DMA 201Project 1__Logo Design Using Adobe Illustrator

Using Adobe Illustrator you are to develop and design a logo for Heritage Valley Aquatics (HVA) swim program. HVA is a year-round, competitive swim program that offers instruction and training for swimmers of most levels and abilities. They are committed to promoting the sport of swimming because of its potential to help individuals achieve excellence, not just in sports, but also in life. HVA's mission is to promote the sport of age group swimming and provide a positive atmosphere in which to learn and develop the skills of competitive swimming.

To get a better sense of who they are as a company you will need to take a look at their website which can be accessed here: https://www.teamunify.com/Home.jsp?_tabid_=0&team=cahva

The Design ProcessTogether we will be following a common design process designed to distill the creative process down to a series of easy-to-follow steps that will help ensure the design needs of your clients are met. The steps are as follows:

1. Brief2. Research3. Sketching and Conceptualizing4. Revisions5. Presentation

Through lectures and discussions we will examine each step of the process in greater detail so that you understand what each entails, what is expected from your group and from you as an individual.

As your experience grows you will undoubtedly refine this process or develop your own methodologies.

GoalTo increase familiarity with Adobe Illustrator while developing a basic understanding of the design process, particularly as it relates to working within a group.

Due – March 29thVisit by HVA representative Lindsey Cota to review designs.

Graded Steps:March 6 March 20 March 20 March22 March 29

Design Brief_Heritage Valley Aquatics

1. Who are you and what do you do?

Heritage Valley Aquatics (HVA) is a year-round competitive swim program that offers instruction and training for swimmers of most levels and abilities. We are committed to promoting the sport of swimming because of its potential to help individuals achieve excellence, not just in sports, but also in life.

a. Describe the company and its mission/philosophy

HVA's mission is to promote the sport of age group swimming. We strive to provide a positive atmosphere in which to learn and develop the skills of competitive swimming.

b. Local Background

The Heritage Valley is Southern California’s last pristine agricultural valley. The area boasts working ranches, farms, apiaries, fruit stands, a small airport, and a running vintage train. Primary crops of the valley are lemons, oranges, and avocados.

2. What are you looking for?

We’re looking for a logo that can be used digitally for our website, printed on correspondence, and printed for t-shirts and other apparel e.g., swim caps.

a. Logo and Type Treatment? Yes, both

b. Web/Digital? Both

c. Print?Yes, for use on letterhead, invoices…etc.

d. Mascot?We don’t have one, but are definitely open to one and have toyed with the idea of a “fighting avocado” or something to do with oranges, avocados, and/or lemons (any suggestion would be helpful though)

3. Audience?a. Age Range?

Our team members range from 6 – 18 years of ageb. Boys and Girls?

We have both boys and girls- Please bear in mind that adults will be wearing apparel with this logo

as well

4. Tone/Look and Feel

We’re hoping for something that can quickly be identified as “HVA”, and can be used professionally but maintains the playful nature of youth sports.

a. Stately, corporate, friendly, bold, dominant, approachable?Friendly and approachable, but not juvenile

b. Any color combination that looks appealing. Our current colors are green, orange, and yellow but any combination of those, even limiting the use of one, would be okay. Blue would also be okay as a water element.

c. Any font type that compliments the design is okay.

5. How should approvals and presentations be handled?a. PDFs? Emailed?

Email is fine, PDF format is best.6. Examples

Like:

Dislike:

Hate the letters making up a shape and the single color:

Don’t like how long this one seems, it wouldn’t be as versatile:

Don’t like the logos that are just the name on their own:

Too corporate:

Current Logo:

Email:

littlebricker@yahoo.com

Logo Presentation Day_April 10Select your team’s strongest design and create the below materials for final presentation Monday, April 10th. Everyone in the group must speak during the presentation. Delegate labor as you see fit.

1. Age/client specific products: T-shirts, sweatpants, parkas, swim caps, bags. (Logos can be placed on products digitally).

2. Letterhead: various color treatments and configurations (can be digital or printed)3. Business cards: various color treatments and configurations (can be digital or printed)4. Create a website that features the HVA logo: use free platforms such as WordPress

or Squarespace or take a screenshot of the existing HVA website, place the selected logo over the current logo, and present doctored screenshot as part of a digital presentation.

Discussion:

A great design is only one part of the design process; developing a great, persuasive presentation is equally important. Here are some basic steps successful designers around the world follow to help sell clients on their designs.

The PitchYour presentation should take your clients on a journey through your design process so that they can see the thinking behind it all; how you arrived at certain solutions, and why you are excited about the new direction your design(s) takes their company/product. You may want to develop a story-driven presentation that guides clients to your conclusion.

The pitch should explain:1. How you interpreted the client brief, and;2. How your design satisfies the client’s wish list (i.e., why the logo looks the way it does

and how, given the clients needs, the visual solutions you developed give them what they asked for).

Show the client the big picturePut the design in context, the more the better. Show the logo at multiple scales and provide them with different color treatments. Place logos on products or in places appropriate to the clients needs/wish list to give them a better sense of how it will function in the real world. Presentation materials should include text that provides context and explains your choices. Include simple headlines and a few, short concise sentences.

Possible presentation materials/ideas:1. Screen-printed T-Shirts w/logo: various color treatments and configurations2. Logo on letterhead: various color treatments and configurations3. Business cards: various color treatments and configurations4. For companies that want a digital presence, create a website that features their

logo/product: use free sources like WordPress or Squarespace. 5. Take a screenshot of your clients existing website, place your logo over their current

logo, and present doctored screenshot as part of a digital presentation.

FlowPay attention to the sequence in which you present your materials. To give your client a sense of the depth and breadth of your design process it may be helpful to show different iterations of the design, explain why those didn’t work, and why you ultimately ended up with your final design/solution.

ToneIf you’ve done your job well you should be excited about the work you are sharing with them. Let that shine through.

Emailing clientsBelow is a good example, from madebysidecar.com, of the kind of email you should send clients when discussing design modifications.

“Dear Client,

We made fantastic progress this week and are really happy with how the work is shaping up. This week was focused on three primary needs:

color, typography, and the latest logotype revisions.

Since we discussed the importance of the logotype last week, we made that our priority. We spent a good amount of time on the modifications and you will see a collection of visuals on how and why we reworked it.

The goal for this round is to get final approval on the revised logotype and then get your gut reactions to the color palette and new typography pairings. We still have two weeks left, so don’t get too caught up on the social media icons we placed on page 8 and some of the imagery throughout the presentation. Those are just simple conversation starters and can talk more about them in our meeting tomorrow.

Hope all is well and we look forward to discussing this all with you soon.

Thank you!”

Notice how the email effectively summarizes what changes were made to the initial design, provides a rationale for why those changes were made, and explains what they need from the client. Likewise, your email should:

1. Outline what you’ve done;2. Explain why you did it, and;3. Tell them what you expect from them