Enron Rebranding | Engineering the Future | 02 Visual Development Guide

V I S U A L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E

ENGINEERING THE FUTURE

V I S U A L D E V E LO P M E N T G U I D E

02 ENGINEERING THE FUTURE

America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand. —Harry S Truman | 33rd President of the United States.

ENRON

VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

CONTENTS

CO N C E P T U A L I Z AT I O N

08 10

1.2 Conceptual Research

12

1.3 Three Directions

14

DEVELOPMENT

18

2.1 Mark Development

22

2.2 Chosen Direction

28

2.3 Digital Refinements

32

2.4 Similar Marks

38

2.5 Enron’s Logomark

40

2.6 Anatomy

42

2.7 Logotype

44

2.8 Typeface Exploration

46

2.9 Color Exploration

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CHAPTER

CHAPTER

1.1 Former Identity

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

CONCEPTUALIZATION 1.1 FORMER IDENTITY 1.2 CONCEPTUAL RESEARCH 1.3 THREE DIRECTIONS

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

FORMER IDENTITY

1.1

In order to design a new image, it was important to find the soul of the previous one, that included both the conceptual and visual part. The former mark was bold and slanted 45 degrees portraying the dynamic nature of the brand, It was imposing and strong.

Designed by Paul Rand, nobody knew how iconic this logo would become. Not for the logo itself, but for the scandal Enron went trough in the following years.

In the words of Professor Eskilson: “Paul Rand’s creation was “the most powerful anti-logo of its time.”

FORMER IDENTITY 1.1

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

CONCEPTUAL RESEARCH

1.2

Enron was a provider of energy, that word was the starting point to redefine how the brand will transform. Energy is a very ambiguous, It can be describe as the capability that something has to get something done, a task, a movement, a change. How much something or someone can achieve. The more energy, the more possibilities are revealed.

It can be replaced by the word power, which seems to be more familiar, a little easier to describe. Enron was powerful, Its influence reached very far, It owned too much but eventually It failed, It wasn’t powerful enough to survive through the times. Rotted on the brand’s past identity It needs to become the axis of how much can be done in this new ages, Enron means limitless possibilities and for that, It will have limitless power.

CONCEPTUAL RESEARCH 1.2

13

REPRESENTING POWER THE NEW “E”

FORCES OF NATURE

To represent Enron’s comeback, the first idea involved creating

It is part of human psychology to impose descriptions into

a more modern and stronger version of the iconic “E” . Sharing

things, to define and determine as much information as possible,

some characteristics with Its predecessor like boldness and

It is about survival. We project values into the forces of nature,

a imposing attitude It should have a more fresh and slick

animals, whether conditions, structures etc...Therefore it makes

appearance, keeping a connection with the past and heading

sense to find a suitable representation of power from strong and

to a new direction.

forceful elements of nature.

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

THREE DIRECTIONS

1.3

Once the concepts of “The New E” and “Forces of Nature” were found, the next step was two define three different directions to continue the logo exploration.

Despite having a common foundation, this directions were going to provide different angles of approach.

To develop ideas a series of random drawings were made to find shapes that could potentially be refined to become sketches.

IMPOSING POWER This direction would take on iconography that represented up front strength, power that is not hidden, is evident and imposes itself.

DYNAMIC FLOW Energy is one of the cores of this re-branding. To keep variety of options in the beginning stages, this approach was considered to portray energy flowing, also related to the concept of power.

OUTREACHING TECHNOLOGY Enron will be relaunched in a period of time were technology allows much more and is more involved in daily life like never before. This direction would focus on a modern mark with a tech feeling.

THREE DIRECTIONS 1.3

15

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

DEVELOPMENT 2.1 MARK DEVELOPMENT 2.2 CHOSEN DIRECTION 2.3 DIGITAL REFINEMENTS 2.4 SIMILAR MARKS 2.5 ENRON’S SEAL 2.6 ANATOMY 2.7 LOGOTYPE 2.8 TYPOGRAPHY 2.9 COLOR

“The phoenix must burn to emerge.”

—Janet Fitch | Author of the White Oleander.

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

MARK DEVELOPMENT

2.1

The next step was to sketch as much as possible , considering the three different directions that were identified. This explorations would allow enough variety to determine what was important to discard and what had potential to be refined in later stages.

IMPOSING POWER

MARK DEVELOPMENT 2.1

23

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

24

DYNAMIC FLOW

MARK DEVELOPMENT 2.1

25

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

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OUT REACHING TECHNOLOGY

MARK DEVELOPMENT 2.1

27

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

CHOSEN DIRECTION

2.2

After exploring different ideas, the strongest and most appropriate direction was “Imposing Power”. From there, another round of sketches was made based on that only direction. This would allow to discard what it wasn’t working to develop refinements on what It could potentially become the final logo.

CHOSEN DIRECTION 2.2

29

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

CHOSEN DIRECTION 2.2

31

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

DIGITAL REFINEMENTS

2.3

At this stage, fewer ideas became the point of focus to narrow options down and begin series of digital versions. Despite refining most of the sketches done on the previous stage, the idea of having an animal that represented power felt the most appropriate.

D I G I TA L R E F I N E M E N T S 2 . 3

33

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D I G I TA L R E F I N E M E N T S 2 . 3

35

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D I G I TA L R E F I N E M E N T S 2 . 3

37

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

SIMILAR MARKS

2.4

To create a unique and distinctive mark, research was done to find logos that resemble the direction the re-branding was heading to. This was done in order to avoid using elements too similar to already existing logos.

SIMILAR MARKS 2.4

39

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

ENRON’S LOGOMARK

2.5

ENRON’S LOGO MARK

2.5

41

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

ANATOMY

2.6

The Lion is known as the “King of Beasts”. Lions are superior, strong, and naturally dominant, they are also associated with royalty. Thats why is such an appropriate choice to represent Enron’s renewed identity.

Enron’s lion was carefully designed with the utmost attention to detail. In a square grid with 45° angles to keep a connection with the previous mark and at the same time moving forward with a modern and more powerful look.

A N ATO M Y 2 .6

45°

The King of Beasts 43

X=

THE NEW “E ”

The eye has Its own sub grid to ensure absolute precision and balance with the rest of the mark.

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

LOGOTYPE

2.7

To ensure consistency, the logotype was extracted from the same square grid used to craft the mark. Once the letterformes came out, they were modiefied by adding 45째 degree cuts in specific points to resemble the same treatment given to the logo.

45째

LOGOTYPE 2.7

45

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

TYPEFACE EXPLORATION

2.8

For the typography, It seemed appropriate to find a strong, modern, clean and futuristic looking font, combined with a solid but legible serif for the body text.

The type combination was important to create a more cohesive system, by finding similar moods and shapes as the mark and logotype.

01

03

T IT L E : E XO BODY COPY: N EU TO N

02

T IT L E : E XO CO N D E N S ED BODY COPY: S T R ATO PRO

Enron Corporation

Enron Corporation

Enron’s predecessor was the Northern Natural Gas Company, which was formed in 1932, in Omaha, Nebraska. It was reorganized in 1979 as the main subsidiary of a holding company, InterNorth which was a diversified energy and energy-related products company.

Enron’s predecessor was the Northern Natural Gas Company, which was formed in 1932, in Omaha, Nebraska.

It was reorganized in 1979 as the main subsidiary of a holding company, InterNorth which was a diversif ied energy and energy-related products company.

T IT L E : B L E N D ER PRO BODY COPY: M ERCU RY T E X T

04

T IT L E : PRO M E TO BODY COPY: M ERCU RY T E X T

Enron Corporation

Enron Corporation

Enron’s predecessor was the Northern Natural Gas Company, which was formed in 1932, in Omaha, Nebraska. It was reorganized in 1979 as the main subsidiary of a holding company, InterNorth which was a diversified energ y and energ y-related products company.

Enron’s predecessor was the Northern Natural Gas Company, which was formed in 1932, in Omaha, Nebraska. It was reorganized in 1979 as the main subsidiary of a holding company, InterNorth which was a diversified energ y and energ y-related products company.

T Y P E FAC E S E X P LO R AT I O N 2 .8

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OUTCOME

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MERCURY TEXT

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

COLOR EXPLORATION

2.9

As another important component of a brand, the color exploration was based on the overall idea and felling so far established. The colors initially chosen were all vibrant and full of energy, but It was also crucial, not to look naive.

CO LO R E X P LO R AT I O N 2 .9

49

OUTCOME

That which does not kill us makes us stronger. 窶認riedrich Nietzsche | German Philosopher.

All content for Enron Visual Development Guide was collected, conceived, written and design

by Juan Manuel Corredor: www.juanmcorredor.com www.behance.net/juan_corredor juan.m.corredor.b@gmail.com

D E S I G N C O N S U LTAT I O N

Hunter Wimmer, GR 604 Nature of Identity Academy of Art University.

COPYR IGHT ﾂｩ2016 JUAN MANUEL COR R EDOR

The images in this book are used in accordance with the Creative Common License. This book is a non窶田ommercial work produced as a student project for educational purposes, and as such is considered a derivative work under the Fair Use Clause of U.S. Copyright Law.