The design concept of LOGO design
A logo is a symbolic mass communication symbol. It expresses a certain meaning with a concise image and relies on people's symbol recognition, association, etc. Thinking ability to convey specific information. The function of logos to convey information is very strong. Under certain conditions, it can even surpass language. Therefore, it is widely used in all aspects of modern society. At the same time, modern logo design has become a discipline established by various design schools or design departments. Important design lessons.
Based on the author’s experience in design teaching, during the teaching process of the course “Modern Logo Design”, many teachers are strongly influenced by Western design trends, so they guide students in logo design. When designing, it is often customary to start from the structural science derived from the Bauhaus basic education system, allowing students to try to divide and combine various points, lines, surfaces, and bodies. In the end, most of the designs are just Emphasize the formality and modernity of the logo. Such a teaching that ignores traditional graphic arts causes students to only design from the perspective of simplified letters, fonts and modern abstract shapes when dealing with logo shapes. Although the logo designed in this way is modern, informative and The commercial sense will be relatively strong, but if it is too much, it will make people feel that it lacks the cultural charm and national foundation of China. Therefore, in response to this shortcoming, the author would like to briefly express his opinions on the issue of "the combination of modern logo design teaching and our country's traditional graphic art" in order to discuss it together.
my country’s traditional graphic art has a long history and has developed for thousands of years. Long before the birth of writing, ancestors began to use graphics to convey ideas and communicate emotions. The painted pottery patterns of the Neolithic Age and the rock carvings carved on the cliffs not only record the ancestors' understanding of nature and Expectation has also become the earliest graphic art of mankind. Chinese graphic art not only originated early, but also continued to develop. Although it was fast and sometimes slow, it never stopped, such as the Taotie graphics on bronzes of the Shang Dynasty; the tadpole script and plum blossom seal scripts of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period; the phoenix-shaped, Baoxiang patterns in the Tang Dynasty and inscriptions on bronze inscriptions that appeared later. Chinese traditional graphic resources are extremely rich. In their development and evolution, they have a consistent vein and colorful styles. With their diverse and unified styles, they show uniqueness, depth and charm. national tradition and national spirit. These graphics continue to precipitate, extend, and evolve with the passage of time and the development of history, thus forming a unique traditional art system in China. This system embodies the essence of the wisdom of the Chinese nation for thousands of years, and also embodies the Chinese nation. unique artistic spirit.
Integrating traditional graphic arts into modern logo design teaching is the key to guiding students to design modern logos that are assertive, contemporary and international. However, such a combination does not mean that students should purely copy or simply appropriate traditional graphics, but that teachers should guide students to recognize and understand traditional graphics, and on this basis, let students learn to gradually explore and Change and transform traditional graphics, making traditional graphics a new creative point and inspiration point for their design, thereby designing a Chinese-style modern logo that is full of vitality. As for the combination of traditional Chinese graphic art and modern logo design, the author believes that it can be analyzed and used from the three aspects of "form", "meaning" and "momentum" of traditional graphics:
1. " Extraction and derivation of "form"
"Shape" generally refers to the appearance and structure of objects represented by graphics. Traditional Chinese graphics are rooted in the traditional artistic origins of China's nationality and region. They have many differences from the modeling methods of modern graphics. Traditional Chinese graphics mainly focus on the integrity and decoration of real shapes (or formal shapes), and pay attention to the echo, courtesy and interpenetration between shapes. When organizing, they mostly follow the principles of neatness, symmetry and uniformity. Bone pose.
For example, the most primitive and basic auspicious pattern "Tai Chi pattern" in China is composed of two fish-shaped patterns in black and white; the upper, lower, left, and right patterns formed by the clever connection of the heads, bodies, hands, and feet of two dolls can See the "Four Happy People Pattern" of four dolls (Picture 1); the nine-square grid formed by the concepts of five elements and five directions, the rice-shaped grid pattern, and the fish-shaped characters whose basic strokes are composed of fish-shaped features and the car-shaped features. Its basic strokes include car-shaped characters, etc.
To apply the "shape" in traditional graphics to the teaching of modern logo design, teachers should guide students to first learn to extract the shape elements from traditional graphics, and then combine them to form what they learned in the course Some composition methods, such as: fragmentation, cutting, dislocation, mutation and other methods, are used to reorganize these extracted shape elements into new designs. Finally, students are allowed to base this kind of traditional graphic prototype on the original shape while constantly refining the original shape. Derived forms of decomposition, transformation and reconstruction are integrated into the design of the logo. The logo designed in this way can not only retain the charm of traditional art, but also have distinctive characteristics of the times, and can fully express the concept and personality contained in the logo.
After deriving traditional graphic elements and then applying them to modern logo design, Hong Kong design master Jin Diqiang can be said to be a good example. The logo of his "Jin Diqiang Design Co., Ltd." is guided by the company's "people-oriented" concept and adopts the traditional auspicious figure "Fang Sheng" representing "concentric cooperation and mutual connection" as its basic framework. Although the original shape of the logo was "Fang Sheng", Mr. Jin Diqiang's keen visual perception and his deep understanding of the connotation and charm of traditional graphics prevented him from faithfully copying the original shape. Instead, he extracted, derived and recreated the shape. , making the logo more oriental in character and more adaptable to future use. This is not a successful revelation for us! Therefore, Chen Hanmin said when evaluating the logo: "I think the reason why Mr. Jin's design is successful is that, first, it is a combination of nationality and modernity, and it is natural and appropriate without being far-fetched; second, the logo It pays attention to concepts, has a large content, is rich in philosophy, and is for people to associate with; thirdly, the image is variable and the application is very good. Of course, this is first of all the 'credit' of the original logo."
Likewise, the capital city. The logo of spiritual civilization is also a good example of combining traditional graphics with modern compositional expression techniques. The basic elements of the capital’s spiritual civilization logo are the “Temple of Heaven Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests” and the “heart” shape. The "Temple of Heaven Hall of Prayer for Harvest" symbolizes the capital, and the "heart" shape embodies the abstract meaning of spiritual civilization. Designer Li Lin used the "image-to-ground conversion" technique in modern composition to perfectly combine the two, and performed formal beauty treatment on the top of the logo to connect the "heart"-shaped recess with the top of the "Temple of Heaven Prayer Hall" It is natural and smooth, which not only fully and intuitively expresses the connotation of the logo, but also brings a new visual expression effect.
2. The inheritance and extension of "meaning"
From ancient times to the present, from generation to generation, the reason why people have repeatedly traced the same figure is not only because of its What a wonderful appreciation value the appearance has, and more importantly, there are often more and deeper auspicious meanings behind these traditional graphics we see. The external form is the way in which the inner meaning is expressed. It is the externalization and materialization of the inner meaning. Therefore, it was originally a traditional figure derived from people's worship of nature and religion. After the evolution of time, it extended to the hope that "life will multiply and prosper." ", life is rich and happy" and many other beautiful symbolic meanings.
Combining traditional graphic art with modern logo design teaching not only requires teachers to guide students to refine and innovate the shapes of traditional graphics, but also requires teachers to lead students to explore and excavate the meaning contained in them. The "meaning" behind it. Because both ancients and modern people have the same yearning for beautiful things. As Situ Hong said: "The embodiment of Chinese people's cultural consciousness and morphological philosophical concepts has two characteristics: one is that it contains scientific and reasonable parts. , is the ancients’ summary of the laws of nature; the second is its imagination and creativity, which embodies the Chinese people’s yearning for good fortune and happiness.
", so the auspicious meaning behind traditional graphics is also suitable to be used in the design of modern logos.
For example, the traditional Chinese graphic - "Pan Chang" is often combined with the "Fang Sheng" pattern among the people. To use, and to express people's good will to implement the four rings and make everything transparent, the logo of China Unicom adopts the shape of "Pan Chang", one of the "Eight Auspiciousnesses" of the Eight Treasures of Buddhism, which has "a long history. The original meaning of "enduring and complementing each other" is to extend the meaning of China Unicom's communications business to be endless and lasting. The four squares in the logo shape mean that everything goes well in all directions; the six circles mean that the road is the same and everything is the same. It means smoothness; and the 10 empty spaces in the logo mean completeness and perfection. Whether in terms of symmetry or even numbers, the entire logo is filled with auspiciousness that has been passed down in the ancient East.
Therefore, the traditional graphic "meaning" that has been established by convention and has formed a consciousness in the hearts of the Chinese people is used into the inherent connotation of the company to which the logo belongs, thereby extending a newer and deeper concept spirit, making It is more cultural and social, which is also a good method of modern logo design.
The logo designed by Mr. Jin Diqiang for Ronghua Bakery is also a good example of using the auspicious meaning of traditional graphics. Example. Hong Kong Wing Wah Bakery was founded in 1950 and has a history of more than 50 years. The basic elements of its logo are square cakes, peonies and the bright moon. In the logo, the element of "square cake" is unique to the company. "Peony flower" and "bright moon" are both traditional graphics, and peony flowers give people a sense of grace and luxury. Together with the bright moon, they also have the auspicious meaning of a full moon. The word "ronghua" is calligraphy, which is very important. Chinese calligraphy is Chinese tradition. The most glorious crown in graphic art, its composition is nothing more than a few simple ink lines, but it is indeed "the shape of shape, the abstraction of abstraction, the intersection of movement and stillness, the condensation of time and space, and the expression of the deepest and smallest self." "(Li Yanzu). The "Ronghua" strokes of Ronghua Bakery have many irregular arcs, but they are very distinctive, like the petals of a peony. The peony pattern has not changed through modification, strengthening, and reshaping. The golden flower, The blue cake is very Chinese, very traditional, very auspicious, and very modern.
3. Grasp and inheritance of "Shi"
"Shi" usually refers to what is contained in graphics. The charm and the posture and atmosphere it expresses, "potential" can convey the spirit of the entire graphic. Regarding the “power” of traditional graphics, the quintessence of China—calligraphy—should be mentioned in particular. Calligraphy is inspired by observing the postures of all things in nature and is a combination of ingenuity. After thousands of years of development and evolution, it has formed various personalities and styles, such as: large seal characters are rough and powerful, realistic and bold; small seal characters are round, soft and graceful in structure. Rigorous; official script is dignified and quaint; regular script is neat and beautiful; running script is lively and joyful, with connected energy; cursive script is flying, flowing, and fast. Calligraphy not only has structure, but also gestures. Structure is only the basis for calligraphy strokes, and the formation of calligraphy's individual form relies on the "moment" of the strokes that "can't be seen with the strokes."
Grasping and inheriting the "power" of traditional graphics, and ultimately integrating them into modern logo design, is a difficult point in the combination of traditional graphic art and modern logo design. It is easier for students to understand and master the inheritance of "form" and "meaning" in traditional graphic art, but this kind of inheritance can only be said to be a shallow understanding and understanding of traditional graphic art, and a kind of The creation of new national forms requires teachers to lead students to get rid of their materialized surfaces and go deep into their spiritual realm when studying traditional graphics. Because only after deeply understanding the artistic essence of traditional graphics, and then on the basis of modern Western design trends, integrating everything, finding the convergence of tradition and modernity, can we create a modern symbol that belongs to our nation and is also international. .
The Beijing 2008 Olympic bid logo, which has attracted worldwide attention, can be said to be a classic in modern logo design.
The overall structure of the logo is also taken from the traditional auspicious pattern "Pan Chang", but what is valuable is that it does not directly borrow this traditional shape, but uses the unique freehand brushwork technique in Chinese calligraphy of "the pen is not there but the intention is there" , appropriately conveys the two dynamics and images of "Chinese knot" and "athlete", and uses it to express the logo theme and convey the people's wishes.
Long Island Aquarium is a modern aquarium supplies company. The company's logo was designed by Hong Kong designer Choi Wing-yao. Because it is an aquarium company, the basic shape of the logo was considered to be the shape of a "fish"; and because the company is a modern enterprise in Hong Kong, the designer used the initial letter "L" of the company name. "L" is written using the technique of cursive script in Chinese calligraphy. Wherever the strokes go, two dots are added, and they become two lively fish playing in the water. Such a design, which cleverly combines tradition and modernity, is very representative.
In addition, China Post's logo also makes good use of the "shi" in traditional graphics. The basic element of China Post's logo is the ancient Chinese character "中". On this basis, the designer incorporated the flying geese into the shape of the logo based on the ancient Chinese allusion of "wild geese passing letters". The logo is mainly composed of horizontal and straight parallel lines. The shape and momentum combine with each other and summarize changes. It expresses the corporate purpose of serving thousands of households, as well as the corporate image of being fast, accurate, safe and reaching everywhere.
Finally, when combining modern logo design with traditional graphic arts, teachers should also warn students that applying traditional graphics is not a simple matter of “borrowing” because:
First , not all content in traditional graphic arts is good. Because traditional Chinese graphic art originated in human childhood and grew and developed in the long feudal society, it has the imprint of being brought from the womb of feudal society. Therefore, teachers should let students understand that some traditional graphics also contain superstitious and backward elements. To apply traditional graphic art to modern logo design, we should adopt a scientific and realistic attitude, eliminate the false and preserve the true, so that its national and realistic aspects can be carried forward.
Second, when students use classic traditional graphics, if they do not ask for a deeper understanding, copy the pattern, only use a few folk or primitive symbols, and start to assemble superficial formal beauty and modern beauty, then the designed logo will be It is inevitable to fall into clichés. Therefore, teachers should guide students to grasp the spiritual essence and connotation of traditional graphics, and let such a cultural charm naturally reveal in their designs.
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Basic knowledge of LOGO:
The origin of LOGO design
LOGO The origin can be traced back to the "totem" of ancient times. At that time, each clan and tribe had an animal or natural object that had some mysterious relationship with itself as a special mark of the clan or tribe (called a totem). For example, the Nuwa clan uses snakes as their totems, Xia Yu's ancestors use the yellow bear as their totems, and some use the sun, moon, crow as their totems, and so on. At first, people carved totems on the caves where they lived and on working tools. Later, they became symbols of war and sacrifice, and became clan flags and emblems. After the country was born, it evolved into the national flag and national emblem.
In production labor and social life, ancient people continued to create and widely use various types of marks, such as road signs, village signs, and tablets, in order to facilitate contact, indicate meaning, and distinguish the types, characteristics, and attributions of things. , seals and coats of arms, etc. Broadly speaking, these are LOGOs. Most of the vessels with logos found in ancient Egyptian tombs were the manufacturer's logo and name, which were later changed into patterns. In ancient Greece, LOGO has been widely used. Special LOGOs, such as crescent wheels, grape leaves and similar simple patterns, have been found on ancient buildings in Rome, Pompeii and Palestine.
The armor worn by European medieval soldiers had invisible marks on their head coverings to identify their affiliations, and noble families also had family emblems. In ancient China, workshops and shops were accompanied by signboards, banners and other signs. In the Tang Dynasty, there were hidden signs in the paper. By the Song Dynasty, the use of trademarks was quite common...
By this time century, corporate logos and international LOGOs began to spread around the world. With the rapid development of social economy, politics, science and technology, and culture, now, carefully designed logos that are highly practical and artistic have been widely used in all fields of society, playing a huge role in the development and progress of human society. role and impact. A new science - "symbol LOGO" came into being.
What is LOGO design?
LOGO is a mark that expresses the characteristics of something - it uses simple, significant and easily identifiable objects, graphics or text symbols as intuitive language. In addition to marking something and replacing something, it also has an expressive meaning. Emotions and directive actions. LOGO, as a special way of intuitive connection between human beings, is not only ubiquitous in social activities and production activities, but also plays an increasingly important and unique role in the fundamental interests of the country, social groups and even individuals.
As a national image LOGO, the national flag and national emblem have a special role that is difficult to express accurately in any language or text. LOGOs, traffic LOGOs, safety LOGOs, operating signs, etc. in public places have an intuitive and quick effect in guiding people to carry out orderly and normal activities and ensuring the safety of life and property. Special LOGOs such as trademarks, store logos, and factory logos have practical value and legal protection for developing the economy, creating economic benefits, and safeguarding the rights and interests of enterprises and consumers. Various major domestic and foreign events, conferences, sports games, postal transportation, finance and trade, agencies, groups and even individuals (stamps, signatures), etc. almost all have LOGOs that express their own characteristics. These LOGOs play a role in communication, exchange, and publicity from various angles, promote the progress of social economy, politics, science and technology, and culture, and protect their respective rights and interests. The characteristics of LOGO, such as being intuitive, vivid, and not subject to language and text barriers, are extremely conducive to international exchanges and communication. Therefore, international logos have been rapidly promoted and developed, becoming one of the most effective means of visual transmission and becoming the most common communication method among human beings. An intuitive communication tool.
Logos, logos, and trademarks are products of the modern economy. They are different from ancient imprints. Modern logos carry the intangible assets of the enterprise and are the media for the company's comprehensive information transmission. As the most important part of a company's CIS strategy, the logo is the most widely used, most frequent, and most critical element in the process of corporate image transmission. The company's strong overall strength, perfect management mechanism, high-quality products and services are all embodied in the logo. Through constant stimulation and repeated portrayal, it remains deeply in the hearts of the audience.
Logo design fixes specific things, events, scenes and abstract spirits, concepts, and directions through special graphics, so that when people see the logo, they will naturally associate it with the company, thereby creating a positive impression of the company. Generate recognition. The logo is closely related to the operation of the enterprise. The logo is an indispensable element of the enterprise's daily business activities, advertising, cultural construction, and external communication. As the enterprise grows, its value continues to grow. Someone once asserted: "Even if a fire burns away all the assets of Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola can get back on its feet with its trademark." Therefore, companies with a long-term vision attach great importance to logo design and understand the role of logos. In the early stages of enterprise establishment, a good logo design is undoubtedly an important carrier for the accumulation of intangible assets in the future. If it cannot objectively reflect the corporate spirit, industry characteristics, and scientific modeling A beautiful logo will cause unnecessary waste and losses to the company as it develops and undergoes changes and adjustments. After the Bank of China changed its logo, only the outdoor media that were removed and replaced nationwide caused a loss of 20 million yuan.