40 symbols Dev Kabir Malik could have been.
IDENTITY CRISIS
Š October 2010 These symbols have been created by Sargam Gupta for Dev Kabir Malik Design Studio, New Delhi, and cannot be reproduced or imitated in any form. www.devkabirmalik.com 46 (GF), Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi – 110016
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It is an enormous responsibility to design something
that in all hundreds of probability will thousands, if not be reproduced millions, times, & has a lifetime of 20 years or more. Alina Wheeler
1. Baskerville Cyrillic LT Std Bold & Italics A basic type integration, the last D (which stands for design) differentiates itself from the initials DKM simply by the use of italics.
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2. Calvert MT Std Bold Keeping lowercase in order to render a less austere feel, the slab serif type implies a bolder and younger outlook to DKM.
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3. Calvert MT Std Semibold Trying uppercase and playing with the negative space created by K and the M.
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4. Adobe Jenson Pro Semibold Working with negative spacing and removing details of the letters without anything losing meaning.
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5. Adobe Jenson Pro Semibold Playing with negative spacing and positioning of the letters.
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6. Gotham Rounded Light The typeface is chosen because of the smoothness with which the letters flow into one another. This is a rare case of the lower stroke of the K being almost parallel with the upper stroke of the M.
who am I?
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7. Helvetica Neue 75 Bold Using a bolder typeface, and going a step further in the minimalisation of the letters. Here the lower stroke of the K and the upper stroke of the M create an odd negative space, which draws the eye.
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8. Didot Bold An attempt in trying to make the serifs disappear in order to make the form more interesting.
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9. Poster Bodoni Bold The typeface is chosen on the pretext of using contrast as the main element in the logotype.
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10. Futura Bold Playing with the K, and interchanging the strokes with the symbol < on the keyboard.
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11. Calvert MT Bold Choosing a slab serif typeface in order to make the logo less austere, yet elegant.
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12. Illustrator Pen Tool & Hand Written K Moving away from type integrations, this logo combines a roughly cut out D and M with the ‘starry’ K derived from Dev Kabir Malik’s signature. The star is reused to replace the previous identity’s memorable asterisk.
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13. Ziggurat Bold (edited) & Hand Written K Juxtaposing the starry K with more structured letters, however, using a bold slab serif to maintain a certain look and feel.
Is that me?
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14. Champion HTF Middleweight Adobe Jenson Italic & Ziggurat Bold Variety and flexibility were the main keywords that formed the basis of this iteration.
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15. Bauer Bodoni Bold A subtle integration, the lowercase D interacts with the upper stroke of the lowercase K.
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16. Univers LT Std Multiple Weights Based on variety, this was an attempt to create some basic movement in the typography.
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17. ITC Officina Serif Std Bold Playing with type integration, here the attempt was to minimize the K to the maximum.
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18. Hand Lettered Bodoni Personalising the typeface Bodoni. However, this misleads the viewer into thinking that DKM Design is a horror film studio.
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19. Akzidenz-Grotesk BQ Bold Using visual typographic glyphs to accentuate the logo, and form the basis for further application.
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20. ITC Officina Serif Std Book “The Graphic Designer’s Toolkit” is about adding a visual element to the identity using icons which allude to graphic design. This could be taken forward in the identity in various ways.
How do I want people to respond?
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21. ITC Officina Serif Std Book This concept is based on creating multiple equations revolving around DKM, Design, Strategy and Outcome.
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22. ITC Officina Serif Std Book What if DKM were a seal? A brand in itself which stamped what it designed?
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22. Icons (Related to the Studio) What if DKM were a seal? A brand in itself which stamped what it designed? Icons of this nature could be used to take the identity forward.
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23. Dinpro Bold Playing with the characteristics of the lowercase d and uppercase K and M.
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24. Pen Tool (Illustrator) What happens if there was no typeface, but just form?
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25. Baskerville Bold, Book & Italic Did the letters have to follow the order DKM? Or could it just be treated as a form, supported by the name?
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26. Birch Std Bold The idea of having clusters of DKM seemed to be a fun prospect.
What is the point?
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27. Serifa Std 56 Bold Working with spacing and overlapping.
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28. Akzidenz-Grotesk BQ Medium, Bold This logo can be read in multiple ways, and has a subjective system of hierarchy.
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29. ITC Officina Serif Std Italic (Edited) Myriad Pro Book Everything is contained in the D, which incidentally also stands for design.
km
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30. Akzidenz-Grotesk BQ Bold ITC Officina Serif Std Bold A more austere take on having DKM as a seal, or a stamp.
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31. Brush Tool (Illustrator) Something more fluid and casual.
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32. Univers LT Std 49 Light Ultra Condensed A vague idea of using different planes operated here.
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33. Bauhaus 93 Regular The roundness of the typeface is used to integrate D and K.
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34. Unidentified This is a pure act of desperation.
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35. Birch Std Bold DKM phonetically spelt out. Again, this does not go with the image of DKM at all.
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36. Akzidenz Grotest BQ Bold (Edited) DKM being treated in a grunge style.
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37. Dev Kabirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handwriting The signature idea that had been kept at bay for way too long.
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38. Dev Kabirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handwriting Another version using the same idea. The irregular box was an attempt to keep the identity contained and not floating.
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39. Gotham Medium Dev Kabirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handwriting The experiment with the handwriting and a few previous versions, led to the discovery of the starry K, which was juxtaposed with clean type in order to emphasise on the contrast aspect of DKM.
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40. Typeface Six Point Five Dev Kabirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handwriting Refining the identity.
Am I getting closer?
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The identity was refined into something that has elements of everything that the firm was looking for. It is not just a play of typography but it is also memorable. Multiple levels of meaning could be derived from it.
On a surface level, it has the elements of the signature, juxtaposed with clean and sharp type. At a deeper level, it reflects contrast which is evident in almost everything that the firm does and which came out as one of the main keywords post research.
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finally.
A logo is a point of entry to the brand.
Milton Glaser
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It is not over yet.