May 4, 2009

Play With Your Type

By: Casey Knox

Playing with your type isn’t like playing with your food. It's something that should be done, absolutely. When creating a logo or identity the type should be part of the art, as well as convey the message. However, too many times I have seen designs which are lacking because they feel unfinished. They start with a great concept or even have a clever symbol but the accompanying type is just that….accompanying type.

I am going to demonstrate what I am talking about by taking you through a sample logo creation. Our logo will be for a new restaurant which has the theme of a retro soda fountain – we’ll call it the Soda Pop Shop.

A Good Start

 
OOO neat! It’s a good logo. Very graphic, definitely feels bubbly BUT the plain unimaginative type (in this case the very over-used Myriad) leaves you feeling kinda bored. There’s got to be a better typeface out there which has a more retro and bubbly feel to it.

A Great Font

 
I like that!  It feels retro and bubbly and cool.  Some would think this is it, right?....

A Finished Piece

The step above is where I see many designs stop. It's a good concept and a perfect font but it still needs attention. Anyone can find a typeface and put little Os everywhere. You need to make it unique to only the Soda Pop Shop. Take it one step further and make the type part of the design. Don’t be scared. Turn it to outlines and start playing.