LESSON 3.5
CULMINATING TASK: THE GREAT LOGO SWITCH
DURATION 2 LESSONS
Rubric
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View the rubric on Brightspace
Culminating Task: The Great Logo Switch
Overview: for this activity, you will be selecting two wordmarks and switching their typefaces.
Part 1
Search the internet for a logo that uses strong typography. Examples include Ford, Coca-Cola, IBM etc. Look at and consider the features of your chosen logo/font. (Is it serif or sans serif? Is it bold, script, or fancy? Does it look serious? Corporate? Playful?)
Part 2
Now search the Internet for another logo – one that uses a completely different font. The two logos should be from different categories and be stylistically very different.
Some tips:
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Try to select two logos with roughly the same number of letters. A&W (2 letters) and National Geographic (18 letters) are not going to work well together for the next step
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Try to select logos with a variety of letters. A&W only has two letters, both of which are angular and have no curves. This makes it difficult to guess what the C, G or S might look like.
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Try to select two logos that are either both upper case, both lower case or both capital case.
Your task
On a blank piece of paper, draw both logos, but draw each logo using the other logo’s font. This work will be collected and reviewed, then returned with feedback.
Once your final paper version has been approved, you will re-create your work in digital form, using Illustrator
WIX WEBSITE
Note: for this activity, you will need to document your process on your website. At the end of each class, take a screenshot of what you have accomplished. Save these screenshots in your named folder, naming them in order for inclusion on your website. You may want to keep versions of your logos as they develop or take pictures of your paper copy as you work. Use screengrabs, or export PNGs of your work to be used in your blog. You should add detail and speak to elements of your process in your written work.
Deliverables
Include the following in your blog entry:
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an image of both your selected logos (the originals)
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all or part of your hand-drawn sketches
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screengrabs of detail you think is important (this could be flourishes, customized serifs, or elements you had to create in Illustrator
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a written description explaining your process and how you completed the project
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an exported image of your final logo in Illustrator
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you may include outlines if you think they are relevant
Here is a link to an example of a website entry, though this is my name done in the style of the San Remo bakery logo. Read the written portion and notice the elements I paid attention to.
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submit your .ai file to your Brightspace portfolio
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submit the link to your website portfolio entry in the assignment dropbox
As you work through this, consider these two logos: Subway and Netflix
First, notice the number of letters: 6 and 7, which is close enough to work with. Notice that both fonts are all uppercase, which will make the task a little easier. Notice the letters. Netflix does not include a single curved letter. The only curve in the entire logo is the base line that the letters sit on. Subway, by comparison has an S, a U and a B all of which include curves. Subway is also all in italics whereas Netflix is not. All of the are considerations to bear in mind while working on this activity.
There are some letters in each logo that are not included in the other. What would the letter E look like in the SUBWAY font?
You will make decisions based on your observations and opinions. There are no right or wrong answers. There are some better choices and some weaker choices. How will the arrow in the Subway logo work with the letters in the Netflix. Will Netflix have 3 white letters and 4 yellow letters, or the opposite? You should experiment and see what works best.
Here is an excerpt from a video I made for the 2019/20 Covid cohort. This video outlines some key considerations for the planning portion.
(Skip from 0:00 - 2:00)
Here is another video where I discuss how I might approach the digital portion of this assignment using the Supreme and Tesla logos
Submit the link to your blog in the assignment dropbox. Upload your .ai to your portfolio.
This will be assessed a mark based on the rubric provided.
View the Rubric on Brightspace
STUDENT EXEMPLAR
Here is an outstanding exploration of the assignment, which includes a thorough breakdown of the process this student used when making decisions about the logo design changes.
