Mokokoma Mokhonoana || Graphic designer » Portfolio http://mokokoma.co.za Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:57:55 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Logo design for Bothakga Design Studio http://mokokoma.co.za/logo-design-for-bothakga-design-studio/ http://mokokoma.co.za/logo-design-for-bothakga-design-studio/#comments Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:30:37 +0000 Mokokoma Mokhonoana http://mokokoma.co.za/?p=2750



I was recently commissioned to design a logo and online presence for Bothakga Design Studio, a company that does, well, graphic design. I had an idea of how I’m going to approach the logo design, in regards to the concept, while the client was briefing me so I don’t really have any rough sketches or other concepts to share.

I worked on the execution of the idea that I had and I then presented just the one proposed design solution to the client — the client got back to me within 30 minutes saying that he’s very happy with the proposed logo design.

So that means that I’ll just share the creative rationale behind the logo in this post, since there’s no ‘other’ concepts to discuss and share. Which could have been more beneficial to you as I would have covered reasons why this+that didn’t work on this+that logo design concept, but here it goes:

Creative rationale:

Yes a brief serves as an outline of the client project’s objectives, rules and restrictions —  but creatives do experience some sense of freedom, that lies in front of them in a form of a blank page.

From the brief and the researching phase we take that blank page and we then jot ideas that come to mind with a pencil.

We in a way use the pen(cil) to bring an idea from our minds to being.

At the core of a graphic designer’s ammunition used to communicate lies visuals and characters (letters, words, numbers etc.) and since this logo is for a graphic design company I thought, “What better way  than to develop a logo by illustrating both?”



The concept that I had allowed the identity to illustrate both, but one thing I liked the most was the fact that I will only use characters and let the negative space formed by the characters form a visual , pen(cil) in this case.



So I opted for a way to present the cliched pencil in a fresh and more meaningful manner.

I modified the first “A” from the company name to create the top/tip of a pen(cil) using negative space.

To ensure a ‘complete’ pen(cil) I used the closing square bracket as the other end of the pencil.

The logo manages to illustrate without any dependance on colour, apart from the clients mentioning that they didn’t have any colour preferences, I believe it’s a good practice not to rely (entirely) on colour as some (or all) meaning will be lost when the logo is forced to be produced in black+white or one colour by the media it is applied on.

One more important thing I’m happy with is that this logo isn’t ‘trendy’ thus is unlikely to looked dated as we see more tomorrows.

I’m still working on the company’s online presence, business cards, letterheads of which I’ll add to this post once completed.

*As always all comments are welcomed, critics appreciated more.

Update:

Here’s a mockup of the stationery.

bothakga design studio letterhead business card stationery
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]]> http://mokokoma.co.za/logo-design-for-bothakga-design-studio/feed/ 2 Logo design for Zonkizizwe Investments http://mokokoma.co.za/logo-design-for-zonkizizwe-investments/ http://mokokoma.co.za/logo-design-for-zonkizizwe-investments/#comments Tue, 20 May 2008 14:30:49 +0000 Mokokoma Mokhonoana http://mokokoma.co.za/?p=75





I’m currently busy with a corporate identity for Zonkizizwe Investments (Pty) Ltd, the project entails a logo design that I will then apply to business cards, letterheads, complimentary slips and the client’s company profile booklet.

The client approved my initial proposal of the logo design and I’m working on the rest of the project, which I’ll hopefully share as soon as the project is completed.

So this post will briefly concentrate on my creative rational for the logo.

Client profile:

Zonkizizwe Investments was formed in 1997 and it’s a holding company for currently 9 companies, with a focus in: Energy, Minerals, Fisheries, Property, Agriculture and Forestry, Finance, Transport, Security, Training, Sanitary Services, Catering, Visual technologies, Trade and Retail.

Brief:

I was approached to develop a meaningful identity for the holding company, Zonkizizwe Investments.

Creative rationale:

I presented a logo that is simple, clean and corporate. The final concept incorporates the two icons which are used on financial indicators.

Apart from the two colours being colours used on financial indicators:

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The red symbolizes: power, success and it’s colour of excitement (‘for sale sign’).
The green symbolizes: money, growth and positivity (‘shares going up’).

Icon:



I merged the two icons to form one icon that uses negative space to form the initial of the company “Z”.

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]]> http://mokokoma.co.za/logo-design-for-zonkizizwe-investments/feed/ 1 Logo design for Black On Black http://mokokoma.co.za/logo-design-for-black-on-black/ http://mokokoma.co.za/logo-design-for-black-on-black/#comments Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:02:18 +0000 Mokokoma Mokhonoana http://mokokoma.co.za/?p=68



I was approached to conceptualize and design a logo for Black On Black™ by a client.

The term ‘Black On Black’ was previously used to refer to the acts of black people fighting against each other, however the client intends on using the name to depict positive values and rather than the negative connotations the name carried in the past.
Black On Black™ is more of a freedom consciousness movement than a company. The client’s objective is to instill positive values amongst people to be aware of and to live their freedom, constitutionally, mentally and otherwise.

The movement’s mandate is to inspire, encourage and motivate everybody who comes across the brand. Initially clothing will be used as the main medium to spread the ‘positivity’.

The client wanted the logo to convey freedom, unity, striving to go to greater heights together.

logo process and creative rationale for black on black

The logo had to be as simple as possible (will be applied to a variety of mediums) while still conveying what the client required.

Final logo:

-The icon is actually two B’s or / and two birds, depending on how you look at it.

The two B’s:

- Gives a literal illustration of black on black, both as two B’s (on top of each other) and a black colour on top of a black colour.

The two Birds:

- The birds symbolizes: freedom, reaching greater heights together.

The overall Icon:

- Gives a feeling of unity and togetherness as 2 items comes out as 1 icon.
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*The client is happy with the final design and he added that the illusion on the logo reminded him of the My wife and Mother-In-Law illusion.
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