The first task in this assignment was to design a logo and tagline for Koi No Ike. Before sketching potential ideas, a set of criteria was needed to give the creative process direction.
- Friendly at first glance, welcoming of new users
- Utilizes the traditional colors of koi fish, such as cream, orange, black, red, or yellow
- Scalable. Includes enough detail to catch users attention at both large and small scales.
- The defining characteristic of koi fish: flowing tails and rich colors
- The elegant family crests of Japanese families in medieval japan, known as Kamon symbols.
- The charming and memorable smirk of the goldfish logo
After creating a set of criteria and dong research on other koi fish related companies, I sketched out three logos and created their digital counterparts in adobe illustrator.
With all 3 logos digitized I sent them to friends, peers, teachers, and graduate student instructors to get as much feedback as possible. The consensus was that bottom design was the best. With this feedback came the suggestion to remove some of the lines on the main body of the fish. Doing so would allows for a cleaner logo that held it's detail better when scaled down. Lastly, a cream and orange color pattern received the most positive feedback for the logo colors.
WIth the logo made, the next step in the project was to make a tagline and a style guide for the logo. For the tagline I came up with "Explore. Connect. Koi." as it encompasses the goals of the company.
The last part of the assignment was to create wireframes for a Koi No Ike app. This includes a loading screen, a homepage, a list of fish, a fish profile page, a care log, a feeding log, a water quality log, and pond information page.
Throughout this assignment, I gained a profound appreciation for the intricacies involved in crafting a logo. The task demands distilling the very essence of a company into a concise symbol – a visual representation that encapsulates its attitude, beliefs, character, and personality, all while effectively communicating the offered services. Since creating this logo, I have extended my design expertise to cater to the branding needs of family friends and peers, contributing a touch of personalized creativity to various projects. The experience has proven to be not only enjoyable and rewarding but also a continuous source of inspiration.
