Solving Problems
The tourist business in Kyoto, Japan had suffered a minor setback in summer tourism which had a major effect on the city’s revenue. Three new logos were needed to help solve this problem by reflecting the beautiful culture, breath-taking nature, and exciting advancements the city had to offer. This logo strategy was in hope that existing clients would return more frequently, but also expand their target audience of senior retirees to college and middle-age adults.
mind mapping
To generate effective logo brand ideas for Kyoto across the concepts of geography, modern culture, and traditions, the technique of mind mapping was utilized. Mind mapping was the process of writing a thought cloud of words that were central to each concept, and then branch out, writing other words that sprung to mind (Airey, 2014). The objective was to write down as many ideas as possible, as fast as possible, that was understandable and drew the connection between them.
The highlighted words represented the numerous ideas that best translated to visual symbols for geography, traditional, modern culture concept, and unique qualities of the company brand,
There are many successful companies whose logos do not include an icon. However, if a business is just starting out, a logo symbol can be a great way to start capturing some kind of brand equity (Oliver, 2020). The Kyoto tourist company wanted a fresh start and wanted their brand to include icons that conveyed the essence of their city.
symbol RESEARCH
Further research uncovered existing Japanese city logos, Kyoto logos, and tourism brands to identify common visuals for design ideas. The objective was to get ideas for the perfect symbol that would attract people’s attention and trigger emotional associations with the company. I eliminated geography symbols that were used the most by competitors (fuji mountain, bonsai trees, cherry blossoms) and took the path of symbols that were interesting, nonthreatening, and could be easily connected to the Japanese culture. I shifted my focus to what Japan had contributed to the world that changed our way of life as a whole.
The creative process was the next step. It was time to design sketches against my research. The objective was to find a connection between an idea and the creation of a form (Dvornechuck, n.d.). Sketching using the traditional methods of pencil on paper enhanced my ideas and out of box thinking.
sketch concepts
The first design step was 25 sketches for each concept based on the mind mapping data and symbol research. This was extremely beneficial because by not drawing out ideas or thumb sketching, the critical components of thinking and ideation are eliminated (Bonigala, 2018). Various ideas were entertained without becoming too attached to any of them.
refined & final sketches
Various thumb sketches were evaluated, the 3 strongest from each concept were chosen, refined, and narrowed down to one idea to take to the next phase.
The bamboo icon was the final solution because the bamboo forest wqs considered in a list of the most beautiful unique forests in the world to visit (Cripps, K., 2018).
The Samurai was the final solution because Kyoto was the hub for the Samurai and Geisha world and meeting one of them would create a magical and memorable experience (Rowthorn, C., n.d.)
Geography Logo Sketch Final
Tradition Logo Sketch Final
The bullet train was the final solution because it was not like your ordinary passenger train (“The Shinkansen Experience,” 2019). Its new, fresh, fast, and innovative thinking. It represented the infrastructure of Kyoto perfectly
Modern Culture Logo Sketch Final
The next step was to pick the perfect typeface for each logo that would reflect the personality of Kyoto's geography, traditions, and modern culture. The logo fonts are what audiences would most associate with the brand. That’s why it was important to consider how a font would perform when customers see it not only for the first time but on repeated viewings (Reid, 2020). Most important, the font had to be clean and legible.
font explorations
Typography research and explorations were conducted to draft logo ideas with a supporting customized wordmark for each of the three brand concepts inspired by geography, modern culture, and traditions from the logo sketches. This process was important for the brand because choosing the right font could help to tell the brand story and amplify the impact of the logo whenever and wherever people saw it (Pomerleau, 2020). Each logo needed to be paired with the name of the city in a font that reflected the brand concept. The font also had to reflect the brand personality.
The logos began to come to life in this design phase. It was time to render the logos and wordmarks in solid black only (no color or shading). Many logos look great in color but when converted to black and white, those details can be lost or minimized (GraphicSpring, n.d.). The objective here was to select the best design whose detail could be definable during all aspects of the printing process, even when it's in black and white.
logo concepts
Three typefaces were selected for each logo concept inspired by geography, traditions, and modern culture. The final fonts conveyed the brand personality and were applied to their specific icon, customizing them to create 6 unique wordmarks. Selecting the most effective one-color wordmark and icon was crucial. One-color logos are sometimes used in non-conventional ways like laser engravings, embroidery, or 3d printing (Logogenie.net, 2018). All of these products use special machines that don't support the ordinary colored file (2018). This was where one-color formats came into play and influenced the final design decision.
Different solutions were entertained, some used but later rejected because of aesthetic weakness. Customers will make assumptions about Kyoto just by the font in their logo without even realizing it (Reid, 2020). This is why it was so important for the font to resonate with the brand.
solutions accepted
solutions rejected
Geography logos Rejected
Traditions logos Rejected
Geography logo Accepted
This was the best solution because the one color application was strong and the overall visual was legible when sized down. The logo reflected honesty, confidence, and the Japanese philosophy of harmony between man, soul, and nature.
Traditions logo Accepted
This logo was the best solution because it looked attractive as one color and it could be sized down without losing details. The logo reflected a pleasant, approachable image widely recognized around the world and immediately associated with Asian culture.
Modern Culture logo Rejected
Modern Culture logo Accepted
This logo was the best solution because the train icon connected perfectly with the "O" manipulated as a tunnel. This design accurately conveyed Kyoto’s fast, punctual, and an advanced form of high-speed travel.
The final step was to research how color applied to brand identity in logo and wordmark design. The objective was to use color to evoke a reaction in the audience based on culture, prior association, or even just personal preference (Chapman, 2010). This process involved selecting an appropriate color palette that would communicate the brand's voice and tone.
color
The color palettes included a combination of hues grouped in sets of 5 that complimented each other whether it was Analogous colors (colors next to one another on the color wheel) (Decker, 2020),
Complementary colors (colors opposites on the color wheel) (2020), Triad colors (colors evenly spaced around the color wheel) (2020), or Split-complementary colors (a color and 2 colors around it) (2020). The color palette that best reflected Kyoto's voice and tone was selected and applied creatively to each logo based on the geography, traditions, and modern culture concepts.
final logos
One and two-colors were applied to the final logo based on the following rationale.
Geography logo: Green conveyed peace, serene, and nature. It stands for youth, eternity, vitality, and energy (Olesen, 2019). Communicated a culture for nature lovers.
Traditions logo: Black represented wealth, enlightenment, bravery, and red reflected peace and prosperity (Lisina, 2020). Communicated a culture full of wisdom
Modern logo: Blue reflected peace, stability, and technology (Olesen, 2019). Communicated transport experience and a culture on the cutting-edge of science.
To complete Kyoto's brand development, a brand vision board consisting of fonts, images, textures, colors, words, and logos both color and black-and-white was designed to convey the most basic characteristics of the brand. The board was a style guide that could be used to communicate the basic look and feel of the brand identity.
vision board inspirations (roll cursor over large images for rationale)
The geography vision board was inspired by Kyoto's warm and inviting natural landscape and artifacts. The images triggered a mood of calmness and serenity. Appropriate for those seeking a place of comfort and relaxation. The green palette was feasible because it connected well to the natural colors of nature and reflected an environment of adventure. Arranging the elements in a very clinical and clean way was not an option. It was more appropriate to develop a layout to express the look and feel of the brand to present its personality (Kratz, A., 2019, 53:00-54:25).
The traditions vision board was inspired by the colorful visuals of Kyoto's historic temples and vibrant Geisha culture. The images reflected an important moment in Japanese history and its influence in modern Kyoto. The color palette triggered a mood of exploration and mystery. The theme was the Geisha culture. Geisha had a deep-rooted history in Japan and Kyoto was considered the hub for Geisha experiences (Lane, H., 2018). The colors created a sense of warmth, passion, and reflected the decorative colors worn on the Japanese Kimono.
The modern culture vision board was inspired by Japan’s reputation for being one of the most tech-savvy societies in the world. This reputation had to be represented accurately without pulling from their traditional visuals. The images conveyed Kyoto's out-of-the-box architectural structures, their cutting-edge technology, and innovative inventions. The color palette was utilized to establish a mood of fun, adventure, and excitement. This vision board had to communicate a clear message and help the client focus their minds on the technical persona of this brand (Using Vision Boards, 2018).
References
Airey, D. (2014, August 20). Logo Design Love. Peachpit Press, https://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/branding/9780133812589
Bonigala, M. (2018, September 27). Mash Bonigala, https://www.spellbrand.com/sketching-important-aspect-logo-designing
Chapman, C. (2010, January 28). Color Theory for Designers, Part 1: The Meaning of Color, https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/01/color-theory-for-designers-part-1-the-meaning-of-color/
Cripps, K. (2018, April 6). Kyoto's Sagano Bamboo Forest is one of the world's most beautiful groves, https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/sagano-bamboo-forest/index.html.
Decker, K. (2020, July 07). The bold, bright truth about color theory, https://99designs.com/blog/tips/the-7-step-guide-to-understanding-color-theory/
Dvornechuck, A. (n.d.). Logo Design Process From Start To Finish, https://www.ebaqdesign.com/blog/logo-design-process
GraphicSpring. (n.d.). Why Start a Logo in Black and White, https://www.graphicsprings.com/blog/view/why-start-a-logo-in-black-and-white
Lisina, E. (2020, January 5). Symbolic Colors in Japan – Culture, https://en.japantravel.com/blog/symbolic-colors-in-japan/61005
Logogenie.net. (2018, March 29). Why you need a black and white logo, why you need monochrome logo, https://www.logogenie.net/blog/why-you-need-a-black-and-white-logo
Oliver. (2020, March 24). How to Pick a Logo Symbol for Your Brand, https://looka.com/blog/how-to-pick-a-logo-symbol-for-your-brand/
Pomerleau, C. (2020, July 01). 61 Best Logo Fonts and How to Pick the Right One, https://99designs.com/blog/logo-branding/logo-fonts/
Reid, M. (2020, June 12). Finding your type: 4 tips on how to choose a logo font,
https://99designs.com/blog/tips/how-to-choose-a-logo-font/
Rowthorn, C. (n.d.). Kyoto Geisha, https://www.insidekyoto.com/kyoto-geisha.