NGS Visual Development Guide

VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

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01. LOGO RESEARCH

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Conceptual research Former look and history Future expansion Differentiation Three directions

02. NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

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Initial sketches Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

03. DISTILLATION

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Digital sketches Phase 1 Phase 2 Similar logo research

04. NEW LOOK FINALIZATION

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Final logo New look Anatomy of the logo Logotype and word mark Typeface exploration Color pallet exploration

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01.

LOGO RESEARCH Conceptual research Former look and history Future expansion Differentiation Three directions

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

“Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit.”

— Frank Borman, American Astronaut

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LOGO RESEARCH

Conceptual research

CONCEPTUAL RESEARCH To create a new look, the research must begin with an understanding of the company’s former look and its history. National Geographic Society has an iconic and prestigious brand identity connected to its origins in the late 19th century, but now it’s time to develop this identity in line with National Geographic Society’s new approach and new areas of exploration.

Based on the fundamental spirit of the Society and its future expansion, we’ve created a new brand soul: the excitement of exploration and of inspiring curiosity.

National Geographic Society has brought the beauty of nature and the wonders of history, culture, and science to its audiences for over a century.

Now the Society will expand its scope to explore new frontiers of biology, technology, and biotechnology. The new Society will also bring attention to disappearing human cultures and languages that are being lost due to globalization and modernization and will make efforts to preserve them.

National Geographic Society’s new audiences will explore these subjects and fulfill their curiosity though the Society regardless of their physical limitations.

By using the new approaches, I derived three keywords: Exploration, Education, and Experimentation. These three keywords play an important role in the development and exploration of the new look.

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

FORMER LOOK AND HISTORY On the evening of January 13, 1888, thirty-three men traveled on foot, horseback, and in horse-drawn carriages through the streets of Washington to the Cosmos Club, then on Lafayette Square across from the White House.

They convened around a large mahogany table to discuss “the advisability of organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge.” The entity they were about to create would become the largest nonprofit scientific and educational institution in the world.

The group included geographers, explorers, teachers, lawyers, cartographers, military officers, and financiers—all learned, well-traveled men distinguished by a love of knowledge and a thirst for discovery and achievement. As one of them pointed out, they were the “first explorers of the Grand Canyon and the Yellowstone, those who had carried the American flag farthest north, who had measured the altitude of our famous mountains, traced the windings of our coasts and rivers, determined the distribution of flora and fauna, enlightened us in the customs of the aborigines, and marked out the path of storm and flood.”

The men embodied an era that was marked by exploration, discovery, invention, and change. Massive industrial expansion, and immigration were altering the face of the country, infusing people with new ideas and values. Americans were energetic, ambitious, optimistic, and curious for new information about the world around them. It was clear to the men assembled at the Cosmos Club that a vehicle was needed to satisfy that desire for knowledge.

They readily approved a resolution that the Society be organized “on as broad and liberal a basis in regard to qualifications for membership as is consistent with its own well-being and the dignity of the science it represents.” Over the next two weeks a constitution and plan of organization were prepared, and on January 27, 1888, the National Geographic Society was officially incorporated.

Its first president was Gardiner Greene Hubbard, a lawyer, financier, and philanthropist who helped found a school for the deaf and promoted the experiments of his son-in-law, Alexander Graham Bell. Acknowledging in his introductory address that he was neither “a scientific man, nor... a geographer,” Hubbard stated, “by my election you notify the public that the membership of our Society will not be confined to professional geographers, but will include that large number who, like myself, desire to promote special researches by others, and to diffuse the knowledge so gained, among men, so that we may all know more of the world upon which we live.”

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1888–1967

LOGO RESEARCH

Former look and history

Nine months after the Society was founded, the first NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine was published. A studious, scientific journal with a nondescript, dull-brown cover, it bore no resemblance to the colorillustrated periodical it would come to be. On its first two pages, however, was an announcement stating the mission that was to guide the Society and its magazine for the next century and beyond:

“The ‘National Geographic Society’ has been organized ‘to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,’ and the publication of a Magazine has been determined upon as one means of accomplishing these purposes. As it is not intended to be simply the organ of the Society, its pages will be open to all persons interested in geography, in the hope that it may become a channel of intercommunication, stimulate geographic investigation and prove an acceptable medium for the publication of results.”

1967–PRESENT

2002–PRESENT

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

FORMER LOOK AND HISTORY In the 1990’s, the Society went through a slight change of focus and look.

This was the statement NGS issued at the time: “after more than a century the National Geographic Society today is propelled by new concerns: the alarming lack of geographic knowledge among our nation’s young people and the pressing need to protect the planet’s natural resources. As our mission grows in urgency and scope, the Society continues to develop new and exciting vehicles for broadening our reach and enhancing our legendary ability to bring the world to our millions of members.”

FROM ANDY BAKER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR:

“A few months back, we decided it was time to update the look of the National Geographic Channel – we wanted to freshen it up while maintaining its ‘smartness’ and make the channel feel less promotional. We changed our logo, the graphic colors, and how we talk to our viewers. We chose to use the logo and colors that were used by the international National Geographic Channels. So, no matter where you watch the channel around the world it has the same logo and look. We felt that the more understated palette of gray, white, and our signature yellow, really showcases the spectacular imagery from our programming. We know that people who watch the channel enjoy informative non-fiction programs, and don’t like to be “sold” on shows so we changed the way we talk to our viewers, using less hype to tell people about our shows, and to emphasize the incredible stories and information within the program.

To make these sorts of changes, it’s a very time-consuming process.

The creative team has to review every place where the old logo and color palette exists on air or in print and then re-create it with the new logo and colors. New graphics, new copy and new guidelines for how an ad or commercial should look and feel can take as little as a few hours, or as much as several weeks!

Most of the readers of this blog are from the U.S., but the National Geographic Channel has a longer history in other countries. Nat Geo Channel International launched in 1997, the U.S. Channel in 2001.

We have decided to take a more global mindset so whether you’re in Chicago or Calcutta you will see the same logo and shortened name ‘Nat Geo’.”

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LOGO RESEARCH

Former look and history

LOGO APPLICATION

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

FUTURE LOOK The future identity will be formed along with the expansion of the brand based on its initial concept. The future look will still contain the brand’s fundamental soul because we want to build on the thirty three founders’ original passion for exploring the world, inspiring people to know more about the beauty of the earth and their endless seeking of geographic knowledge. The new visual direction will also represent the three divisions within the brand’s expansion.

To achieve deeper and broader levels of research and experience, the future NGS will expand it scope to biotechnology, cultural preservation, and new experiences for its audiences. As the new face of the brand, the future identity will be used in all aspects and elements of the organization.

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

LOGO RESEARCH

Future expansion

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

THREE DIRECTIONS Regarding the experimentation and development of the future look, these three keywords will be the primary guides.

EXPLORATION The Society’s new approach promotes its original commitment to making the joys of exploration available to all people. The world has changed and become smaller through globalization, but there is still much to discover.

New biological and biotechnological research and the intriguing microscopic dimensions of life will be explored with wonder and excitement by new generations. NGS’s approach will also give them the chance to learn about the vanishing cultures and languages on our planet and what we can do to help preserve them.

EDUCATION The Society’s new institutions will educate us about nature, life, history, new innovations in biology and biotech, and the cultures of the world.

Specialized knowledge of biology, technology or biotechnology will no longer only be for the scientist. People all over the world will be better informed, with beneficial effects for everyone and for society in general.

EXPERIMENTATION National Geographic Society will create new laboratories for advanced research and experimentation into human health, animal behavior, and the natural sciences, as well as into the new realms of biotechnology, such as biomorphic architecture. Also the new laboratories will contribute to preserving disappearing cultures around the world.

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

Experimentation Exploration Education

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02.

NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS Initial sketches Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

“My big dream was to work as a photographer for National Geographic.”

—Steffi Graf, German Athlete

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NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Initial sketch

INITIAL SKETCH Now it is time to explore the brand’s new look through hand sketching.

Using the three keywords, Exploration, Education and Experimentation, I first did nearly three hundred sketches.

The sketches were divided into three categories: symbolic, graphic marks, and word marks. After this first phase, I was asked to choose a new keyword that included the meanings of exploration and education. So I decided to use ‘Revealing’ and did the 2nd phase sketching based on that concept. This phase covered the same categories as the first (symbolic, graphic marks and word marks). Lastly, I chose three visual directions for the final logo: hexagon symbol, hexagon with word marks and polaris symbol with word marks. After the three rounds of sketches, I created the digital sketches on the computer.

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

PHASE 1

EXPERIMENTATION CONCEPT The future NGS will expand its scope to the realms of nature, science, and the human body, which are all still mysteries waiting to be explored.

The experimental approach of testing and research will allow the NGS audiences to feel they can participate directly with NGS in the process of science and discovery.

APPROACH Visually, I worked with ‘experimental’ elements that symbolize biotechnology and science. For the symbolic marks, I used the images and forms of tissues and cells. Also for the graphic marks, I tried combining the three letters N,G, and S to make abstract shapes. For the word marks, I worked on making a scientific-style typography. The logos were mostly a combination of straight lines and curves.

Try and try again

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NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 1

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

PHASE 1 | SYMBOLIC

EXPERIMENTATION INSIGHTS FOR THE SYMBOLIC SKETCHES In the first sketches, I focused on organic lines and circles which reminded me of the structures of tissues and cells in the human body. I also drew hexagon shapes which evoked more cellular images and biology.

The combination of the circle and north star might be a good start.

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NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 1

This is too scientific and cannot represent the whole concept of the NGS.

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PHASE 1 | GRAPHIC MARKS

EXPERIMENTATION INSIGHTS ABOUT THE GRAPHIC MARK SKETCHES I worked on combining the acronym NGS with the hexagon shape. It resulted in some interesting and abstract ideas. I also experimented with the capital letter ’N’ as representative of the brand and combined it with natural and organic concepts.

The combination of the honeycomb and NGS might work.

This is an interesting

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It’s also interesting, but also too

approach, but it seems too

‘G’ dominant.

‘G’ dominant.

NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 1

The sharp edges of this shape look good.

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PHASE 1 | WORDMARKS

EXPERIMENTATION INSIGHTS ABOUT THE WORD MARK SKETCHES For these word marks, I initially used NG because the current logo and name are simply National Geographic. So I went with the acronym NG and tried combining these ideas. Also I worked with NGS in terms of both straight lines and organic sketches.

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NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 1

This ‘vampire-feeling’ typography

This is interesting, but the letter

cannot be a part of the new look.

’N’ cannot represent the brand itself.

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PHASE 1

EXPLORATION CONCEPT Through the new National Geographic Society, people can explore new areas in science, nature, biotech, and the human body. NGS will inspire curiosity and wonder at the unknown worlds which can still be discovered.

APPROACH Regarding the visual aspect, I focused on capturing the sense of chance and the moment of exploration. I thought the albatross might be a good symbol of continuing exploration. They are impressive, powerful birds which can fly 5000 km and have a three-meter wingspan. So my intention was to encourage people to keep exploring with power and curiosity like the albatross. I also experimented with images of eyes and camera lenses as symbols of exploration. For the graphic marks, I kept the idea of the bird and added some other elements. For the word marks, I used a more casual style of typography because the feeling of the word ‘exploration’ is energetic.

New realms of wonder

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NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 1

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PHASE 1 | SYMBOLIC

EXPLORATION INSIGHTS FOR THE SYMBOLIC SKETCHES As mentioned previously, I worked on simplifying the albatross images. Its fierce eyes and powerful wings were good reference points for the symbolic sketches. In the last part of the sketches, I used circles which represent the earth and exploration of the earth.

Albatross could be a good symbol of the brand’s spirit of exploration.

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 1

Application of the past look cannot be the new identity.

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

PHASE 1 | GRAPHIC MARKS

EXPLORATION INSIGHTS ABOUT THE GRAPHIC MARK SKETCHES For this part, I wanted to experiment with NAT GEO as the brand’s new name because NAT GEO might seem friendlier and more accessible than its full name. And again I used the capital letter ‘N’ as the representative identity.

The letter ’N’ cannot be used as a stand alone. Also, it’s too thick.

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NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 1

PHASE 1 | WORDMARKS

EXPLORATION INSIGHTS ABOUT THE WORD MARK SKETCHES Regarding the word marks for exploration, I thought they should be friendly and casual, so I used organic rather than straight lines. Also the combination of N and A (as in NAT GEO) was interesting, so I also focused on the interesting shapes that came up.

NAT GEO could be workable for the future name of the brand.

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PHASE 1

EDUCATION CONCEPT National Geographic Society has always tried to educate people, and this will continue in the new branding. The Society will inspire audiences to know more about what they are curious about through experience Â

APPROACH For the symbols, I used images of the brain, human beings, and the maze. The simplified images of human beings and the brain represent understanding and education, and the maze can symbolize the process of education. For the graphic marks, I kept the idea of using images of human beings or the brain together with the brand name. Lastly, for the word mark, I wanted to keep it simple with san serif typography.

Inspire through experience

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NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 1

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PHASE 1 | SYMBOLIC

EDUCATION INSIGHTS FOR THE SYMBOLIC SKETCHES The word ‘education’ reminds me of human life, human brains, books, mazes, and check symbols. So I tried to incorporate all these into my sketches. The results looked interesting but a little bit complicated, which I thought could be a problem once the designs were implemented on a small scale. When a complicated symbol is reduced in size, the details can get lost.

The silhouette of the human face represents human beings and knowledge.

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NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 1

The three 8’s represents the date of the Society’s foundation (1888). And they are also three infinity marks.

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PHASE 1 | GRAPHIC MARKS

EDUCATION INSIGHTS ABOUT THE GRAPHIC MARK SKETCHES I tried combining representative images of education (human beings, the human brain, books, mazes and check symbols) with the acronym NGS.

NAT GEO, the triangle and the north star could be a good fit for the future logo.

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 1

PHASE 1 | WORDMARKS

EDUCATION INSIGHTS ABOUT THE WORD MARK SKETCHES For the word marks, I experimented with the size, weight and shapes of NGS. These were all interesting, but I felt like something was missing to some degree. I had not yet achieved the new NGS look.

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 1

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PHASE 2

REVEALING CONCEPT People will explore the fascinating new worlds of science, biotechnology, nature and culture brought to them by NGS and learn about these worlds though experience. All the exciting dimensions of these subjects will be revealed through NGS’ new approach. The future NGS will help people go further and deeper into the realms of exploration.

APPROACH The shape of the hexagon comes from one of the shapes of the tissues in the human body, and it represents a fundamental element of human beings, nature, and the world. The future National Geographic Society will use NGS as their representative name.

Go further and deeper

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NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 2

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

PHASE 2 | SYMBOLIC

REVEALING INSIGHTS FOR THE SYMBOLIC SKETCHES As I mentioned previously, I tried to use the hexagon images for the symbolic approach. Sometimes I used the hexagon itself and sometimes combined it with other elements, such as compass needles or abstract shapes.

These three approaches could be appropriate for the word ‘revealing’.

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NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 2

These 3 hexagons represent honeycombs, which symbolize cooperation.

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

PHASE 2 | GRAPHIC MARKS

REVEALING INSIGHTS ABOUT THE GRAPHIC MARK SKETCHES For the graphic marks, I combined the acronym NGS with the hexagon shapes. Moreover, sometimes I adopted and included other elements such as circles, dots, and polaris stars.

This is very interesting because it simply

This approach is too casual

makes NGS a part of the north star. Make

and sporty, like a baseball

the edges of the star sharper.

team’s mark.

This is too childish.

Using the north star as a part of NGS is also interesting. Develop it.

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NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 2

PHASE 2 | WORDMARKS

REVEALING INSIGHTS ABOUT THE WORD MARK SKETCHES The hexagon shape can also be a hexahedron, so when I combined NGS with the hexahedron, it resulted in some intriguing shapes.

The combination of hexagon and NGS made a different form of the hexahedron

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 2

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PHASE 3 | VISUAL DIRECTION 1

REVEALING By using the same keyword, I developed the three final directions: 1) hexagon symbol, 2) polaris with word marks. and 3) hexagon with word marks. As I mentioned before, the hexagon represents human cells, which are fundamental elements of human life. Also I incorporated the new visual element of the polaris star. The polaris represents the endless journey of curiosity and wonder.

HEXAGON SYMBOL For this direction, I combined hexagon shapes and other elements like stars, polaris stars, and manipulated star shapes. Furthermore, I experimented with different sizes, weights, and depths of these shapes.

Selected Directions

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 3

Trying to combine hexagons + north stars or circles + north stars.

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PHASE 3 | VISUAL DIRECTION 2

REVEALING POLARIS WITH WORD MARKS This approach is the combination of NGS with the polaris sketches.

I used different shapes, weights, and forms of the polaris with the NGS letters. Sometimes I added other elements like simple straight lines, triangles, and circles.

Selected Directions

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 3

This could be interesting, but right now the center part seems too thick.

The combination of the circle, the

This is an excessive use

north star and NGS could work.

of the stars.

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PHASE 3 | VISUAL DIRECTION 3

REVEALING HEXAGON, POLARIS WITH WORD MARKS For these sketches, I combined all the previous elements (hexagon shapes, polaris shapes, and the NGS lettering). Both the hexagon, which comes from the human cell idea and the polaris, which symbolizes endless exploration, work well with the new approach for the Society. So I decided to combine them.

Selected Directions

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

NEW LOOK EXPLORATIONS

Phase 3

This approach represents honeycombs and the characteristic of bees, i.e., cooperation.

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DISTILLATION Digital sketches Phase 1 Phase 2 Similar logo research

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

“A logo doesn’t need to constantly change, but it does need to represent an organization that lives with constant change.”

—Wally Krantz, Executive Creative Director at Landor

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DISTILLATION

Digital sketches

DIGITAL SKETCHES From the three phases of the initial sketches, I ended up with three directions for the logo. In this chapter, I will show how I developed the hand sketches into digital drawings.

There are some limitations and disadvantages of working on the computer when doing logo development, and I think it’s best to draw by hand in the ideation stage and then move to digital later. In this case, I tried not to lose the hand-drawn feeling in the conversion to digital, but it was not easy.

Let’s look at the process I went through with the digital sketches before the finalization.

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PHASE 1 | VISUAL DIRECTION 1

REVEALING HEXAGON SYMBOL I transformed the hand sketches into digital sketches. I tried to make the sketches sharper and more sophisticated. Also I did experiments with colors.

Logo color experimentations

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

DISTILLATION

Phase 1

The combination of a hexagon and the north star represent the revealing of the human body through biology.

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PHASE 1 | VISUAL DIRECTION 2

REVEALING POLARIS WITH WORD MARKS With this approach, I also experimented with the font for the NGS logo. When I have the final one, I’ll manipulate it so that it fits with my brand image.

Logo color experimentations

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

DISTILLATION

Phase 1

This logo needs to be shaped and reduced

Its edges are all too

in the scale of the overall width.

smooth. It needs to be very sharp.

NGS NGS NGS

NGS

NGS

NGS

NGS

NGS

NGS

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PHASE 1 | VISUAL DIRECTION 3

REVEALING HEXAGON, POLARIS WITH WORD MARKSÂ At this stage I tried to transform the hand sketches into digital ones, and I realized that sometimes digital sketches cannot imitate the unique characteristics of hand sketching.

NGS

NGS

NGS

NGS

NGS

NGS

Logo color experimentations

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DISTILLATION

S

NG

Phase 1

NGS

NGS

NGS

NGS

NGS

NGS

NGS

NGS

NGS

NGS

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DISTILLATION

Phase 1

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PHASE 2

DESIGN 01 This one is the combination of a square and the name NGS. I made all the edges a little bit rounded because the shaped one seemed too aggressive. Also I created the word mark, but the width of ’N’ should be the same. Now it has different widths and sizing, both vertically and horizontally.

Logo with grid

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DISTILLATION

Phase 2

Logo color experimentations

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PHASE 2

DESIGN 02 This design is the combination of the circle, north star and NGS. It could be a good fit for the final version, but it is too rounded and organic, which cannot represent all the characteristics of the brand.

Logo with grid

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DISTILLATION

Phase 2

Logo color experimentations

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PHASE 2

DESIGN 03 I used NGS as a part of the north star for this design. The feedback on this one was that I could make the edges of the star different lengths and make the NGS word mark sharper and thinner.

Logo with grid

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DISTILLATION

Phase 2

Logo color experimentations

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PHASE 2

DESIGN 04 Using the gold ratio is very interesting, but I was not sure of the outcome because sometimes the viewers said that it reminded them of a snail, which could make the logo funny - not what I’m going for.

Logo with grid

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DISTILLATION

Phase 2

Logo color experimentations

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SIMILAR LOGO RESEARCH Comparing existing logos with the new logo exploration is helpful to do before finalizing the logo concept. There are so many logos and brand identities that we see constantly even if we’re not aware of it. So the look-a-like stage helps to avoid making designs similar or identical to the ones that are already out there. On the other hand, designers are often inspired by existing logos. Good designs always give us inspiration and insight.

For the NGS branding research, I focused on logos with polaris, logos with polaris & word marks, logos with hexagons & word marks and logos with circles & word marks.

logos with circles & word marks

logos with hexagons & word marks 78

DISTILLATION

Phase 2

logos with hexagons & word marks 79

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04.

NEW LOOK FINALIZATION Final logo New look Anatomy of the logo Logotype and word mark Typeface exploration Color pallet exploration

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

“Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first?”

— National Geographic Society

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NEW LOOK FINALIZATION

Final logo

FINAL LOGO Through ten rounds of hand sketches and two rounds of digital distillations, we have finalized the new look of the future NGS. This new identity stands for endless exploration, journeying towards new and undiscovered worlds, and the advancements in research and biotechnology.

Furthermore, the new name NGS is more modern-sounding and more streamlined than the original. New we introduce the final outcome of the new look.

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NEW LOOK The new mark conceptually and visually expresses the soul of the NGS brand: “The excitement of exploration and of inspiring curiosity.” The new look is composed of the combination of a symbolic mark and a customized work mark. The symbolic mark derives from the polaris star image, which represents the spirit of NGS’ infinite exploration.

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

NEW LOOK FINALIZATION

Anatomy of the logo

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ANATOMY OF THE LOGO The new logo is composed of both a symbolic and a word mark. As stated, the symbolic mark comes from the polaris star, representing infinite, exciting, and inspirational exploration, which is the concept behind the new brand expansion. The word mark is customized and is a combination of organic and straight lines.Â

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NEW LOOK FINALIZATION

Anatomy of the logo

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LOGOTYPE AND WORD MARK The new mark has several different versions based on its usage. The alternative logos stem from the initial logo itself and are slight variations to fit specific formats. The first version uses both the symbolic and the word mark. This version will be the dominant one and is ideal for larger deliverables. The second version is the word mark only. This version is ideal for smaller deliverables. Since the word mark is an intrinsic part of the logo, the symbolic mark cannot be used alone.

The word mark is inspired by the shape of the font Forza, which is being used as the title font for the brand NGS. Based on Forza, the word was redesigned so it has different width and edges.

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NEW LOOK FINALIZATION

Logotype and word mark

Signature Wordmark

NGS Wordmark

Forza

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CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

TYPEFACE EXPLORATION For the final typography, I experimented with the font combinations.

The rule for this was to have at least one serif and one san-serif.

01.

02.

Title: Forza

Title: Tisa

Body: Proxima Nova

Body: Proxima Nova

National Geographic Society

National Geographic Society

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization committed to exploring and protecting our planet. We fund hundreds of research and conservation projects around the world each year and inspire new generations through our education initiatives and resources.

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization committed to exploring and protecting our planet. We fund hundreds of research and conservation projects around the world each year and inspire new generations through our education initiatives and resources.

03.

04.

Title: Forza

Title: Utopia

Body: Mercury Text G1

Body: Univers

National Geographic Society

National Geographic Society

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization committed to exploring and protecting our planet. We fund hundreds of research and conservation projects around the world each year and inspire new generations through our education initiatives and resources.

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization committed to exploring and protecting our planet. We fund hundreds of research and conservation projects around the world each year and inspire new generations through our education initiatives and resources.

90

NEW LOOK FINALIZATION

Typeface exploration

OUTCOME Title: Forza

Body: Mercury Text G1

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQR STUVWXYZ 1234567890 !@#$%^&*()_+:“<>}| ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 !@#$%^&*()_+:“<>}|

National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization committed to exploring and protecting our planet. We fund hundreds of research and conservation projects around the world each year and inspire new generations through our education initiatives and resources.

91

NGS - THE REBIRTH

VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

COLOR PALLET EXPLORATION For the final color pallet, I experimented with a combination of colors which represented the soul of the brand. I tried to mix warm and cold colors but as a result, I concluded that the colors should express a biological or organic sense (green + blue) and that I should use the warm color as the point color.

92

NEW LOOK FINALIZATION

Color pallet exploration

OUTCOME

93

NGS - THE REBIRTH

94

VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

CHAPTER 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

NEW LOOK FINALIZATION

New identity

95

96

This concludes the story of the visual development of the new NGS. We have finalized the new look and now are pleased to present the visual standards of the new NGS in the Visual Standards Guide.

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NGS - THE REBIRTH

VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE

NATURE OF IDENTITY

CHAPTER 01. nationalgeographic.com/125/timelines/national-geographic-history/ press.nationalgeographic.com/about-national-geographic/milestones/ logoshistory.blogspot.com/2010/09/national-geographic-logo-history.html logos.wikia.com/wiki/National_Geographic_Society nationalgeographic.com shutterstock.com

CHAPTER 02. shutterstock.com

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Re-Branding Project

Sources

CHAPTER 03 dell.com gepower.com ea.com honest.com exotictheme.com/product/ home-furnishing-logo/ njsolarpower.com crocs.com biologists.com 5day.co.kr/logo/view.php?logo_id=525 biotechconnection-sg.org sca.com pursho.com clintox.org knowhere.tistory.com/294 northstartravelgroup.com northstarhr.com cmtausa.org brand.polaris.com/corporate-identity/logos/#!correct-usage lms.kofac.re.kr philippineairlines.com/en texasremodelteam.com starislandms.com starhub.com/personal.html

CHAPTER 04. nationalgeographic.org shutterstock.com

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Copyright @ 2017 Sunjung Park www.newrealmsofwonder.com This book is a non-commercial project for educational purposes and is not intended to represent the National Geographic Society brand.

Design / Sunjung Park Class / Nature of Identity Professor / Hunter Wimmer All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, photocopying or otherwise, without prior permission of Sunjung Park.

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VISUAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE 102