OUGD601- Practical - Defining a visual language

In my essay, I researched into what exactly visual identity encompasses, and what makes a successful one. The main factors I deduced were: consistent, honest, memorable and expressive. 

Olins stated that: 'the fundamental idea behind an identity programme is that in everything the organisation does, everything it owns and everything it produces it should project a clear idea of what it is and what its aims are.' 

Pentagram's Michael Bierut described it as: 'literal identification, specifically to the characteristic way a company or institution writes its name and the rules that govern that characteristic signature.'

North's Sean Perkins said that visual identity was 'the building bricks of an organisation's DNA.'

Building on this I have to focus on a range of elements to implement consistently across all of my collateral including typography, logo, logotype, colour scheme and image style.

Duo Tone

Halftone is a cost-effective and visually eye-catching style that would be a good way to create consistency amongst designs. Taking images from the various performances and applying a filter to create consistency. Halftone printing is inexpensive due to the fact that the halftone printing process only uses one colour of ink. This would be a unique way to add colour if I was to explore the lavender colour scheme without increasing the price of production, as the HUB is funded by the arts council and visitors so has a small budget.

I like this effect as it also creates a dreamlike illusion, linking to my earlier research with one person comparing theatre to ‘dreaming with your eyes open.’

Experiments with halftone

Idea for Police Cops in Space featuring duotone raygun

Halftone Image of Skull for 'The Death Show'

Halftone Image of comedian Brennan Reece

Bold sans-serif typography

The use of bold, typography is another effective way to create a consistent and memorable visual identity. This is something that the Baltic has effectively implemented for the last 16 years and one that North used recently on their redesign of the Southbank Centre’s visual identity.

Experiments with typography in potential logo

Initial sketches:

Exploring the use of symbols and semiotics, I could incorporate an expressive and contemporary logo across the collateral to increase consistency and build trust through the psychology of semiotics.

The positioning of this logo represents a gravity effect, as if the 3 letters had been placed in a box, then shook up and left to fall into place and balance against one another

The incorporation of a logo helps create what David Rudnick (2017) refers to as narrative - the unique visual connotations that we build as individuals from own experiences of that symbol and name.

Experimental Layouts
The HUB prides itself on presenting a variety of experimental and cutting edge performances so the identity needs to reflect this. Implementing a loose and experimental visual style like the ones commonly found in zines would accurately represent the independent and progressive, yet laid back nature of the theatre. Allowing me to ‘Build identities while telling the stories of their (institution’s) collections’ (Bell, 2004).

Experimentation with halftone, logo + experimental layout

In this layout, i experimented with the logo falling into place and balancing on the edge of the image as if gravity was holding it there. 

Feedback for initial ideas: 

• Needs more work with the placement of images, logo and information together.
• The logo needs improving/playing around with more, too uneven and thin
• Something isn't right about the colour scheme- too much white space potentially?
• Would the halftone effect work as well digitally as it does in print? consider the consistency of the design. Perhaps consider duotone instead? 
• The sans serif typeface seems to be the most approrpiate way to reflect the HUB as contemporary.