Do you recognize this typeface?

Catull is a calligraphic-style font created for Berthold in 1982 by type designer Gustav Jaeger. Its faintly curved strokes and flat-nib serifs and terminals are natural characteristics of handwriting and convey a sense of age, warmth and intimacy — the opposite of cool, modern and digital.

Which is something that designer Ruth Kedar had in mind in 1999 when she chose Catull for her famous logo . . .

Said she, “Catull borrows elements from traditional writing instruments such as the quill and chisel, with a modern twist. Search, by nature, is an activity that requires we look into the past. Therefore, Catull’s historical ties seemed appropriate, as did the bridging between the old analog world and the new emerging digital era.

“It must be remembered,” she told Haaretz.com, “that at the time, many people were afraid to use the Internet, and it was important to broadcast something user-friendly both on the home page and in the logo. Something simple, that you didn’t need to be scared of, something catchy and full of life.”

Hmmmm.

I see the reasoning, but . . .

Had you made Google’s connection between new and old? I hadn’t. Not even subliminally. The cues are too subtle. A word that looks like goggle and sounds like oogle and feels like giggle in colors like kindergarten isn’t going to connect historically unless the connection is obvious, more like this . . .

I exaggerate, but only a little.

It’s something to keep in mind. This is a case where the appeal is in the word itself. G-o-o-g-l-e. When you find yourself here, generally speaking you don’t want to add a visual trick. And understatement, as in this case, rarely works either.

I think Google would be better off with a typeface that looks, well, googly.

For more on the development of Google’s logo, check out Wired magazine.

For more on how to design a text-only logotype, check out our article.

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©2010 Before & After | Design Talk. All Rights Reserved.

Dear readers: Every design for a client starts with a creative brief. You can read about that here, but do it later; the short version is something like this:

Rule #1: Listen.
Rule #2: Understand and embrace the client’s vision.
Rule #3: Write it down. You and the client sign it.
Rule #4: Design that. Don’t design something else.

The process of making the brief can sometimes be shortcut but usually not. For time’s sake, I usually try. It rarely works.

The following will be an audience-participation project. It begins as a conversation between Gayle Heatherington — executive director of the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra — and me. I publish it because I want you to hear the question-answer process that leads up to the creative brief. Keep in mind that we’re corresponding long distance — she in Illinois and I in California — which requires questions that an on-site meeting may not. At the end, I’ll ask for volunteers to work on a design solution.

Gayle begins: I love your discussions of logos and wonder if you (and your readers) would be interested in commenting on ours. Our name is actually our logo. It is made up of two fonts: Linotext Std and Van Dijk Std.

The name of the orchestra is Ars Viva, which means “living art.” Our concerts often juxtapose beloved masterworks with less-familiar repertoire. Hence, the current logo has Ars in an old-style font and Viva in a modern, forward-looking font with an exclamation mark. This is to represent the old and the new. Trite?

I would be interested in investigating whether a change would helps us brand our image better. Also, the name itself is a challenge for most people, and they don’t know what it means. I have wondered if an actual logo in addition to the name might help make us more easily recognizable.

The orchestra was founded by our music director (my husband!) 15 years ago. One of its distinctives is that he gives friendly, informative remarks to the audience from the stage that provide context for the music and establish a welcoming atmosphere at each concert. Also, the orchestra is comprised of many of the finest musicians in Chicago, including members of the world-renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Therefore, the quality is extremely high, yet not “stuffy” and unapproachable.

In case you wish to take this project on, you can find more information about the orchestra at our web site: www.arsviva.org. [Readers: While you're there, don't miss this essay.]

I would appreciate any comments you may have about our current logo and any thoughts you and your readers may have about alternative logos.

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Hi Gayle,

Thank you for your great story.

Questions:

When you say your name is a “challenge for most people,” is the challenge . . .

1) that they have trouble pronouncing it?
2) that they don’t know what it means?
3) that they can’t position it in their minds? (i.e.: I understand what the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is, but what’s the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra? Public? Private? Big? Small? Professional? Amateur? And so on.)
4) Other?

When you wonder if a change “would help us brand our image better,” it sounds like you’re referring to #3 above.

When you wonder about an “actual logo,” I presume you have in mind a mark like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s, in addition to your name. Yes? No?

Is Ars Viva something like the Boston Pops?

John

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Dear John,

Here are the answers to your questions.

When you say your name is a “challenge for most people,” is the challenge

1) that they have trouble pronouncing it?

Yes, a lot of people don’t realize it is two Latin words, and they think the first word is simply three letters, and they call us A-R-S Viva, which, of course, means nothing.

2) that they don’t know what it means?

Yes, we have often been asked by patrons what the name means. This gives us a chance to explain the “old and new” music concept, but only to those who ask!

3) that they can’t position it in their minds? (i.e., I understand what the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is, but what’s the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra? Public? Private? Big? Small? Professional? Amateur? And so on.)

Correct here, too.

When you wonder if a change “would help us brand our image better,” it sounds like you’re referring to number 3 above.

Really all three. But number 3 is much more challenging. We don’t have a location to call home: Chicago Symphony, Elgin Symphony, Rockford Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, etc. We perform in Skokie, Illinois, but we are a regional orchestra, and Skokie is not really our home town. Skokie already has an amateur orchestra (Skokie Valley Symphony), and we don’t want to be confused with them.

An organization like Music of the Baroque has a name that clearly explains what you can expect when you attend one of their concerts, and it was a very good name for building this organization. But we don’t perform just one style of music — in fact, quite the opposite!

When you wonder about an “actual logo,” I presume you have in mind a mark like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s, in addition to your name. Yes? No?

Yes. Maybe if the name is confusing, at least people can get used to seeing the logo and recognize us that way.

Is Ars Viva something like the Boston Pops?

Well, if you mean performing pops repertoire, then no. In the sense that we have a lot of the same players as the CSO, then yes. But the Boston Pops is run by the Boston Symphony, and we are a completely independent organization. We are more like the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. We are a chamber-size orchestra (though we have not called ourselves that), and we perform in a smaller space than the CSO — more intimate — and the rapport with the audience when my husband talks to them is relaxed, entertaining and informative. But the music is serious, not pops. We offer people in the suburbs the opportunity to hear a world-class orchestra close to home. The commute to Chicago is daunting for many! Even if they are subscribers to the CSO, they can see many of the same players on our stage and hear interesting music that they don’t often play downtown.

Gayle

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Hi Gayle,

Your current logo is built on an interesting typographic concept [old and new], but its rendering is rough. Easiest place to start is to polish your idea to see if better typography will help. Attached are three possibilities, all similar. The colors are derived from your Web site. It may take some time for my fantasy to catch up to your reality. Just give me a reaction.

John

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Dear John,

Of the three examples, I like #3 best.  #1 — the Viva is too hard to read. It could look like Ars Uiua. #2 is okay but doesn’t jump out at me. I like the Viva font in #3.

Reduced to the size they would be on a letterhead, return envelope, small print ad, etc., I suspect that there would be a real problem reading Alan’s name. Also, the very thin lines of the typeface for the “Ars” would disappear in printing. I often print our logo reversed on a black background, and the very thin lines would be swallowed up with black ink.

Because Alan is the founding music director of our orchestra, his name should be more prominent. He is actually part of our image. He is very well known in the Chicago area, and so his name actually is pretty important. His name could even be on top of the logo!  :+)

Ideally, I would like a logo that can be reduced, stacked, printed in color, black or white. The design restrictions for multicolor logos present too many problems. The man who designed our logo originally had the Viva! in a rainbow of colors — like your “After.” I liked it but quickly had to drop it for practical reasons.

We also used to have a byline that we often printed near our logo that read Making music come to life. Much like your How to design cool stuff. It was printed under a treble clef that had a leaf growing out of it. I don’t know if this helped explain the name or not. The treble clef was actually an S in some font turned around! See below.

We used different words underneath: Discover it! Share it! Experience it! But soon just dropped that part.

Gayle

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Hi Gayle,

Thanks for the helpful feedback.

I should have been clearer. My interest at this early stage is only in the form factor, that is, what the typefaces alone convey. Color, size, usability — that will come later. Same for Alan’s name.

The final logo will be usable in all sizes, colors, resolutions, etc. In this case, the fonts have heavier-line versions for reproduction under more difficult conditions.

I like the Viva font in #3.

That’s the one we did first. Do you like your original concept of a two-typeface logo? If so, our job will be to find the right two typefaces. Or are you hoping for a new direction?

We also used to have a byline that we often printed near our logo that read “Making music come to life.”

I like this image and the byline. It doesn’t explain your name, but it gives me a sense of what you’re about.

I understand your name. That’s because you told me up front that it means living art. You also explained the kind of music you play, and your husband’s role not only as founder and director but as something of a curator for the audience.

The impression I’ve formed, therefore, is of a warm, rich, light, comfortable, educational, music experience — very appealing. Your Web site conveys this.

You have two sets of goals. One is to have a logo. The other is to tell your story in its various ways. The logo can tell the story but doesn’t have to.

Tell me more.

John

—————

[Dear readers: In trying to shortcut this process, I omitted several developmental steps and assumed, without thinking, that Gayle could read my mind, which, of course, she couldn't. Her first impression, therefore, was formed like yours -- she saw what's on the page, accurately, and responded to it. First impressions are strong. Her sense that this logotype has problems -- observed from experience, obviously -- taints it. Now, elements that should have been presented up front -- black & white, robust type, etc. -- may be seen as "corrections" rather than integral parts of the image. That's an uphill road that neither you nor the client should have to climb. Beginner's mistake.]

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John,

I should have been clearer. My interest at this early stage is only in the form factor; that is, what the typefaces alone convey. Color, size, usability — those will come later. Same for Alan’s name.

Tell me more.

Well, I’ll try. It is hard for me not to look at something as a finished product, having never been through this process before! I got one response from a friend that the “Ars” font impressed her as Art Deco, which would not really work for us.

Do you like your original concept of a two-typeface logo? If so, our job will be to find the right two typefaces. Or are you hoping for a new direction?

Your probing questions have caused us to think about what we really want our name to convey. The consensus is that the concept of “old and new” (types of music we perform) is not as important as conveying excellence, energy, intimacy, excitement, newness, variety, freshness and a sense of “classiness but not stuffiness.” So, to answer your question, two typefaces are not necessary.

The impression I’ve formed, therefore, is of a warm, rich, light, comfortable, educational music experience — very appealing.

These words are all very good at describing the Ars Viva experience! You have captured the essence of what we are about. I might only add that the performers are world-class musicians who perform at a very high artistic level. Ars Viva gives you great music and musicians who are accessible.

Gayle

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Hi Gayle,

Before I lose this iteration entirely, here’s a modified version. For now, we’re looking only at the signature. This one’s minus the color, it has a clearer V, and the hint of Art Deco is gone. The Ars typeface is classic Garamond, which was in use in the 18th and 19th centuries and probably advertised some of these original performances!Moving on, the logo below on the left is for an upcoming Before & After project that has the same initials as Ars Viva. You’d need different colors, but does the form factor appeal to you? If so, can you picture it as the basis of a logo for the orchestra? The image below on the right is a pure ligature — a more organic image that takes advantage of the natural fit of your two letters.

John

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Dear John,

I like it and can picture it, an offhand impression. My husband thinks it is harsh and angular and doesn’t represent Ars Viva. Alan says the one on the right is going in the right direction — “it has flow and looks musical.”

Gayle

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Hi Gayle,

“It has flow and looks musical.” That’s a clue.

Let’s return to the beginning. I’ve attached our article “Design from a creative brief.” Please read it, especially pages 3 and 4, then with your husband and whoever else you’d like, do your best to describe your logo project and its goals, and get back to me.

Thank you!

John

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Hi John,

While “Design from a creative brief” seems to start with an image (dragonfly) and go from there, I have tried to use its format here:

Audience: Mostly over 50. Affluent.
Core target: Empty-nesters who have disposable time and income. Many of them played a musical instrument or sang when they were young.
Secondary target: Parents of young children (we have a special Music for Life program that targets 4- to 11-year-olds and brings in 20 or so young families to each concert.)
Tertiary targets: Corporations and foundations (especially important when applying for a grant)

Goals/Project Objectives:
Attract interest and respect and a sense of uniqueness.
Make the name more understandable (if possible) and readable.

Message:
“Approachable Excellence.” This is the phrase we came up with to describe Ars Viva in a nutshell.

Other words:
Professional, world-class, exciting, lively, fresh, new, elegant, classical, unique

We want to convey to the typical classical music concert-goer that we stand for the quality they expect from the Chicago Symphony; i.e., professionalism, trust, credibility.

However, we want to convey that their experience will be more personal, immediate, “up close,” and that the music and the musicians are approachable.   The conductor speaks to the audience from the stage (often with humorous comments) and makes the whole experience terribly enjoyable. The music is enjoyed more because it has been “unwrapped” for the audience before they hear it. But I digress . . .

We want to convey that our music performances are fresh and new — living and relevant (not to be confused with “contemporary” and “far out.” At Ars Viva, you might hear a symphony that you’ve heard all of your life, but it will feel like a new experience. There is a lot of energy and excitement at our performances.

Approaches:
Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra
Ars Viva Symphony
AVSO
AVS

All of these are okay. The only requirement is that the name must include: “Alan Heatherington, Music Director.”

If you work on a logo (separate from the name), you could use a musical symbol (baton, treble clef, bass clef, violin, etc. Other symbols would also be fine — a leaf or vine or tree or bird — something from nature that conveys the “living” aspect.

We would like the logo to be used in color and black & white. As a practical matter, I would prefer only one or two colors. When I asked the board what color they thought AV represented, I got “blue” and “green” or “teal.” But this is open to any suggestion of yours.

The following is from an earlier email, and I liked it, so I have copied it again here:

The consensus is that the concept of “old and new” (types of music we perform) is not as important as conveying excellence, energy, intimacy, excitement, newness, variety, freshness and a sense of “classiness but not stuffiness.” So, to answer your question, two typefaces are not necessary.

The impression I’ve formed, therefore, is of a warm, rich, light, comfortable, educational, music experience — very appealing.

These words are all very good at describing the Ars Viva experience! You have captured the essence of what we are about. I might only add that the performers are world-class musicians who perform at a very high artistic level. Ars Viva gives you great music and musicians who are accessible.

Okay, that is what we have so far. If you need more information, please let me know.

Gayle

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Dear readers: There you have it. Although there’s no substitute for meeting the principals face to face and (in this case) experiencing a live performance — we have a good creative brief. Gayle’s patient descriptions, plus her Web site, provide a clear look at the goals ahead. Feel free to comment on what you’ve just read. Feel free to submit your own creative brief questions. And feel free to try your hand designing a new logotype for the symphony. Do this only if you’re serious. If you have questions or want clarifications, ask. Send your work directly to me. We’ll select several for critique.

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©2010 Before & After | Design Talk. All Rights Reserved.

©2010 Before & After | Design Talk. All Rights Reserved.

Verizon’s logo is made from familiar and rather ordinary ingredients — masculine black and red colors (think NASCAR), Helvetica Black type (lightly modified), and a red z, which is the visual trick and vaguely resembles an electric spark. It also has a big, red check in a different line weight, with different angles, that looks like the corner of a box.

But why does the check exist? It has no useful association; it establishes no tone or air, and it conveys no information. Worse, it’s not benign — it competes with the z; both are red and both are angled. Basically, you have two focal points.

This becomes evident . . .

. . . when you remove the check . . .

The logo is simpler and stronger. A simpler logo has functional benefits, too. Because it’s triangular and mostly air, the red check occupies, and deadens, a lot of space. Without it, Verizon will fit many formats that are otherwise awkward to design, and it can be bigger. Here it is on a service van . . .

The thing to keep in mind as you design is that every element must contribute to your image, and if it doesn’t, don’t use it. The ideal image is the simple one in which every element — a line, a space, a color, a type choice — has a purpose that you can articulate. When you find that your design isn’t quite “working,” suspect two causes — either the goal hasn’t been clearly articulated, or the graphics contain a rogue element like Verizon’s check.

Can you name other examples?

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©2010 Before & After | Design Talk. All Rights Reserved.

I should start by saying that I love you readers! Bright, perceptive, articulate — you just rock! What a pleasure to have an audience of colleagues!

Earlier this month, the day the 2014 Sochi Olympics logo was unveiled, a friend e-mailed me the Transformer Studio Olympic logo, saying that he liked the image and its symbolism, to which I couldn’t help but agree. It’s pretty, full of motion and dance and fire. It works in full color and one color, at all scales and in all media. It satisfies Transformer’s creative brief beautifully. I liked it, too.

At least, I liked it as a classroom assignment, where I’d give it an easy A. But the longer I looked, the less I liked. Out in the real world, to represent the real Russia in the real Olympics, the circle seemed vaguely . . . empty.

That sent me exploring, where I discovered that this was not the logo of the 2014 Sochi games at all, but merely a runner-up. The official logo is this one, from Interbrand . . .

. . . which consists of the logotype and the ice crystals, too.

Both entries were designed in Moscow.

Having seen the firebird first (and perhaps because I’d seen it first), my response to the official logo was like some of yours — meh. But that lasted about 10 seconds, and then I started to like it. A lot. And the more I looked, the more I liked. Main reasons? There are three: It’s unmistakably Russia, it’s unmistakably winter, and it’s unmistakably today. In 40 years it will look old, as it should, because in 40 years it will live only in record and memory — “Hey, remember back . . . ?”

The firebird — let’s call it that — doesn’t do that. It feels generic, which means, literally, “stock.” It’s a logo with no name. Cover up Sochi, and you’re left without a single clue where these Olympics will be played. Cleveland? Rangoon? Winter? Summer? It’s clip art.

Beautiful, yes, and to be fair, it is not the first host-nation logo to look generic. The problem, however, is that, without a sense of place, the symbolism of its imagery — which is what makes the firebird work — doesn’t work. The feathers and circle dance have no meaning, if they’re perceived at all. As Orlando Angel commented, “It could be a logo from any year, any place. It seems anonymous . . . lacking a relationship to something outside of itself.”

That’s bad news for any logo, but we’re branding Russia, comrades, not Charmin. The Empire. And it’s not, as Erin put it, the “fairy-tale, fantasy Russia,” for which the firebird may have worked. It’s Mother Russia. Peter the Great, Tolstoy, Nicholas and Alexandra, Red Square, Tchaikovsky, Solzhenitsyn. The Bear may be a menacing countenance to those who came of age in the 20th century, but you can’t design him away.

And you shouldn’t, because this is how Russia looks. Said Daria, “I am a designer from Russia, and I can say that it’s quite in our tradition to use heavy brick, cut-out forms (remember Russian avant-garde of the 20th century beginning, our famous posters of the World War time, and socialist realism as the leading trend of design and art).”

Added Paulie, “The [logo] for me says ‘Russia’ — in re-emergence. A nation that respects strength above all. Churchill presented a ceremonial sword to Stalin to honor the ‘steel-hearted citizens of Stalingrad.’ To me, the logo evokes that spirit. The typeface is reminiscent of the Russian revolutionary and wartime posters — a simple, strong, bold appeal to the Russian heart.”

As for the visual details, which to some readers made the logotype “unreadable” and “confusing,” what we have is an English-language logo that hints of Cyrillic lettering (not easy to do), which, to Western eyes, is unreadable. To my eye, the juxtaposition works as both complex and interesting. The “y” in 2014, as Erin pointed out, “looks like the letter for the ‘ch’ sound in Russian, which reflects the ‘ch’ sound in Sochi.” No one gets it at a glance, though. You have to look twice.

You can also see the hint of mountain-sea reflection that represents Sochi, which, the world will learn, is a sub-tropical resort town along the thin strip between the Caucasus mountains and the Black Sea.

The Olympic Games are an ancient event that every two years bring the world’s nations together in a place, in a time. They have a fine and enduring logo. The Sochi 2014 image does what a host-nation logo should do; it puts its stamp on the place and time. These are not the Winter Games of Lake Placid or Lillehammer or Nagano, these are the games of Sochi, and you won’t forget that. In a month, Vancouver will get its turn. Then London. After Sochi, Rio. And so on.

Keep in mind, too, that the block lettering will rarely be seen in isolation; don’t forget those ice crystals — “fresh and tangy,” said Brett — which will be splashed, sprayed, scattered everywhere on venues big and small. You can already download some for yourself.

In the end, the Olympic Games are about the athletes, the competition, the pageantry, the tradition, and never about the logotype. And while, as some of you said, politics and money may have had a hand in making this selection, there is, for me at least, no doubt that they chose the better image.

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For more:
39 Olympic logos from 1924 to 2012. webdesignerdepot.com
Complete, immersive history of the modern Olympics. olympic.org

©2010 Before & After | Design Talk. All Rights Reserved.

This June 15.

That’s Monday, people.

So as I write, and in a sea of other projects, we’re running the how-fast-can-you-design-a-cover? drill for a book whose contents aren’t even finalized. No time to explore concepts; just get it on the page and see what happens.

So we could really use your eyes.

The cover is 7″ x 9″, same as our others. What I’d like is a reaction — a Yes, I like it, or, I’d pick that up, or, No, I don’t like it. Keep in mind that a book is viewed in two places — in the bookstore at close distance, where you can hold it and explore its contents easily, and online in low res at small sizes where its contents are more difficult to explore.

The job of the cover is to set the tone and pull you in.

Once you’ve let yourself react to it, feel free to say what you like or not about it.

(Click image for a full-size view)

Same thing but bold . . .

At Amazon size . . .

And how books actually look on Amazon . . .

We love reading your stuff! In this case, please keep your comments brief because, well . . . Monday.

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June 12, 5 p.m. Pacific Time. Comments closed.

A reader once wrote to me simply to say, “You’re a rich man, John McWade.” By which he was referring to the trust that so many of you have placed in me, and the fact that I can ask a simple question about my own work and so many are willing to help. Thank you ALL for taking the time to comment; your insights have enlightened me in several important ways. And stay tuned for a followup. With all the cross-currents in these waters, there will be a lot to discuss.

©2010 Before & After | Design Talk. All Rights Reserved.