Whitworth Logo

Purplegurl

Senior Member
Hi guys i'm after some feedback on an assignment i'm working at the moment for uni. Part of the project is to design a logo for the Whitworth Art Gallery we have pretty much been given free reign on this one .... any suggestions?:confused:

LOGO IDEAS

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I like the basic shape and concept. But, I think you should stick to the basics, and lose the gradients and drop shadows. Keep it simple!
 
Very art nouveau. Reminds me of Rennie Macintosh's work.

I reckon seaneill is right though. I'd try to simplify it a little, get rid of the drop shadow and the gradients and consentrate on the actual logo. I might have suggested a more standardised font for the 'W' something like Myriad or Helvetica (that will help you loose the art nouveau feel) and think about using a script font face for the 'g'.

I think this logo is pretty awesome, just not sure it works well in this context.
 
Great idea with the W and A, but I agree with all the points above. Loose the Photoshop preset gradients and shadows (the Mona Lisa is at the Louvre, it shouldn't be anywhere near a logo for the Whitworth Art Gallery!). Just keep it simple.

Consider the typography a bit more. Spend some time playing with different typefaces, different shapes and different solutions for the A inside the W.

You're grasping at a great idea, it just needs a bit of refining.
 
I have to say the first six logos are just ideas i was trying, the 7th large black logo has become the final design I am using ... the use of the mona lisa was just an example of the diversity of the logo (any image could be used in its place) and the preset shadows and gradients were just a quick way of experimenting with the design. I am using the 'art nouveau' feel as a reference to the age, style and architecture of the building the gallery is based in.

Hope this answers a few of the questions you may have had and thanks for your feedback :)
 
There are a couple of changes I am going to make though... I now feel the line under the 'Whitworth Art Gallery' text at the bottom is not necessary and the drop shadow is gone!
 
Is it a daft question to ask what this 'says' about the Whitworth Art Gallery?

Admittedly the current logo is... lacking (due to it having to fit the University of Manchester branding), but I think a new logo would need to demonstrate something about the building, the spaces inside, what happens there and/or the artworks. This doesn't do any of that for me.

Sorry.

I like the font of the W a lot (although not so much the G)
 
Katie/Purplegurl, I think NeilG has a very good question, what does the logo really say about the Whitworth Art Gallery? I've never been and knew nothing about the gallery before, but after looking at some information on their website I think the logo could do and say a lot more about what is on offer.

I'm guessing you have already seen this information on the Whitworth site but thought I would point it out just incase - Gallery Vision (The University of Manchester)

In the plans for the future of the Gallery, the 'vision' they talk about being known by the national press as the Tate of the North, and being noted for championing British Contemporary art. They also make a few mentions to the surrounding grounds...

It is an important part of the continuing regeneration of Manchester that our gallery and the park around it should be the anchor and welcome for the many communities that surround us - students, workers, hospital staff and local residents. The new development will sit in harmony with the 19th and 20th century architectural moments of the building, but will meet a 21st century eco-agenda so the parkside development will showcase the very best sustainability principles and to minimise rather than extend the gallery's carbon footprint.
I would personally explore ideas around a more contemporary branding, perhaps with a more subtle reference to the gallery's architectural history. I would also try and think of ways of linking in the green aspect, as they are keen on the idea of the galleries becoming seamless with the park 'through a beautiful green space' and being as one part of the local community.

Hope that helps in someway?!
Greg
 
This is all great stuff guys and is helping alot! Back to the drawing board with this one i think ... i'll keep you all updated ... thanx x
 
ok just been playing ...just rough at the moment but ive run with the 'bringing the outdoors inside' theme.... reminds me of another logo though but I cant think for the life of me what it is .... anyway dont laugh to much .....
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The 'tree' is a reference to the tree of knowledge linking it to its university partnership also a reference to the surrounding gardens. The tree is placed into the building shape and shows the galleries desire to bring the outside in and a symbol of the large gallery space within. The colour green is a universal symbol of anything environmentally, the gallery is aiming for a carbon neutral footprint.

So any comments ..... other than laughter???
 
Purplegurl said:
... the use of the mona lisa was just an example of the diversity of the logo (any image could be used in its place)

Putting an image into the clipping path of a logo is not diversity. If it was how would this make this logo more diverse than any other??? the only logo off the top of my head I can think of where you couldn't do this (although I don't know why anyone would want to anyway) would be the M&S one. Dropping a picture into the apple logo does not make it diverse & defeats the object of building a brand.

If your brief said the logo should be diverse I would suggest it means it can work on a variety of formats. If the logo was colour, you would also have a version that could be used on black and white material, a version that could be reversed out of black and so on, that keeps the logos values.
 
Purplegurl said:
ok just been playing ...anyway dont laugh to much .....
....other than laughter???

I get the feeling you're not being serious with your concept here just from the phrases in your post.

I think it needs to be far more subtle, and try and give some thought to your typography, even use that as the starting point as it seems to be an after thought with this idea. Good luck! Greg
 
Thanks for your comments guys ... I guess I'm just stumped with this one at the moment and lacking a little confidence in my designs .... I think this design was just a knee jerk reaction .... Im taking a step back from it and will return to it with a fresh mind in couple of days. This logo design is a very small part of the overall project which is to design an entire ad campaign for an imagenary 50's exhibition at the Whitworth....so there are plenty of other parts I can concentrate on in the mean time.
 
Purplegurl said:
Im taking a step back from it and will return to it with a fresh mind in couple of days.

Sounds like a good option Katie, you can end up trying too hard with a design and not make any progress, I'm sure after the few days you take away from the logo you'll come back with lots of new ideas and inspiration to get it spot on :up:
 
Dear Kate,
Your original concepts were far stronger than the one in your last post, so please re-consider.

I agree the logo should reflect an element of the 'gallery meets environment', but shouldn't necessarily be a slave to the concept. Think of how to depict the concept of 'art' and how it might be surrounded by nature (i.e the park, environment).
Off the top of my head it could simply be a rectangular canvas in one colour with a butterfly leaving it. Or perhaps the rectangle is straight on three sides and the bottom one has grass growing white out, into it...
the type could then sit inside it (Royal Academy-style) or sit underneath.
You could then use the canvas 'block' as a marque on it's own or as a watermark.
Keep me posted. :)
 
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