CLIENT

DESIGNER

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The relationship between a client and a graphic designer is a precarious partnership, at times, the designer must relinquish his artistic integrity in order to appease the client, and at other times, the designer forges ahead with his vision at the sincere apprehension of his client and is either extremely unexpectedly successful, or not. To nd a balance between the client and his artist the two must have a great amount of chemistry and rapport like any great relationship. The focus of this presentation will concentrate on both successful re-designs where the client evidently took a risk with his/her product, but also on unsuccessful redesigns where the designer failed to achieve a proposed victory for his clients merchandise. The purpose is to delve into the ideal branding conquests throughout time, and to observe and examine the most successful and unsuccessful client and designer relationships.

PURPOSE

TIBOR KALMAN VS. DUFFY REVISTED

For many, the question is not whether the designers role should be redened, but how it can change to meet the often conicting needs of client, ego, and society. I think that my overall worry about the design business is whether as a group we are becoming overly inuenced by money and professional success, and whether thats impinging on our ability to criticize our clients and make an impact on the world and as a group inuence culture.

QUOTES

The corporate giants in America feel they can bully designers and tell them exactly what to do and treat them as suppliers rather than partners or innovaThis is a generalization, but the problem is that, with large companies, we usually have to deal with people who are on lower rungs of the ladder; and by the time they nibble away at our work all the way up, it no longer translates.

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The MSNBC redisgn depicts a slight change from the original logo. Overall the new logo is successful as it is slightly less domineering than the one that preceeded it but also the extra white spaces both between the plumage of the logo and distance from the logo and typography adds a modern touch. Generally both logos are successful, however the new logo keeps on trend with a more charming and less abrasive text.

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Original Peacock logo has Uppper case smaller and bold stroke lettering between each color More white space between the individual colors.

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Lower case typography, where the letters remain at proper 100% height.

The redesign of Business Week logo is successful for the designer chose to drop a somewhat dated serif font and use instead a sans serif font. Furthermore, the designer abandoned the blue line at the bottom of the original logo and by doing so took a more minimal approach. Considering that the publication is based upon business, the old logo seemed slightly conservative while the new logo proposes a broader range of audience.

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Navy Blue line Red Box Serif Font

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Sans Serif Red Box Font

The re-design of Delta Airlines logo is successful for it has taken essential colorschemes, and logo, but opted to change a quite lackluster original logo into a sleeker version of itself. By using a sans serif font, and making the actual logo all red the designer was able to offer a new logo that was both cohesive and modern. Adding more white space between the letters and the logo itself adds a sophistication that the logo was preciously lacking.

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Red and Blue logo Bold Serif Font in Royal Blue All red logo

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Sans Serif font in deep blue.

The success of the new Toys R Us logo is dependent on the varying type sizes, more so than a actual change in font. The varying type sizes offer a bold dynamic that ts brand better, as it adds a playful quality, reminding its viewer that the brands product is intended for children. Furthermore, the large R in the center along with the star provides a sleeker and more modern approach to the overall design.

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Bright rainbow R-inside of a star colors

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Varying type Large R with sizes star in center Muted rainbow colors

CONCLUSIONS
- Sans serif fonts along with an additive of white space offers more sophistication - Changing logos only slightly to enhance them is successful -varying type sizes help offer a dynamic and fun approach -bold serif type seems to be too dramatic -sans serif bold type adds a new dimension, especially when white space is added

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When looking at the USA Todays redesign, it is not so much that it is unsuccessful but rather that it doesnt send the same message as the pervious logo did. The logo in which the earth seems as if its spinning on its axis suggests that USA Today is able to deliver fast-paced news, while its new logo which is simply a bright blue dot, appears stagnant and cold.

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world logo, with stroke to seem as if it is bold sans serif spinning fast. font light royal blue themed box

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sans serif bold font more white space, bright blue and black. world or circle.

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Simply, the new logo looks awkward with its white strip bending far up the angle on the circle. It results in a logo that seems slightly clumsy, while its predecessor remains classic and bold.

Here, legibility and message are the key factors in which this new Animal planet logo is not successful. First the varying type-sizes and compact nature is clostrophobic, while the ipped over M seems sadly misplaces. The old logo however really paints a clear message that the network provides shows based upon animals. Without the elephant the new logo also seems to be lacking visually in explaining its purpose.

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Elephant reaching for a globe. Compact box with simple text. Compact box with simple font. Flipped over M on its side Varying type sizes

CONCLUSIONS
- message of company is important - awkward changes, just for the sake of chaning a logo sometimes can seem unnecessary -compact lettering can be illegible and awkward

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Simply, the change of logo and design of the overall packaging is to big. The old carton depicted and image of beautiful looking orange with a straw, and the new shows a glass of orange juice which is quite confusing and hard to recognize. Flipping over the Tropicana logo on its side was also a mistake as its harder to read. Overall though, the change was too big for the regular consumer not to feel like they were buying a whole new product.

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Again, the new logo changed too much from the original. Kraft essentially is such a household name, and so recognizable by its classic logo that the new busy logo completey leaves customers feeling cold and distant from a brand they have come to rely upon.

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This new logo was recieved with such backlash that it was discontinued within a matter of weeks. The reasons includ such a huge change from the original logo, but more importantly the bold sans serif lettering seemed clunky while the small square box was simply a distraction.

CONCLUSIONS
- changing a logo so drastically when the brand has had a very classic and recognizable logo for a long time can be a huge risk -busy lettering and additives often take away from the classic nature of brands -legibility is important -the inegrity of the brand must always be remembered, just as much as the inegrity of the designer