THE CHALLENGE
Submit an identity design for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The initial sketch of your logo must be composed from a single, unbroken line. Once you've placed your pen or pencil down on the paper, you can't take it off the page until the logo is complete.
Time Limit: 30 minutes
MY TOOLS:
Pen and paper
SKETCHING: FULL 30 MINUTES!
What a challenge this was. A logo alone in 30 minutes is difficult, but there is the added challenge of sketching it all with a single connected line.
I began the challenge by identifying key words that represent the olympics and London:
I explored different ways to print the letters of the logo, including both cursive and print. Cursive would obviously be better for a single line logo, but I preferred the look of all uppercase print characters.
MY TOOLS:
Pen and paper
SKETCHING: FULL 30 MINUTES!
What a challenge this was. A logo alone in 30 minutes is difficult, but there is the added challenge of sketching it all with a single connected line.
I began the challenge by identifying key words that represent the olympics and London:
- Unity
- Awards
- Rings
- Gold
- Challenge
- Fellowship
- London Bridge
- Big Ben
I explored different ways to print the letters of the logo, including both cursive and print. Cursive would obviously be better for a single line logo, but I preferred the look of all uppercase print characters.
EXPLORATION OF THEMES:
I did not have a set direction for the theme of the logo that I wanted to create. Instead I explored many different layouts and symbols. I started with something very literal with the London bridge, but moved into more abstract symbols of the laurel leaf and a pair of hands holding each other.
I did not have a set direction for the theme of the logo that I wanted to create. Instead I explored many different layouts and symbols. I started with something very literal with the London bridge, but moved into more abstract symbols of the laurel leaf and a pair of hands holding each other.
I was interested in the logo resembling holding hands, however my sketching skills kept me from feeling confident in the design and I moved on without exploring it further. Throughout most of the process, I feel like I was judging the actual drawing rather than the concept.
My fear and apprehension got in the way of my designs.
My fear and apprehension got in the way of my designs.
I also explored options where I sketched the outline of the letters, or put the word London within my sketch of an olympic athlete. Of course, sketching only the outline of letters has it's challenges when everything has to be a continuous line. A "D" becomes much less recognizable without it's center.
Ok, not fun, but I consider it a "win" at least. While I am not thrilled with the final designs, I continued to sketch and perfect the same design during the final 10 minutes of the exercise. Committing to one design is absolutely a success for me. Every project has some sort of time limit, and it's better to come to a client with a finished high quality product, rather than many unfinished ideas.
OVERALL
This was a tough one. While it was difficult to sketch everything from one interconnected line, the real challenge was the underlying theme. I had difficulty deciding what icons or imagery best represented the London Olympics, and so many of my sketches looked completely different. In the end, I was sketching icons into the letters that probably represented London more than the olympic games in London.
This was a tough one. While it was difficult to sketch everything from one interconnected line, the real challenge was the underlying theme. I had difficulty deciding what icons or imagery best represented the London Olympics, and so many of my sketches looked completely different. In the end, I was sketching icons into the letters that probably represented London more than the olympic games in London.
In general, I got too caught up with the realism and my drawing skill rather than the design itself. My mind was jumping all over the place and not focused on any single outcome. What I should do differently is create a plan for the theme first, and then sketch it out. Since my greatest strength isn't sketching (though I'm trying to change that) I should plan first with words and then draw.