Your Corporate Identity Symbol

We've spent a bit of time looking at the many different Corporate Identity Symbols that are currently being used in different areas of business. Now it's time to create one for our own graphic design firm.

One of my ideas.

Your Assignment

You are a new graphic designer, fresh out of college, and ready to take on the world. But before you can go out and start selling your design skills, you need to develop a symbol that identifies you and your company. You will produce 3 different ideas for your symbol and place them on a 8.5x11" document. Each symbol must be a combination of a Glyph (simplified image) and a Logo (Phonic Name). Your Glyph must be an abstraction of a graphic design tool (like a T-square). Think about basic color schemes for your design.

• Complimentary
• Split-Complimentary
• Triadic
• Monochromatic
• Analogous

Procedure:

1. Start by making preliminary sketches or thumbnails on white drawing paper. These don't have to be highly detailed, but should allow you to quickly explore different ideas.
2. Use the "Grid" or "Guidelines" to help you construct your glyph. With the snaps on, the "Polygonal Lasso Tool" will make defining areas easy.
3. Consider the use of "Gradient Fills" to create the illusion of curved objects.
4. Use "Layer Styles" to raise text and create outlines.
5. Select an appropriate font for you logo and integrate it with the glyph.
6. Create a symbol that will work well when enlarged or reduced. Avoid very small text.
7. Create each symbol as a separate Photoshop file.
8. Document your progress on your blog.

Refer to my presentation, Creating a Corporate Identity Symbol,For your Graphic Design Company.

Corporate Merger?

Imagine that your favorite company or sports team merged with their competition. Microsoft merged with Apple, what a concept! Your assignment is to take two competing companies and merge their corporate identity image.

• Try and maintain something of both companies. One shouldn't completely overwhelm the other.
• What color schemes are used. Can you use elements of both?
• You will have to find a type face that approximates the original. (Lots of time and money went into creating those logos!)

This project comes from a Digital Online Storytelling course from the University of Mary Washington.

Corporate Identity Project

Our objective for this simple project is to produce a slick sheet with 30 different interesting logs. Make sure you have examples for this list. Pick designs that you like. These will be inspiration for you own Corporate identity design.

• Sports Teams (Mets, Knicks, Mahopac Indian etc.)
• Oil Companies (Shell, Mobil)
• Technology Companies (Dell, Microsoft)
• Restaurants (McDonalds, Burger King"
• Grocery Stores (Shoprite)
• School Districts (Mahopac, Arlington)
• Apparel Companies (Nike, Calvin Klein)
• Hardware (Lowes, Home Depot)
• Automobile Manufactures (Chevy, Ford)
• Airlines (United, JetBlue)
• Sporting Goods Manufacturers
• Other?

Here is my example. Use "guidelines" and the "snap to" to help line up your symbols.

• Post your collection to your blog.

• Make the image X-Large.

• Write a few comments about your choices. Which is the most recognisable?

• Which do you like best? Why?

• Do Corporate Identity Symbols influence your purchase decisions?