02 VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
02 VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
01 02 03
BRAINSTORMING
REFINEMENTS
FINALIZATION
4 6 8 10
PAST IDENTITY LOGO STANDARDS RESEARCH KEYWORDS INITIAL SKETCHES
36 46
SECONDARY HAND SKETCHES
56 62 64 68
REFINED WORDMARKS
COMPUTER REFINEMENTS
THE NEW LOOK LOOK-A-LIKE LOGOS DESIGN PROCESS
REBRAND OF TI
01
BR AINS TORMING
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 0 1 /03
B R A I N STO R M I N G
PAST IDENTIT Y LOGO STANDARDS RESEARCH KEY WORDS INITIAL SKETCHES
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REBRAND OF TI
PAST IDENTITY THE OLD LOGO
BEFORE CREATING A NEW LOGO, THE OLD LOGO MUST BE STUDIED IN ORDER TO LEARN WHAT SHOULD BE RETAINED AND WHAT CAN BE IMPROVED UPON. Erik Jonsson, co-founder of TI, contracted Torger Thompson, an artist to design the TI logo and identity in 1951, once the name of the company was finalized. Torger created the TI logo in 1951 and has not been redesigned until now, during the rebranding of TI. The old logo, as pictured on the next page, creatively combines the ‘T’ and the ‘I’ and places it over an outline of Texas. It is important to keep in mind the state of Texas since that is where the headquarters are and is in the name of the company. It would also be good to add other elements of the company that are not included right now. This could include the electrical aspects of the brand, its future direction, the decision making process, or its speed. Some things that should not be carried forward would be the type portrayed in this identity. The lettering of name of the company, Texas Instruments, is set extremely close together, and combines capital letters with small capital letters. This can look somewhat confusing to the viewer. The new logo will be much cleaner and also relatable to the TI brand.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 0 1 /03
B R A I N STO R M I N G
*The original TI logo was designed by Torger Thompson in 1951, and has remained the TI logo until 2017 during the TI rebrand.
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REBRAND OF TI
LOGO STANDARDS RESEARCH INSPIRATION BOARD
VIEWING OTHER COMPANIES SUCCESSFUL VISUAL STANDARDS WAS IMPORTANT RESEARCH BEFORE DIVING INTO THE TI LOGO SKETCHES. Extensive research was performed to discover how other companies treat the unique visual standards that they have developed. Establishing these visual standards is very important, since the visual language must be maintained for each company. This creates a cohesive look and does not alter the concept that relates to each company. This research helped to inspire and begin to generate ideas for the new TI logo. The following images make up the inspiration board that was created before sketching the new TI logo began.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 0 1 /03
B R A I N STO R M I N G
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REBRAND OF TI
KEYWORDS EMBODIMENT OF TI
As introduced in the “Visual Strategy Guide”, the keywords are integral throughout the entire TI rebranding process. In particular, the redesign of the TI logo. It is very important to keep the keywords in mind and sketch logos that directly relate to the keywords. In order to successfully complete this task, the keywords have been expanded to key phases. The key phrases help to narrow down and specifically identify the meaning of the keywords, since they could mean different things in different context. For example, the word vast could mean of great quantity, but in the case of TI it relates to TI’s boundless limitations and how it can go anywhere. These words also describe what the company aspires to be and what they will work towards in the rebranding. The keywords relate to TI’s mission statement as a brand. Therefore, the mission statement will also be considered during the logo redesign of TI. The following page identifies TI’s mission statement, each TI keyword and key phrase, which explains and elaborates each keyword. Logo sketches were done that embody each of these elements or a combination of the elements.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 0 1 /03
B R A I N STO R M I N G
MISSION
ENABLING PEOPLE TO MAKE BETTER AND MORE ADVANCED DECISIONS BY PROVIDING ACCESSIBLE DATA AND INFORMATION
KEYWORDS
1. VAST FAR REACHING AND ALL INCLUSIVE Describes TI’s boundless limitations and how it can reach anywhere and help everyone.
2. UPLIFTING ENLIGHTENING PEOPLE’S MIND Since TI helps people make better decisions, it can help to educate people and make them smarter so they can make better decisions.
3. SWIFT FAST AND RELIABLE This relates to TI’s speed, but also how they are careful and can be relied on.
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INITIAL SKETCHES VAST
In the beginning of the sketching process, many sketches were created around the idea of infinity. Since it implies taking something to the next level and means never ending. However, this idea turned out to be too far-fetched.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 0 1 /03
B R A I N STO R M I N G
FAR REACHING AND ALL INCLUSIVE
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REBRAND OF TI
VAST
Electrical graphics was an idea carried forward. Showcasing simple shapes that portray electrical connections, This implies all the areas and places that TI can reach, and it is also a main source of income for the company.
The idea of a futuristic, computerized circle was very interesting and fun to sketch, but was hard to simplify for a logo. Turned out to be too complex, especially when scaled down.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 0 1 /03
B R A I N STO R M I N G
FAR REACHING AND ALL INCLUSIVE
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REBRAND OF TI
VAST
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 0 1 /03
B R A I N STO R M I N G
FAR REACHING AND ALL INCLUSIVE
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REBRAND OF TI
SWIFT
LOGOS OF BEES, BIRD WINGS, AND JAGUARS RELATES TO BEING SWIFT AND FAST MOVING, BUT DIDN’T HAVE A STRONG RELATION TO TI. When sketching logos that relate to ‘swift’, a lot of icons turned out to be very cliché for use in TI’s logo. Sketches were drawn that resemble bees, jaguars, and birds. All of these things can be thought of as swift and fast moving, but are very common and do not have a strong relation to TI.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 0 1 /03
B R A I N STO R M I N G
FAST AND RELIABLE
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REBRAND OF TI
SWIFT
Making the letters swift by adding an angle to them turned out to be appealing and implies fast moving in a subtle way. The idea of having and angle or a slant to the letters was carried forward into many sketches and computer renderings.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 0 1 /03
B R A I N STO R M I N G
FAST AND RELIABLE
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REBRAND OF TI
SWIFT
The way that the ‘T’ and the ‘I’ locked together was appealing. This was played with throughout the rest of the process, and variations of this went through many versions until the end.
The placement of the dot of the ‘I’ was also sketched many time. It was sketched above the ‘T’, below the ‘T’, apart of the ‘T’, or floating away from the letters.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 0 1 /03
B R A I N STO R M I N G
FAST AND RELIABLE
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REBRAND OF TI
SWIFT
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 0 1 /03
B R A I N STO R M I N G
FAST AND RELIABLE
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REBRAND OF TI
UPLIFTING
The ides of using arrows was played around with in many sketches. Most ended up too literal in terms of uplifting since the arrows literally pointed up.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
In some cases the arrow looked like a chart or a graph that does not indicate uplifting, but looked too mathematical or business-like.
C H A PT E R 0 1 /03
B R A I N STO R M I N G
ENLIGHTENING PEOPLES’ MIND
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REBRAND OF TI
UPLIFTING
Bursts coming out of the ‘I’ was an interesting idea, since it could indicate a spark or sun-beam. The spark relates to TI’s electrical expertise and also indicates new bright ideas. More ideas were sketched like this to mimic the idea of a spark coming out of the ‘I’
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 0 1 /03
B R A I N STO R M I N G
ENLIGHTENING PEOPLES’ MIND
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REBRAND OF TI
UPLIFTING
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 0 1 /03
B R A I N STO R M I N G
ENLIGHTENING PEOPLES’ MIND
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REBRAND OF TI
UPLIFTING
The idea of an eye was brought forward, since it implies insight. TI is about helping people make more educated decisions, so the eye could help to portray this concept.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 0 1 /03
B R A I N STO R M I N G
ENLIGHTENING PEOPLES’ MIND
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REBRAND OF TI
UPLIFTING
The idea of a neurological system and connections was also brought forward. Since it relates to the idea of making people smarter and better decisions.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 0 1 /03
B R A I N STO R M I N G
ENLIGHTENING PEOPLES’ MIND
33
REBRAND OF TI
02
REFINEMEN T S
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 02 /03
R E F I N E M E N TS
SECONDARY SKETCHES COMPUTER REFINEMENTS
35
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SECONDARY SKETCHES SWIFT
REFINING BY HAND ALLOWS THE DESIGNER TO SEE IF THE LOGO WILL WORK WELL BEFORE PUTTING IT INTO THE COMPUTER. Seeing how the ‘T’ and ‘I’ fit together tightly was done in many variations, to see what looked good and what didn’t. The lockup between the two letters and creating movement was important to explore.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 02 /03
R E F I N E M E N TS
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REBRAND OF TI
UPLIFTING
The eye and the neurological connection portray the idea of insightful and uplifting, by educating people and helping them foresee things. However, the eye began to look creepy, and a neurological connector is not easily recognizable.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 02 /03
R E F I N E M E N TS
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REBRAND OF TI
VAST
The idea of a simple star or spark was carried forward and many explorations were done. This relates to the electrical components that the company produces, a symbol of Texas (the lone star), and also indicative of the sun.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 02 /03
R E F I N E M E N TS
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SYMBOL EXPLORATIONS SYMBOL STAR/SPARK
Many iterations of the star and spark were done. Even some to incorporate the neurological system or the eye. Many of these explorations turned out to be too complicated. Especially since logos have to be able to be scaled-down, when these sketches got too small then it was too complex.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 02 /03
R E F I N E M E N TS
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SYMBOL STAR/SPARK
These two symbols were brought into the computer and sketched along with the letters of TI. They are a combination of the star and the spark.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 02 /03
R E F I N E M E N TS
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COMPUTER REFINEMENTS SYMBOL STAR/SPARK
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 02 /03
R E F I N E M E N TS
A lot of these stars and sparks had thin lines that weren’t visible when they were small. This caused the logo to look very confusing. But the idea of the star or the spark coming out of the top of the ‘I’ was a concept that was carried forward.
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REBRAND OF TI
SYMBOL STAR/SPARK
Once paired with ‘TI’, most of the star and spark symbols appeared to be too complicated. Especially when scaled down, they were hard too see. Below are two simpler stars that work well with TI, even when small.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 02 /03
R E F I N E M E N TS
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REBRAND OF TI
SYMBOL STAR/SPARK
THE LOCKUP OF THE ‘T’ AND THE ‘I’ BECAME ONE SOLID AND ANGLED SHAPE IN THESE EXAMPLES,
The idea of the ‘T’ and the ‘I’ merging together to create one shape became an interesting exploration. Also, the idea of the star or the spark floating above the shape related to uplifting.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 02 /03
R E F I N E M E N TS
These examples explored the idea of the star or the spark rising out of the ‘I’ or replacing the top of the ‘I’.
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REBRAND OF TI
SYMBOL STAR/SPARK
THE SPARK AND STAR STARTED TO BREAK OUT OF THE BOUNDING BOX TO INDICATE UPLIFTING.
The stars and the sparks were still looking very complex even with some modifications. The logo needed to be much simpler with thicker elements. Many color options were also explored throughout the computer refinement phase. Colors relating to the Texas flag, deep blue and red, were explored. But also bright colors that represent energy and electricity were explored. Most of the color options appeared to be too much like a sports team colors, and needed to be toned down a bit. Colors that were working well was the deep Texas blue as a logo, or bright yellow in combination with a harmonious gray.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 02 /03
R E F I N E M E N TS
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REBRAND OF TI
03
FIN A LIZ AT ION
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 03/03
F I N A L IZ AT I O N
REFINED WORDMARKS FINAL IDENTIT Y LOOK-A-LIKE LOGOS DESIGN PROCESS
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REFINED WORDMARKS STAR/SPARK/NEUROLOGICAL
These directions were refined in the computer using specific measurements. All of these options played with the idea of having a star or a spark coming out of the logo, as if a bright idea was emerging. However, in these examples the star or spark was too complex and not easy to see when the logo was scaled down. Going forward a simple star was used instead.
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
C H A PT E R 03/03
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
F I N A L IZ AT I O N
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
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REBRAND OF TI
STAR LOGO
MINIMAL SHAPES IS THE BEST WAY TO CONSTRUCT A LOGO, SINCE IT IS EASY TO DIGEST AND CONVEY A CONCEPT.
Once the previous logo variations were identified as too complex, the idea of a simple star was explored. The star represents Texas, as the lone star state, and also a spark that could ignite an idea inside someone. The idea of the star rising and lifting up out of the logo was explored as well. In some cases the star and the TI shape created weird spaces that looked like another shape. The idea on the top right was chosen to become finalized since the TI shape looked swift. Also the star was rising out of the shape, and even though the star was cut off, it was still clear that it was a star.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 03/03
COLOR CARRIED FORWARD
F I N A L IZ AT I O N
FINAL CONCEPT
COLOR CARRIED FORWARD
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REBRAND OF TI
WORDMARK DEVELOPMENT
THE WORDMARK WAS GIVEN THE SAME SWIFT MOVEMENT AS THE LOGO MARK, TO MAKE A COHESIVE LOOK.
Different fonts were explored throughout the wordmark process. In the beginning various sans serif fonts were used. I realized that a font with stroke variations would not work well since it looked too playful. I also discovered that a font with a lot of curves was not appropriate since it did not look as swift when turned at an 18ยบ angle. In the end, the typeface Proxima Nova, bold weight paired well once put at an 18ยบ angle. It is a geometric typeface, so each letter-form is made based on a simple and common geometric shapes, such as a perfect square or circle. As a result, each letter looks stark with even thicknesses and widths. This makes it a great typeface to use for headings and in all capital letters.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 03/03
F I N A L IZ AT I O N
PROXIMA NOVA, BOLD
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FINAL LOGO STAR LOGO
THE STAR IN THE FINAL IDENTITY REPRESENTS TEXAS, AS THE ‘LONE STAR’ STATE, AND ALSO A SPARK OR IDEA.
The spark is meant to ignite something in people to help them make better decisions, since TI creates tools to help make people smarter. The identity combines the ‘T’ and ‘I’ into one swift shape. And the star is breaking out of the shape and lifting above. This portrays TI’s uplifting image and keyword. The slant at 18º, which is derived from the given angle of a star, portrays the swiftness of TI. It give the identity movement and makes it look very fast and sleek. The wordmark of Texas Instruments mimics this same tilt. These two colors, the sunrise yellow and electric blue, pair together nicely. The blue is calm but also bright, while the yellow is very bright and energetic. The wordmark is given the color of harmonious gray, to balance out the energy of the blue and yellow, it also acts as a base for the logo. The logo was originally the color of Texas blue, but the nature of the star combined with the TI shape looked best when two different colors were paired together. The deep Texas blue was abandoned since most colors paired with it, ended up looking like a sports team jersey.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 03/03
F I N A L IZ AT I O N
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REBRAND OF TI
LOOK-A-LIKE LOGOS LOGO RESEARCH
IT IS IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY SIMILAR LOGOS TO THE NEW TI LOGO. THIS IS IN ORDER TO SEE THAT WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO THE NEW TI LOGO HAS NOT ALREADY BEEN DONE BEFORE. Therefore, extensive visual research was performed to search for logos that use similar letters, symbols, shapes, or concepts. This includes companies across all industries, even small companies. This is to ensure there are no duplicate logos. The following pages show logos that have at least one similar elements to the new TI logo. No logo is identical to the new TI logo, but some may share similar concepts or looks, which is expected since it would be impossible to have a completely new logo in all aspects.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 03/03
F I N A L IZ AT I O N
SPARK + STAR LOGOS
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LOGO RESEARCH
SIMILARLY LET TERED LOGOS
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 03/03
F I N A L IZ AT I O N
STAR LOGOS
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DESIGN PROCESS FROM BRAINSTORMING TO FINALIZATION
The logo creation process is long but enjoyable. It is important to explore many divergent ideas and thoroughly develop promising ones to find what concept works best. Throughout the many concepts explored the below process outlines how the final logo evolved from the initial sketch until the end.
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
C H A PT E R 03/03
F I N A L IZ AT I O N
THANKS FOR JOINING THE JOURNEY, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE PROCESS.
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APPENDIX WORKS CITED http://www.ti.com
PHOTO CREDITS PG FM5 PG 2–3 PG 34-35 PG 54–55
Skyscrapers at Dusk Skyline at Night Skyline and Moon Skyline Blue Sky
VIS UA L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E
Dreamstime.com Dreamstime.com Dreamstime.com Dreamstime.com