After reaching an agreement we got our hands dirty; we studied the previous issues of Fuerza 7, as well as a good number of other magazines (ranging from skateboarding to fashion design). Fuerza 7 has great content, but until then the design really lacked, both in style and visual coherence. 

before & after (click to enlarge)

We did dozens of typographic tests, both for titles and body text—we sometimes struggled to find the right choice with differences of fractions of a point). We also created a new design for the cover, with its own heading that acts as a “logotype” for Fuerza 7. Of course, a good number of alternative cover designs had to be left behind when the client decided to go for the current one that you can see here (our choice was different and much less conventional, but both are appropriate). 

(click to enlarge)

Since then, we have done the DTP work of four issues of Fuerza 7, and we are just about to start working on the fifth, which will probably be available during July 2009. 

(click to enlarge)

There are fixed sections in every issue (Imprevistos Fun, El Palique) and there is usually one or two special articles, for which we play with the base design, altering it, or even create a new custom design, depending of the subject of the article. 

See you on a newsstand near you!

The corporate identity and specifically the symbol created for PRODATEC came from a long and interesting research and trial process, which began with a brainstorming session here at Globulart (after a detailed interview with the client, documentation and research, and a study of the sector and our client’s needs—which pretty much sums up our standard procedure). 

This process was followed by the creation of the first sketches of the logo, a couple of meetings to put our ideas in common, and sharing each other’s files to study and refine them. It turned out to be quite amusing, how we achieved to create varied and sometimes unexpected iterations of the sketches, after all the mutual “groping” of each other’s files. Once we set on a defined line of work and aesthetic, one of the designers took the helm of the project and assumed the task of finishing it. We have often used this work method, always with good results. 

The main concepts our client wanted to convey through the identity were: strength, experience and reliability. This was the premise upon which we based the needs of Prodatec, in terms of communication, and we used that to develop the identity; it used basic, strong shapes, like the square and the circle, “extra bold” line widths, bold and sans-serif typefaces and sober, elegant colors with metallic tints.

The result is a logo with a thick circle cut by a vertical line. Visually, this emulates the insertion of a CD into a computer, but at the same times conveys a sense of strength and stability, thanks to the vertical line and the unconscious perception of the complete circle. Such perception is confirmed by one of the “Gestalt Laws” called “Law of Closure”, which states:

Objects grouped together are seen as a whole. We tend to ignore gaps and complete contour lines. In the image above, there are no triangles or circles, but our minds fill in the missing information to create familiar shapes and images.

It also intends to transmit a sense of modernity and technology, as Prodatec’s field of work is strictly linked to computers and the handling and storage of information.

The image is completed with a text written with a sans-serif typeface, which echoes the visual strength of the symbol. The main color combination (dark blue with grey) talks of experience, seriousness, elegance and academic formalism, thus emphasizing the message that it is a company formed by top experts in their respective fields. 

That was the main color combination, but we had to develop additional ones (following the same color logic) for each of the branches of the company. It wasn’t an easy task, as they have eight separate ones and we ended up feeling dizzy after hours of examining the color palettes time and time again

The following images show the color schemes we created for each branch of Prodatec: 

The client also needed a sign for the main door; we created a design to be applied on a steel plate. This implied a lot of research and learning on this type of material: differences between working with aluminum and steel, suitable metals for laser etching, number of inks that can be used, cut vinyl… In the end, the upper part, the one with the logo, was made with adhesive printable vinyl, and the contact info was printed with laser etching directly on the steel. The following image is a pretty accurate rendition of the final aspect of the sign (there is an actual photograph at their website).

The following images show some of the designs we created for the corporate stationery (click to enlarge):

Our task was to create a new logo for her business as well as business cards, after which we will redesign her website (as of this writing it’s still in the sketching phase). Our client, Krys Williams, is a professional translator specializing in medical translation and book indexing; she provided us with an extensive briefing on her business and the specifications for her new visual identity; it was one of the most comprehensive and detailed briefings we ever received from a client, something we really appreciated. The company is called Tehuti Knowledge Services Ltd.; Tehuti (commonly known as Toth) is an Egyptian god often associated with knowledge and wisdom, and is usually depicted with an ibis head.

Our client wanted her logo to have an Egyptian feel, due to the very name of her company, and should be associated with medicine because of her translation specialty. The logo is an abstraction of a symbol called caduceus, which takes various forms across cultures and is also associated with the god Tehuti. The basic shape is completed by the Egyptian cartouche, which was used to enclose royal names.

The chosen typography bears a resemblance to the strokes and shapes of the logo symbol and the Egyptian cartouche that encloses it; we used a triangular composition when combining the type with the symbol (you could call this composition a pyramid). 

Lastly, the color palette used in the business cards is made up of warm colors with a turquoise greenish tone that has some Egyptian reminiscence (akin to malachite and lapis blue).

Sometimes we create an artistic rendering (as realistic as possible) of the designed pieces in a real environment, reproducing real lighting and shading:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Music: Kelley Polar – Sea Of Sine Waves.

More information on the corporate identity of COFFEEHOUSE.

The title of the LP came during a conversation with David Bailey, singer and lead guitar of the band; the idea was to use the famous Rubik’s Cube to take advantage of some coincidences:

The LP contains six songs / the cube has 6 sides.
The world record in solving the Rubik’s Cube is six moves / again, the concept of the six songs.

Some sketches were presented to the band, all of which “revolved” around the concept of the Rubik’s Cube. In the end, the simplest one was chosen, not convoluted at all; a mixture of simplicity and surprise was the predominant idea, with a geek twist.

“In Six Moves” – cover and vinyl disc (click to enlarge)

The discs were pressed in a factory located in the Czech Republic. When they sent the design templates for the cover and the vinyl disc we had a moment of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) when we discovered that the notes were written in czech…

… but, luckily, numbers are universal (at least for all of us men and women of good will who use the metric system), so we had no problem placing our design in the template.

detalle del vinilo “In Six Moves” (clic para ampliar)

It was suggested not to include any text on the cover (neither the band name nor the album title); they liked the idea, but their being an underground band refrained them from doing so: they didn’t want to be less exposed to the huge vinyl-buying-audiences (pun intended).

back cover of the LP “In Six Moves” (click to enlarge)

Attention, music lovers: this album can be bought at the Clifford Records website. By the way, that website was created by Globulart. But that will be the subject of another post.

Let’s be honest, if you’re a member of the band U2, you won’t care if the album cover doesn’t feature any text at all, people will probably buy them all the same… But! If your band is called Brothomstates, releasing an album with no text at all in the cover is a tad more daring, although in both cases the cover serves the purpose of catching the attention of the potential buyers and make them wonder what that album is. By the way, this particular Brothomstates album is called “Claro“, and it’s worth noting the title of one the songs is “-”. Yes, only a hyphen; now try to beat that, U2!

Is it just me or both covers are actually quite similar? And, while we’re at it, could you tell which is what?

Over the last few months I’ve also seen several book covers without a title of the name of the author – that’s something daring! I can almost see the executive at the publishing house shivering at the mere thought of releasing a book with a cover that has no text at all. But this will be the subject of a nother post…

As a brief reminder before going to the video of the interview, Globulart Diseño has collaborated since 2006 with the Global Orgasm for Peace initiative, providing translation and media representation services, and creating the new Global Orgasm logotype and the Global Orgasm website, www.global-o.org.

The video is in Catalan and Spanish; the Spanish part begins at 02:24.

Watch the interview on Vimeo:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch the interview on YouTube:

Click here to view the embedded video.

During his speech, the eloquent Paco Fernández got the audience to like him immediately thanks to a brief dissertation against the much despised Comic Sans font, during which grunts of disapproval could be heard from the audience (disapproval toward the very Comic Sans, that is). He continued providing five recommendations for a better use of typography. It’s worth remembering two of them here:

1. Dashes.

Hyphen & en-dash: they’re used to divide words that break at the end of a line, and to connect parts of compound words.

Em-dash: it has the same length as the letter “m” (thus the name). It’s chiefly used in fragments of dialogue. There is even a bigger dash, equivalent to three en-dashes; their usage depends on the style manual you use.

2. Italic, cursive, skewed (fake italic).

“Italic” and “cursive” is not the same thing. An italic font has a slight slant to the right, whereas a cursive font is one written in a single stroke, similar to hand writing, and without a separation between characters. Skewed fonts are an artificial feature of software packages like Word, that turn a normal into a fake italic, by applying a slant to the right; this is to be avoided because it alters the true aspect of the font; using the italic version, if available, is much more advisable.

And now, some images from the exhibition:

Just below you can see a series of logos in their monochrome versions (graphic designers should ask themselves if the logo they are designing is suitable for monochrome or grayscale reproduction), all of which we created during these years; we also wonder if anyone alien to our work and trajectory would be able to order them chronologically.

Impossible task, I would say!

Why is this so?

The answer is one of the main characteristics of the identifying symbol of a company: it must endure time and have the ability to evolve.

Other desirable characteristics in a logo:

Functional: It should be able to be reproduced in a wide range of mediums and sizes, from a ballpen to a billboard sign. This is a good reason to create a corporate identity manual that dictates the rules for using all the graphic elements, provides several versions of the logo and is able to preview some future necessities.

Memorable: The logo must be easy to graps, visually. Thus we have to consider not using too many and too complex shapes and colors; that would be a good rule of thumb.

Less is more: This is an essential motto. We must convey the greatest amount of information with the least number of elements. Our mind is amazing!, it can complete unfinished shapes by itself (iconicity).

Competitive: It must stand out against its competitors. To achieve that we use colors or shapes that convey the concept of the company, while maintaining coherence with the product or service that is represented, at least at a subconscious level.

Instant impact: Paint a smile in the face of whoever sees it! We are all creative in some degree and like to be surprised. Now, the main target for that surprise is the potential client of the product or service (target market).

That’s why it’s so important to stick to a marketing strategy and create an extensive design brief that will serve as a guide for the process.

The following list shows the names of the companies to which the previous logos belong:

RGRM Arquitectos, Prodatec Consultores Asociados, 10 Interiorismo y Paisaje, Nina Ross Academia de Peluquería y Estética, I10 Inversiones y Proyectos, Café y Tagua Artesanía Indígena Colombiana, Imago Diagnostic, Coffeehouse Snack Bar, Mariano Navarro Moreno Arquitecto, SPC Electrónica Altamira, 5mentario Pub, Camp España Levante de Almería (Coastal Area Management Project), Viacrucis Pop Festival, Madchester Pop Bar, Pilates Center Almería, Álea Asesores, Restaurante Barroso, Garcés Asesores, Galería Acanto Arte y Enmarcación, Globulart Diseño.

We thought it would be a good moment to show a design entirely in black and white, without semitones, and with a retro and psychedelic feel to it, relating to the music of this idiosyncratically spanish band.