazine covers, newspaper display ads, logos, catalogs, posters, bottles, cans, boxes, shopping bags, electronic displays, bus, cab and airplane ads, flyers, brochures, booklets, pamphlets, business letterhead, tickets, programs, marketing and sales presentation materials.

Reasons to go into commercial art include excitement, the love of creative challenges, you adore working with other artsy types and you exhibit great stamina during crises. Stay away from commercial art if you are prone to ulcers, can't cope with quick project turnarounds and compromise isn't in your vocabulary. Commercial artists work closely with sales and marketing teams in a corporate environment. As a rule, ad agencies and design studios offer the best salaries because clients are demanding and the work is intense. The biggest educational requirement for a commercial artist is keeping up-to-date on emerging softwares.

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Commercial Art and Business Card Design
A variety of factors combine to generate corporate identity. They include the culture of the company, their target audience, their product(s) etc... In TGJ2O we spend some time examining commercial art. In TGJ3M we will examine only 1 branch of commercial art and corporate identity - logo design/business card design (since one can't happen without the other). Since some of you are new to graphic design, we need to consider the following things in designing for businesses (which really needs to be done before we can drum-up a business card):
 * 1) Originality - The business card should make the owner stand-out from the crowd. Think of how the two business cards at right are different.
 * 2) Legibility - If you cannot read the information immediately, you will likely not find the card useful. It's best to use fonts and weights that are clear and differentiated for importance (i.e. company name in larger font size, perhaps a thicker lineweight too)
 * 3) Simplicity - If you make your card too busy or complicated, it distracts the viewer from the basic goal of the card - to sell a product/business of some kind!

During this process we refer to the graphic design process to generate ideas, reflect on them, refine them, then produce them.

The Makings of a Great Logo
gratefully from [|here]

__**6 questions to ask yourself when designing your brand**__

An effective logo can establish the right tone and set the proper ethos.

__1. What emotions does the logo evoke?__ Above all design guidelines, the most important criterion is whether the logo reflects the character of the company. The emotions that the logo evoke should be appropriate to the company values. For example, the Disney logo evokes a sense of happiness and optimism. The curvy and fun typeface is appropriate for a company that has been making cartoons and animated pictures for kids. However, a similar logo style on a sales platform would not be appropriate. Designers should understand the psychology of colors and the effect that typeface has on the design of a great logo. For example, green usually reflects growth, health, and the environment. It promotes relaxing and refreshing emotions. On the other hand, red may evoke danger and passionate emotions. Similarly for typefaces, Garamond, Helvetica, and Comic Sans all elicit very different sentiments. Serif fonts like Garamond promote the idea of respect and tradition, and are hence more suitable for an environment that demands integrity such as a university or a news publisher. Sans Serif fonts like Helvetica are clean and modern, and are well suited for high tech businesses such as computer or media companies. Casual script fonts like Comic Sans are probably best left for fun and animated companies such as toy companies. A good understanding of the psychology of colors, typefaces, and shapes is an important part of making a great logo. The fun styling of the Disney logo is appropriate for a design that aims to be fun, but such a style would not be appropriate for a sales platform company.

__2. What's the meaning behind the logo?__ Behind every great logo is a story.

A great logo is not about slapping your business name on a generic shape, which is why choosing from ready-made logos is a poor idea. An excellent way to make sure that a logo is not generic is when the logo has a meaningful story behind it. A good designer first understands the culture of the company, the tone of the product, and the vision of the business, much before embarking on ideas for the logo. The end result of a quality logo is reflective of the philosophy and values of the company.

The arrow in the logo represents that Amazon sells everything from a to z and the smile on the customer's face when they buy a product.

__3. Will the logo stand the test of time?__ How will the logo look in 2, 10, 20 years' time? Designers should avoid getting sucked into flavor-of the-month trends. Trends like ultra-thin fonts and flat shadows are design styles that will probably not stand the test of time. Simple is far better than complex. A simple yet memorable logo can be used in 20 years' time without being outdated. A good way to test the logo is to let it 'sit' with you for a while before releasing it. Some logos grow with you - the more you look at it, the more you like it. Some logos start to feel nauseating after a while - the more you look at it, the more you hate it. If after a couple of weeks with the logo you find it boring, the logo is probably not strong or timeless enough.

The simplistic outline and shape of the Apple Inc. logo allows it to endure the test of time. The first prototype of the logo would definitely not be suitable today.

__4. Is it unique? Can it be instantly recognizable?__ A great logo is distinctive, memorable, and recognizable. Even if you have only seen it once, you should still be able to remember what it looks like after a period of time. A good way to test this is to show your logo to a friend, then cover it up and have your friend describe the logo in a week's time. A fresh pair of eyes can be very effective in figuring out the most memorable components of a logo. In addition, if the logo reminds you of others you have seen, it is not distinct enough and probably a sign to make the logo more recognizable.

The logos of Path and Pinterest are very similar.

__5. How does it look in black and white?__ When I begin designing a logo, I always start in black and white. Designing with this limitation first forces you to make sure that the logo is recognizable purely by its shape and outline, and not by its color. A strong logo is one that is still memorable just by its contours. A one color logo also provides the benefit of using your brand easily in multiple mediums with different backgrounds and textures.

It is much harder to recognize the National Geography symbol once we remove its signature yellow color.

__6. Is it clear and distinct in small dimensions?__ Another way to make sure logos are simple and recognizable is to scale it down dramatically. Even at tiny resolutions, a strong logo should still be recognizable at a glance. This is also a good test to make sure that the logo is not overtly complicated with unnecessary design flourishes.

All these logos are sized to fit in 16 x 16 pixels. The Nike, McDonalds, Twitter, and WWF logos are still very distinct at small sizes. The GE and Starbucks logos are far more cluttered, and hence less recognizable when they are small.

These are not hard-and-fast rules, but good guidelines to make an effective logo. It is still possible to make a strong logo even if it is complicated, but understand the trade-offs of such a decision. So, the next time you find yourself designing or picking a new logo, ask yourself these questions. They may be helpful in deciding the right logo - and thus create the right corporate identity which includes everything from letterhead to business cards.



Graphic Design Principles
What makes a good design a good design is the adherence to basic graphic design principles namely Contrast, Repetition, Alignment and Proximity (CRAP).

1. Contrast

 * 1) The principle of contrast states that if two items are not exactly the same, then make them different. In order for contrast to be effective, it must be strong.
 * 2) Strong contrast adds visual interest to a page and makes it more attractive to the reader's eye. [[image:jmcintyre/graphic_design_contrast.jpg align="right" caption="graphic_design_contrast.jpg"]]
 * 3) Contrast helps to organize your information. Use contrast in your titles, heads, and subheads and page segments to make it easier for the reader to glance at the page and understand what is going on.
 * 4) The easiest way to add interesting contrast is with typeface. But you can also add contrast with rules, colors, spacing between elements, textures, shapes, etc.
 * 5) Use contrast to help create a focal point for a page. In addition to contrast, also use strong alignment and the use of proximity to reinforce your focal point.
 * 6) Don't be afraid to make some items small to create a contrast with the larger items and to allow blank space. Once you pull the reader in with your focal point, they will read the smaller print if they are interested.
 * 7) Avoid using typefaces, colors, rules, images, graphics that are too similar. Make them different to add contrast and visual interest to your page.

2. Repetition

 * 1) The principle of repetition states that you repeat some aspect of the design throughout the entire piece.
 * 2) Repetitive elements may be a bold font, a thick rule (line), a certain bullet, color, design elements, particular format, shapes, spatial relationships, etc. [[image:jmcintyre/graphic_design_repetition.jpg align="right" caption="graphic_design_repetition.jpg"]]
 * 3) Repetition works to unify all parts of a design. Repeating elements across pages creates consistency and visual unity. Because of repetition, you know you are still on the same website.
 * 4) Repeating certain elements in a page is a visual trick designers use to control a reader's eye and how the reader's attention moves down or across the page.
 * 5) Strong, repetitive elements help to organize the page into visual units.
 * 6) Repetition helps to organize, unify, and add visual interest to a page. If a piece looks interesting, it is more likely to be read.

3. Alignment

 * 1) Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Every item should have a visual connection with something else on the page.
 * 2) Be conscious of where you place the elements on a page. Always find something else on the page to align with, even if the two objects are physically far away from each other.[[image:http://www.davidduchemin.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/cardsalign.jpg align="right" caption="external image cardsalign.jpg"]]
 * 3) Align elements along "hard vertical edges." If instead of centering your text, you align the text on the left or the right, the invisible line that connects the text is much stronger because it has a hard vertical edge to follow.
 * 4) A centered alignment creates a more formal look, a more sedate look, a more ordinary and oftentimes dull look.
 * 5) Combine a strong flush left or right with good use of of proximity and you will be amazed at how strong your work looks.
 * 6) Don't combine a flush left and flush right alignment on the same page. Try to do one or the other.
 * 7) Don't center or justify lines of text. Centering and justifying lines of text creates ragged vertical edges, which makes it harder to read the text.
 * 8) Never center headlines over flush left body copy or text that has an indent.
 * 9) Find a strong alignment and stick to it. If the text is flush left, set the heads, subheads, and paragraphs flush left.
 * 10) If there are photographs or graphic images, align them with a text edge and/or baseline.
 * 11) Align image caption stories with the strong line of the photograph, which makes each stronger because of the stronger vertical edges this creates.
 * 12) Lack of alignments is probably the biggest cause of unpleasant-looking documents. Our eyes like to see order; it creates a calm, secure feeling.
 * 13) Alignment helps create unity on the page. Alignment helps connect and unify all the elements on a page, which creates an ordered, clean look.
 * 14) Breaking the principle of alignment can be a nice design trick by breaking the reader's expectations.

4. Proximity

 * 1) Group related items together so that related items are seen as one cohesive group rather than a bunch of unrelated elements.
 * 2) Items or elements that are not related to each other should not be in close proximity to each other. [[image:http://sitepointstatic.com/graphics/layout-and-composition_proximity.png align="right" caption="external image layout-and-composition_proximity.png"]]
 * 3) How do you know if a group of elements are related to each other?
 * 4) By grouping non-related elements you either confuse or intrigue the reader.
 * 5) By grouping several elements in close proximity to each other they become one visual unit.
 * 6) If there are more than three to five items on the page, see which of the separate elements can be grouped together into close proximity to become one visual unit.
 * 7) Try to avoid too many separate elements on a page. And don't stick elements in the corners and in the middle. Try to group elements together.
 * 8) You can tell whether a page has too many separate elements by being conscious of where your eye is going as it reads down the page. Does your eye have to jump around the page to read it.
 * 9) Once you have grouped elements into visual units make sure that you have sufficient white space between these groups. White space helps separate and announce each of these visual units.
 * 10) Violating the principle of proximity can be a design tool.

Summary of the CRAP Principles

 * 1) Don't be afraid to create your Design with plenty of blank space. Also make sure you have plenty of white space between elements and visual units.
 * 2) Don't be afraid to make words very large or very small. Don't be afraid to speak loudly or to whisper. Contrast is an essential element of good design.
 * 3) Don't be afraid to be asymmetrical, to un-center your format--it often makes the effect stronger. It's okay to do the unexpected. Try to break out of the box.
 * 4) Don't be afraid to make your graphics very bold or very minimal, as long as the result complements and reinforces your design.
 * 5) Vary the space between the elements on a page to indicate the closeness or importance of the relationship between elements. Proximity is a central tool in design.
 * 6) To keep an entire page unified, align every object with an edge of some other object.
 * 7) Avoid using all Capitals in your titles, heads, and subheads. Also avoid using italics, which are harder to read on the web.
 * 8) Remember the Computer is not a Typewriter. Don't use two spaces after periods, or underline a lot of text, or just use open quotation marks. Use both open and closed quotation marks to look professional.
 * 9) Remember that horizontal alignment is as important as vertical alignment. So make sure your text and images are both horizontally and vertically aligned.
 * 10) It takes a very self-assured designer to recognize and act on the power of simplicity. Many great websites are created simply, quietly, and with grace.
 * 11) Good design doesn't have to shout. Beware of getting too fancy and colorful. Try for restraint and simplicity in your designs.
 * 12) Any good design must have a strong focal point. You can create focal points using contrast and visual hierarchy.
 * 13) Make your message as easy to understand as possible. Organize and chunk your information into segments and sections introduced with catchy headings and subheadings.
 * 14) Try to develop a consistent, unified design that has a focal point and creates visual interest

But why are these BAD?


Let’s take a look at how each principle applies to these business cards:
 * Alignment — Death to center-aligned text! By aligning all the text the reader’s eye now flows smoothly over each point of copy. The problem with center alignment is that there is no consistent edge for the eye to follow, making quick reading difficult. Always think twice before using center-aligned text for any reason.
 * Contrast —The type looks blandly identical. By using contrasting type weights and styles to distinguish various types of information you can increase attractiveness in card-design. A consistent look is maintained by using varying weights and styles of the same typeface. This effect can also be achieve through varying color, typeface, size, or texture.
 * Repetition—By using a repeating theme (color, font, line, pattern etc...) you can create visual reference points for information and cause the eye to follow repeating themes to get the necessary information. There's nothing but text to focus on in both cases above - nothing clever that makes the company memorable.
 * Proximity—The horrible designs of the business cards force the eye to move all around looking for relevant data. In the card at bottom, at least the related information is grouped together so the reader can more quickly understand the organization of the layout, but as a photographer don't you think he would include something about his profession like one of his shots as a background, or one of his tools of the trade like the fellow below?

Business Card Size and Setup:
The standard dimensions for a printed business card are 3.5 x 2 inches. That's the finished card size. Many printed designs include bleed. The "bleed area" is an extra 1/8 inch of space for design elements or backgrounds that extend beyond the finished size of your piece. A business card design with bleed is printed slightly oversized and then cut down to size, giving the appearance that the printing "bleeds" off the edge of the card, rather than having white borders.

__When creating your business card design file, use these tips:__


 * Make the document page size equal to the card size plus the bleed area, or 3.75" wide x 2.25" high, to be trimmed down to the finished size after printing. If you aren't planning to include bleeds, the bleed area isn't necessary, so set the document size to the finished size, 3.5 x 2 inches.
 * If you're designing a vertical card with the long size up, simply switch the page width and height so you won't have to rotate the card to see the design the way you intend it.

__Play it Safe near the Borders:__ Because cutting may vary ever so slightly, it's a good idea to keep all of your valuable text and logo information within the safe design zone. This zone is the 1/8 inch around the margin of your card. Make sure your text is within the 3.25 x 1.75 inch area of your card. You wouldn't want to have the last digit of your phone number trimmed off! Designing with borders can be tricky. Thin borders outside the safe zone that are less than 1/8th inch thick may not trim evenly. To avoid an "off-center" look, keep border lines or other thin lines away from the edge of your business card, within the safe zone.

Using Flash as a vector tool to design business cards
THIS WAS DESIGNED AS A FLASH ASSIGNMENT, however, should you want to use Illustrator for the assignment instead, you may do so. Here is a [|great video guide] for basic Illustrator use.

[[image:brush_tool.png align="left" caption="Basic tools"]]Basic tools
Here we see some basic tools of flash that can help you to make your designs successful. #1 is the select tool, it treats the object you select as a series of pixels (a [|RASTERIZED]) object. This has it's benefits. #2 refers to the sub-select (or, as I call it the [|VECTOR] select tool). #3 is the brush tool, the difference between the brush tool and the pencil tool (above it) is that the brush tool places a vector around a fill, while the pencil tool essentially makes a line (a dimensioned vector).



Timeline
The timeline (located at the top of the screen) has certain features that will help you to do basic animations. #1 refers to the layer name (which can be adjusted by either right-clicking on the layer and renaming it, or by simply double-clicking the layername). When making multiple layers (#4) the layer that is at the top of the timeline is the layer that appears 'furthest forward' on the stage (the area you see when you draw things). In addition to making drawings on the stage, you also can make drawings over time. By __pressing F6__ (which __copies the previous keyframe__) or __F7 (creates a blank new keyframe)__ you advance your animation by 1 frame (typically 1/12th of a second, depending on what your framerate is [#6 - can be adjusted]). In keyframe animation (where you draw cel by cel) it is often useful to click on #6 (onion skinning) which by default shows you the previous 3 keyframes. This allows you to see where your objects have been on the stage and thus allows you to plan out where they are going over time.

We are going to use Flash primarily because we can use our knowledge of layers, combined with the ultimate vector functionality within Flash to create sharp designs from within Flash. Once complete, we can always save the work as an *.EPS (encapsulated post-script) for final processing in Photoshop. Typically, designers would use Adobe Illustrator to design the vector portion of any design (including a business card), but Illustrator is a VERY expensive product and the goal is to show you that ANY program that uses vectors can be easily co-opted for use in vector-based design.

First thing you'll note in Flash is on the bottom of the window, there's a Properties Panel. This will allow us to change the size of the stage to fit our business card size. By clicking on the Size button (which by default is set to 550x400 px), we get the properties size panel to pop up. This panel allows us to now change things like ruler type, stage size, background colour, and framerate (which we won't be using at the moment since we're making a static image, and not a movie). You need to change the measurement type to inches, then change the width to to 3.75" while changing the height to 2.25". This gives us our bleed mark cut area and allows us to design free of worry about losing information. e next thing we'll want to do is pop up our 'rule of thirds grid'. Either keypress [CTRL + ' ] or go to View>Grid>ShowGrid. Then you'll want to adjust the grid to reflect 1/3 of your vertical height and horizontal size. To do so, go to View>Grid>EditGrid and work out on a calculator what 1/3 of 3.75" is and 1/3 of 2.25" is (hint, if you're stuck use Google). Your stage should now be split into thirds. Next we want to add the bleed area and no-type area by adding guides. To do so we simply turn on the ruler (View>Ruler), then click your cursor in the toolbar area, and drag it out onto the stage as seen in the video below: media type="custom" key="8764472" The basics of Flash are easy enough. You can either choose any shape in its raster form using the basic select tool (V) or edit it as a vector in using the sub-select tool (A). See the video below for more details: media type="custom" key="8764474" media type="custom" key="8764476"

 =Assignment #8 - Business Card=

You need to go out to a local business/organization and offer to generate a new corporate identity for them. The business or organization can be people you know, or complete strangers. You may not receive pay from the company for this project. There are several end-results for this project - you are to generate the following:


 * you will contact a business/organization and ask them a series of questions to help you to identify what their corporate philosophy/goals are and develop an identity for them
 * you will develop 3 ideas with respect to your brainstorming process for their logo or letterhead or business card - each idea should occupy a full sized 5" x 7" - either in portrait or landscape and be designed in 220 ppi (dpi) or better for print.
 * you will submit each of these 3 ideas as FLA (or AI) with a jpg accompanying them
 * **CATEGORY** || **4** || **3** || **2** || **1** ||
 * **interview/brainstorming ideas (must be signed off on before you can proceed with the project)** || Meticulous planning, attention to every detail || Planned out and shown to teacher. Any flaws corrected. Follows plan. || Definite evidence of planning were present, but no "green-light" obtained, or if they were recommendations not followed. || Planning stages have gone through some thought perhaps, but student did not get the "green-light" from the teacher. ||
 * **Element Choices** || The choice of elements complements the career chosen || The product largely reflects good choice in elements. || The piece has distracting elements and don't aid the piece. || Element choices lead the viewer to be distracted rather than enhance the piece. ||
 * **Logo/Letterhead**
 * **clean lines** || Clean simple lines leave no impression of mistakes in design. Every stroke/fill has a purpose. || Generally clean simple lines with rare impression of mistakes in design. Generally each stroke/fill has a purpose. || Lines are occasionally misplaced or extended, with errors in placement/fills || There are serious flaws in the presentation ||
 * **Logo/Letterhead**
 * **principles of design choices (colour/weights/elements)** || Choices in each element are meticulous and well thought-out. || Generally the principles and elements of design are followed. || Principles and elements of design are sometimes heeded, but there are flaws. || There are serious flaws in adhering to the principles/elements of design. ||
 * **Overall impact** || The work clearly readable, and well thought-out || The work clearly reflects the career chosen. It is readable, but in some cases misses the target with either style, colour or placement choices. || Style, colour or placement choices lead the viewer to have a hard time reading the business card or understand the relevancy of the graphics chosen. || The piece doesn't work because principles of design have not been met, or the apparent effort is missing. ||
 * **Use of Time** || Used time well during each class period (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders. || Used time well during most class periods (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders. || Used time well (as shown by observation by teacher and documentation of progress in journal), but required reminders on one or more occasions to do so. || Used time poorly (as shown by observation by teacher and/or documentation of progress in journal) in spite of several reminders to do so. ||
 * **Filetype and size** || All 3 appropriate ideas have been submitted as PSD and jpg || One element missing from the submission || More than one element missing from the submission || Only one of the requirements has been met ||

1. What is your business?
Example: We make shoes. / We teach Kung-Fu. Why ask: Understand what a company does officially, later on in the questionnaire it will be interesting to see what the real product/service is.

2. How old is your company?
Example: More than 50 years old. / Started up just 9 month ago. Why ask: It's for general orientation. The answer may also give you an idea.

3. Size of your company?
Example: 200 employees in 4 countries. / Just me and my brother. Why ask: The answer may give you an idea and gives a general understanding for the weight of the brand.

4. Your business in one sentence?
Example: We make great hiking shoes for families and professional hikers. / We will teach you how to defend yourself with anything that you find. Why ask: We are getting closer to the nature of the business, but we're not done.

5. Your business in two words?
Example: Hiking shoes / Self defense Why ask: That's more like it.

6. Your business in one word?
Example: Hiking / Defense Why ask: See how different the real nature of the business from the official one in question 1.

8. How did you start the company?
Example: My granddad was a scout in WW2 in the Austrian alps and he had to go up hill 5 kilometers every day. He perfected the army shoes for 3 years and after the war he founded our company. / We were always skinny when we were young and everybody made fun of us. Then my brother started to learn Kung Fu from a Singapore master and we became suddenly well respected and popular. A year later my little sister was mugged and beaten and ended up in wheel chair for 2 month because she couldn't defend herself when she walked home from school. I felt horrible not being able to protect her, so I decided we gonna teach her and others self defense, so that such things never happen again. Why ask: Such stories will give you amazing insight to the company and may give you an idea.

9. Is there a story that is unique to your company?
Example: Actually Edmund Hillary wore a shoe my granddad made in 1953 when conquering the Mount Everest. / One of our students became a police officer after she managed to kick a burglar out of a friends house on a sleep over. Why ask: It tells you what the company is proud of, therefore you can build on this in your logo.

10. If you company/brand was a person who would it be?
Example: Columbus, because he was an adventurer always looking for new ways of doing the same thing. / Bride from Kill Bill. Why ask: A brand is perceived by consumers like a person. You trust them, you communicate with them through advertising and purchase, you get disappointed by them, etc. The identity you're designing is the face of that person.

11. If your company/brand was an object what would it be?
Example: I don't know, maybe a compass... / Hmm, that egg protecting carton. Why ask: Ideas, ideas, ideas, you can't have enough of them. You can get it from the client directly or his answer may trigger one in your head.

12. If your company/brand was an animal which one would it be?
Example: Camel / Tiger Why ask: This is a conversation starter. If he says elephant, you may ask why to find out more that might give you an idea. You get the idea.

13. Is there an important object, building or person for your business?
Example: Our original factory in Graz is painted bright pink and people always joke about it. / We have Bruce Lee's nunchaku displayed at our training hall. Why ask: You are looking for existing imagery that the brand is already known for, you may just need to make an icon out of it.

14. What do your wear to work?
Example: Jeans and t-shirt / Traditional black dress with a wide red belt. Why ask: The answer sets the style for the identity.

16. How does the market see your company today?
Example: They think we're a well established company with good products. / They think it's a small family business. Why ask: Must know what the current perception is to make sure the new identity doesn't depart too much from it, so that the brands keeps the trust of existing customers.

17. What aspect of your image needs improvement?
Example: People think we are old school. / We are seen to be semi professional. Why ask: This is the bad perception, that keeps the business from growing. This is what you have to fight with the new identity.

18. How do you want your image to be seen in 2 years?
Example: We want to be seen as a company with traditional values but using the latest technology and materials. / We need to be perceived as a professional organization you can trust with self defense training. Why ask: This is what you have to portray in your new identity to serve your client.

19. Who are your competitors?
Example: CAT, Timberland and other smaller companies. / There is one Jiujitsu training center nearby. Why ask: The identity has to be easily identifiable and it has to be unique. It's essential to research the competition.

20. How are they better/worse than your product/service?
Example: CAT and Timberland has strong brands. We are less well known. CAT is masculine, we are not, but want to be. Timberland has a very natural feel to it. We want to have that too. We have a bigger history and we are more serious about our product than these two brands. / The Jiujitsu training center has been operating for almost 10 years, they have a well established name and they are seen as professionals, we want that too. We are much more self defense oriented, unlike our competitor who is more involved in competitions and show off stuff. Why ask: You have to identify your clients brand's strength and weaknesses and build on them.

22. Who is your customer?
Example: Mainly hobby hikers and a few professionals as well. / All kinds of people between the ages of 18-35. Why ask: You need to know who are you talking to. If you're talking to kids you need to speak a different visual language than if you're talking to bankers.

23. If your customer was a cartoon character who would it be?
(not a joke) Example: Ha ha, I would say Nemo / Courage the Cowardly Dog Why ask: Cartoon characters have exaggerated characteristics. Identifying the stereotype of your consumer is easier through this exercise.

24. Do you have an identity?
Example: Yes / No Why ask: You have to create a visual continuity, unless a sudden change is required because of a strong negative association with the old identity.

25. What do you like about it and what do you not like about it?
Example: I like the colors, but the boy scout around the fire is not serious or trendy. / N/A Why ask: Obviously you may consider to keep what client likes and stay away from what he doesn't like, unless you have strong reasoning for doing otherwise.

The Wrap-up
So, you've completed your interview and are going through your notes. Now you need to consolidate these thoughts and start to come up with some ideas.  Here's a 9-step process you can use to follow-up.  1. Brief  First skip through the brief. Then read it again properly.  2. Research  Check out what the competition is doing to make sure you're not doing the same, etc.  3. Brainstorming  You need to prepare for this one. Take a piece of paper, write the name of the project and the main objective on the top of the page. Divide the page into 9 sections with 2 horizontal and 2 vertical lines to make 9 sections. Make 4 copies.  Now that I have the brainstorming sheets, I start to write or sketch the ideas that come to my mind, one in each section. At this point I don't care if the idea makes sense or if it is feasible. Don't stop till you fill 2 pages (18 sections). Most of the time, this takes more than an hour of concentration. I try not to stop even if I think that I've got a winner idea. I try to keep my mind open and forget about the idea that I just scribbled down to be able to concentrate on the next one. I try not to analyze the ideas at this stage.  4. Take a break and restart <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Now you've done 2 pages, you need to change something. Take a break and come back to finish the 3rd page. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 5. Change of perspective <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Take the fourth sheet and write down a random list of 9 characters and places into each section, like: Mars, Ant, Ronald McDonald, Train, Vampire, Transformer robot, Kenya, Bakery and Harrison Ford. Now, take each of the places and characters perspective and think of the same problem from their points of view. For example if I'm a vampire and I need a logo for this butchery, what would it look like. It's actually quite fun if you take the effort to imagine yourself into each persons body and project yourself to each place. You can develop your own methods to change your perspective. For example you can simply turn your page upside down or stand up on the top of the table. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 6. Random association <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Take a book that has many images and words, like a magazine. Decide which part of the page you want to go for and then open the magazine. Let's say, I look at the top right element in the page for example. If I see a crying baby? I'll try to think of an idea related to the crying baby and sketch it down on a fifth sheet. I try to do it for all the nine segments and then I take a break. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 7. Selection <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> At this point you should have 45 ideas, most of them are useless. If you're lucky you will have 4-5 feasible ones and some more that can be made to work with some tweaking. Go through each idea and try to make it work. Select the best 9 and than start working on them and see if you can eliminate 6 of them. I typically keep only the best 3 that I'm very happy with. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 8. Check <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Reread the brief and see if the 3 concepts answer the brief fully and talk to someone that you value the opinion of and get his/her comments. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 9. Finalize the ideas.

(taken from here: link)