Sketching out the ideas:
The goal of this project was to start from scratch and come up with a new personal logo. Just like any other logo projects the beginning started off with sketches.
When I started i took some different pieces of paper and started playing around with writing my name in different styles. I then tried to see if my name or initials would create anything cool, like a shape or design. I thought of the "@" symbol. If I made a lower case "A" and made it small enough to put inside an upper case "C" it looked very similar to the "@" symbol. I thought this might be cool because it has to do with web.
Even though I did like the "@" symbol idea I wanted to create a few more ideas so that I had more to work with. However I seemed to hit a block. I wasn't able to come up with any ideas. One thing that helps me think because I am a creative person is to doodle and draw. So that's what I did, I doodled all over my page trying to get those creative thoughts going.
The class then each shared each of their sketches of what they had so far. When I showed everyone mine and explained that I was having a difficult time coming up with an idea. They said that they liked the "@" symbol idea and that I should try more variations of it in different styles.
I started to draw different variations of what I already had. Using different fonts, colors, placements, to see what looked good and what didn't.
In the end all I had really come up with was the "@" symbol and the first letter of my name inside the second letter of my name. I really wanted to come up with another idea but the way I was going about it wasn't working so I decided to go ahead and make my two ideas in Illustrator with the hope that, that will spark something and I could come up with something really cool.
Illustrator:
I started off by doing different variations of the "@" symbol in illustrator. I then thought that maybe it would look cool if I had just my first initial and second initial and have them overlap.
I created different versions of the overlapping "A" and "C". Some with the A in front some with the C in front. I then tried making it so that they looked like they were linked together. After I got a few different versions that I liked I tried putting them in different colors to see what looked the best. I then thought of another idea.
My new idea came when I noticed that the lower case A and the lower case C looked similar in size and shape. So I thought it would be cool to do something like having the two letters right next to each other but at an angle. So that it looked like they were the corner of a box, like Thinking outside of the box. Then I thought it might be cool to have a box at an angle right next to the A and have the C look like it is reflected. As I started to do these two ideas I began to realize that it would be harder then I thought it was going to be. I decided that with the time I had that I should just move. However the idea of the C being reflected is defiantly one that I will come back to later on because I think its a really cool idea and has the potential to be really awesome looking.
I finally decided on one of the logos that I liked the most and played around with having it by itself and with my name. And then finally of those I chose one that I liked the most. I liked how the over lapping letters looked with my whole name under it. However as I continued to look at it I realize I really didn't like it. I thought that I could do better so I decided to go back a few steps and try again to come up with something.
As I was playing around with Illustrator I came across something that looked really cool. I had found that if I put the "A" on top of the "C" and then subtracted the "A" that it left a cut out of it in the "C". I thought that was really cool.
I began to play around with that more and liked it the more I did it. I then got inspiration from a logo that my dad had done and tried putting my two letters inside a box. I then overlapped the letters and deleted the box. I then played around with the size of the two letters, how much they overlapped, which letter was in front of the other, and finally the colors.
Finally I had come to a logo that I was happy with. I learned during this project that if you keep doing different variations of the same thing that it can spark a new idea. I also learned that the same design can take on a whole different look just by changing the color or the font.
I wasn't able to work a ton on the final logo because I had started over and gotten stuck for so long. But it taught me to just keep at it and don't over think things when it comes to creativity sometimes the answer is right there.
