Lesson video

Hello there.

How are you doing? I hope you're good.

My name's Dr.

Jones and I'm super excited to be your art teacher today.

So today we are going to be looking at text type and logo design, which is a fascinating area and a very useful area of art and design to learn about.

This is part of our foundation workshop series, an introduction to the areas of study.

I really hope that you enjoy it.

So our outcome for today is to learn to design a typographic logo that communicates a brand identity effectively through font choice and simple imagery.

I hope you enjoy it.

Some of the key words that we will be referring to throughout the learning session today include: logo, which is a symbol made up of text and or images used to identify a brand or organisation.

Typeface.

This is a set of letters that share a similar shape and design.

Brand identity.

These are the visual elements such as logo, colours, and fonts that create a company's public image.

Our learning today will be divided into three learning cycles.

The first one is understanding typography and logos.

So let's dive straight in.

Some of the outcomes for today might look something like this.

How can text and letters be designed to convey meaning and create impact? You can pause the video whilst you discuss.

Thank you for thinking about that and discussing your answers.

You are of course, right, there's lots of different ways they can be used and typography is the style, appearance, and arrangement of letters to create meaning and impact.

Graphic designers use typography wherever text is used, such as brand logos, websites, advertisements, magazines and newspapers.

Typography isn't just about choosing nice typefaces and fonts.

It influences how people feel about a brand.

Bold, sharp text might make a logo look strong and energetic while delicate flowing letters could feel gentle and personal.

There are four main styles of text or typeface that are often used for specific purposes.

Typefaces are a set of letters that share a similar shape and design.

These are serif, sans-serif, script, and display.

Serif typeface have small lines or feet at the end of the letters.

These are considered to be more traditional and more formal in appearance.

Serif typefaces are often used in newspapers and printed books.

Sans-serif typefaces are designed to be clean and modern.

They do not feature the small lines at the ends of letters, which can improve the readability, especially on digital screens.

So does typeface refer to A, a set of letters that share a similar shape and design? B, the thickness or thinness of a letter, or C, the legibility of text? You can pause the video whilst you think about that.

Well done.

It is of course A.

It's a set of letters that share a similar shape and design.

So a logo is the face of a company.

Logos are visual symbols, often combining colours, texts, and images.

These visual elements are used to represent a company's public image, often referred to as their brand identity.

Looking at logos from around the world, you might notice how typography can be used to strengthen a brand's message.

Brands promoting a modern and professional look might use sans-serif typefaces to give a clean and clear aesthetic.

A brand trying to convey a sense of history and legacy might use serif typeface to create a traditional appearance in their logo.

An organic brand might use a soft script typeface.

Being aware of how different styles of typography are perceived allows designers to make informed choices when making logos and building brand identity.

So let's recap some of those different styles.

We have serif, which are considered to be more traditional and formal typefaces.

Sans-serif typefaces that create a clean, modern aesthetic.

Script, which are often considered elegant, decorative and premium and display, which give a bold eye-catching feel suitable for headlines.

Can you match the typeface with its correct style description? You can pause the video whilst you do this.

Well done if you said that the first one, the script typeface, is elegant and decorative.

The second one, which is the serif typeface, is traditional and formal.

The display typeface is bold and eye-catching, and the final one is the Sans-serif typeface, which is clean and modern.

So looking at the two examples below, identify which typeface style has been used and describe what you think the designer is trying to convey through each logo.

You can pause the videos whilst you do this and discuss this with someone.

So for this first logo, you might have said something like Alex.

He says, "A bold display typeface has been used in this logo, which makes it eye-catching.

It is also Sans-serif, so it seems more modern and that makes it easier to read.

The icons and symbols make the logo look full of energy." Thank you, Alex.

That's a great response.

For the Baker's logo, Sam has said, "A script typeface with a thin font style has been used in this logo.

This design choice as well as the hand line drawing gives the impression of it being handmade and an artisan-style bakery." Well done for learning about different typography and logos.

Now, we're gonna explore text styles and branding.

Brand identity refers to the visual elements such as logo, colours, and fonts that create a company's public image.

Everything that represents a company including the typography, logos, colours, and typefaces they all use, all contribute towards how people perceive them.

This is how brand identity can be communicated through graphic design.

Different fonts and typefaces communicate different brand identities.

Notice how this same brand name reads differently depending on how it has been designed.

You can pause the video whilst you consider the different effects of these designs.

Artists might utilise text styles to convey ideas and help companies communicate brand identity.

Erika Mendoza specialises in type design and lettering, experimenting with text across different mediums. Greg Bunbury often employs bold display typefaces in his designs to capture attention.

Stefan Sagmeister uses a range of typographic styles in his expressive and conceptual designs.

So a little check for understanding.

Can you fill in the missing word? The visual elements that refer to a company's public image is referred to as, A, brand identity, B, brand awareness, or C, brand code? And you're correct, of course, it is brand identity.

So when designing a logo or using text in design, it can be helpful to consider the overall layout.

Here we have a balance of text and image.

We've also been thinking about the spacing and the kerning between letters, words, lines, and paragraphs, and thinking about ensuring it looks good at different sizes.

There are a few common mistakes which can be avoided in text or logo design.

Having too much detail.

Styles that don't match brand identity, or text being too difficult to read.

Spacing between lines of text, kerning between letters, and sizing of text should all be considered in typography.

This aids readability for viewers and helps designs to look visually appealing at different sizes.

Designers often experiment with text and logos in typography to improve readability in selective areas of a design.

Jessica Ryan-Ndegwa uses her experience as a graphic designer with disability to address missed opportunities within design.

Jessica Hische uses technical precision in her typographic designs to enhance legibility and David Carson punctuates text through design making selected words stand out through readability.

So a little check for understanding, true or false.

Logos have to be complicated and detailed to look professional.

Is that true or false? You're correct.

Of course, it is false because some of the most successful logos are incredibly simple.

They have clear designs and they're more memorable and versatile across different platforms, medias, formats and sizes.

Choose one fictional company from the list below or choose your own and sketch three quick text-based logo ideas using different typeface styles.

This could be serif, sans-serif, script, or display.

You could choose from "Aurora Tech," which is a technology company, "Wild Roots," an organic skincare brand, or "Swift Move," a delivery company or of course, one of your own fictional companies.

You can pause the video whilst you work on this task.

You might have created something that looks like this.

Well done.

We are now gonna move on to the final learning cycle.

This is about creating and refining logo designs.

Initial ideas are usually rough.

They are primarily for communicating your ideas more clearly.

By refining these initial sketches, it sharpens them into strong designs.

It's important to consider if the design elements you have chosen reflect the aesthetic you're trying to achieve.

Using your initial design ideas, discuss with a partner if your typeface is well chosen, easy to read, and the logo helps communicate the brand's identity.

Well done for doing that.

Here, Jacob has reflected and said, "Of my three initial designs, I think the display typeface creates the most impact and looks the most professional for a delivery company compared to the others." Sofia has said, "I find script typefaces can be harder to read, so they should be carefully used within logos as it might make brand identity harder to convey." Remember a few key tips for designing an effective typographic logo design.

Keep it simple.

Less is more.

Prioritise readability, and match typeface and font to brand identity.

What makes a logo most effective? Is it A, highly detailed illustrations, B, multiple colours and fonts, or C, simplicity and clear communication? You're correct, of course.

It is C.

Well done.

Here are some steps to refine a rough sketch towards a final logo design.

This could be the sketch that you did in the previous task.

So you could use the rough outline sketch to define and refine the outlines to develop visual clarity in the logo design.

So moving from that to that.

You may use a ruler to ensure even spacing and placement of letters if working by hand.

Or if you're working digitally, you could use a grid.

With the outline in place, you can now begin to add other visual elements such as symbols, icons, shapes or lines which add to the design.

Sometimes a basic symbol like a leaf or lightning bolt enhances a typographic logo, but keep it minimal.

You can pause the video whilst you do this task.

Complete your logo design by adding any finishing details.

If you are going to use colour, be selective and use a colour palette, which works together with the typographic style and represents the brand's identity.

Again, you can pause the video whilst you add these finishing touches.

When designing a typographic logo, what should be the main priority? A, adding as many design elements as possible.

B, ensuring readability and brand connection, or C, copying existing logos? You're correct, of course it is B, ensuring readability and brand connection.

So you've already created a clean logo, which is task one.

Now it would be helpful to reflect on your design whilst considering, is the text readable? Does the design clearly communicate the brand's identity? Whilst you reflect on this and discuss, you can pause the video.

There are many possible outcomes, but you might have something that looks like this from the first task.

And Jacob has reflected on his and he says, "I used the Swift Move prompt for a delivery company.

I chose a bold typeface with 3D shadows and all capital letters to make it stand out.

I added arrows and a paper aeroplane symbol to create a sense of movement to reflect the brand's identity." Well done, Jacob.

So that brings us towards the end of our learning session today.

And just to summarise, some of the key learning different typefaces convey different messages to viewers.

So it is important to choose appropriate styles and text for the intended audience.

Considering the space between letters and lines of text improves readability.

A well-balanced typographic logo should be simple, memorable and easy to read.

Elements including logo, colours, and text, all contribute towards a brand's identity.

I hope you've enjoyed learning with me today.

I know I've certainly enjoyed leading you through it, and I hope to see you again soon.

Thank you for joining me.

Goodbye.