My goal with this project was to create a symbol for International Dog Day, which is a holiday that celebrates working and companion canines and encourages adoption and legislation to ban puppy mills and other types of animal abuse.
The first step in creating the symbol was to brainstorm about words that sum up what this symbol should mean. In my notes, I did some free writing and created a web of related words to the topic like dog, award, earth, honor, and service. Then I was able to list those words on the topic worksheet and divide them into which ones I thought could be visualized best with a traced image, a stylized image or an abstract image. My three words to trace pictures of were dog, award, and earth. My stylized images came from the words worker, pedestal and light. Finally, my abstract representations formed out of teamwork, friend, and appreciation.
My notes for brainstorming on International Dog Day
The next step in the process was to actually create the images that each word conveyed. I did some tracing of stock images I found on Adobe Illustrator, and I learned how to use the pen tool much more precisely through that exercise. Some of the images I chose because they have a specific meaning. For example, the globe does not only show the United States but it is mainly focused on South America and Africa to convey the International part of this symbol. Also, I chose to trace the St. Bernard breed of dog because they are known as rescue dogs.
Then for the stylized images I made general sketches of my ideas for each word and then created them directly in Illustrator. In some of them I integrated what I imagined a dog hero, or dog worker would look like as well as just general stylized images without a dog involved. This was just to expand on those combinations, even though they did not end up in the final product.
Stylized sketches
Traced images on top. Stylized images on bottom.
For the abstract words like service and teamwork, I tried to think of how basic shapes could convey the essential meaning of the words, and let the images freely develop. The most difficult part was conveying meaning without making the image into an icon that looked like something else. I sketched the ideas and then transferred them directly into Illustrator as well.
Abstract image brainstorming
Abstract images in Illustrator
RUBRIC for my symbols- In this first group of basic traced, stylized, and abstract symbols the main rules I stuck to were:
legibility at small sizes (1 inch/favicon) and large (about 3 inches)
they should be recognizable (or explainable for the abstract symbols)
have minimal detail
black and white only
and be the right weight to not blur together or fade away when they got to be about one inch wide.
Finally, after these criteria were met the symbol should have some level of fine tuning to it. For example, instead of just leaving the second abstract symbol for service as two plain lines, I applied a line style to on of the lines so that the two curved lines began to have more of their own special look.
After creating these basic building blocks for my symbol, I began to make hybrids of multiple symbols. The main criteria for these included the previous rules but also that the hybrids should be blended well together to look unified. Some of the resulting symbols were combinations of two previous symbols but others were made of up to four symbols combined.
Something I found myself doing with the hybrids was to make use of the abstract symbols a lot. I felt they were interesting and could make for a very unique symbol end product. Also, it became clear that I frequently used symmetry in my symbols. In the next step of the process I tried to open up my ideas to include more asymmetry and less abstraction if possible.
Some of the hybrid symbols I made.
Some less developed versions
After creating the hybrids, I picked three I thought were most successful and iterated them in three new ways, trying to make them more unique. This part of the process was a bit challenging because I was generally happy with what I already had. So, I came up with slightly different version of the three I picked.
Original symbols on the far left, three or more iterations going to the right.
Once this step was completed I realized the middle symbol was not really pulling it’s weight so to speak, and the ellipse was not contributing to the message. Even though it was made of a hybrid of an abstract and traced symbol, the abstract symbol was very generic. So, after the critique of that symbol gave me another eye to tell me it wasn’t doing much I decided to work with an earlier symbol- the dog head in the medal, because it worked very well practically. Also, I minimized the top symbol and took out the continents because they were compromising the integrity of the dog head. Finally, after asking a few people what they saw in the new version I created, I was able to finalize these three iterations of my symbol.
On top I added eyes to make it clearer that it represented a dog. In the middle, the ellipses became more stylized and details added to the dog head silhouette for clarity. On the bottom I enlarged the triangular decor around the medal’s outside and revered the black and white to create interesting negative space
On top I added eyes to make it clearer that it represented a dog.
In the middle, the ellipses became more stylized and details added to the dog head silhouette for clarity.
On the bottom I enlarged the triangular decor around the medal’s outside and revered the black and white to create interesting negative space
The criteria for the final step included not only the last sets of criteria but also that the symbols should engage the viewer and look fitting for professional use in the world.
Although I began to change direction at the end of this project, I think it worked out very well because the symbols I finalized are recognizable, simple, and new. During the last stages, outside voices prompted me to work with other ideas than the one I focused on before and it helped immensely. So in the end I learned a lot in Illustrator, how pervasive symbols are in our world, and how making lots of options and things to build off of helps, but also that for images that are as precise and direct as symbols, a designer needs to have outside opinions involved in the process. This project went over six weeks, and although that is a long time to make what I came up with, the results are much more purposeful and unique than if I had just started directly on creating a single symbol straight off of the bat.
On a spectrum of grading for these symbols, I think that the top final symbol is still a little basic from what I started with, so since I still went through all the steps and it meets all the criteria, I think it deserves an A. However, the bottom two were “massaged” enough to be above a sophomore A grade. They both engage the viewer and get the meaning of the symbol across directly, and I could see them being used professionally.
