Logo Type 1.3 - HMV

Further Experimentation

Experimented with sans-serif:

Used helvetica bold because it's very simple and easy to read. This would be good for the high street as it'll draw more interest. I increased the kerning so that it was balanced which I think it's because a sans-serif font is bolder and more geometric, however the type is still floating in the middle. 

I even tried using the same concept with the 'hmv' but in this composition I felt that the type was too big as it crosses over the middle. I actually prefer using Helvetica bold, it gives the composition an almost 60s style edge because of the rings around it. I could put a line under the type to give it a sense of place and it could also represent the record players arm.

I wanted the line to begin where the 'h' does so that the composition was tight. I felt that if I put the line all the way across the circle it would bisect it causing two new shapes. There are still a lot of negative space which makes the type feel lost still.

During the crit, it was suggested that I use the ring effect with my typography. I thought this would be easier to do with a sans-serif font because the serif's wont get in the way:

I dont think the stroke is big enough as it might be hard to see if it's printed on a small scale or from far away. It's a shame that the top of the 'm' and the 'h' aren't filled with the line. I tried the same technique with a serif font:

Used Bodoni again to see if the concept would work with serif but it's hard to work out what they type says because of the constant negative space and repeated line. The 'v' is a tricky letter to use as it can look like a 'w' when layered. 

I decided to go back to a sans-serif font because I found it clearer to read and balanced when I was layering the type, especially when I increased the kerning to -200.  I also increased the stroke to make the line easier to see on different scales. I think the 'v' still resembled a 'w' because of how the angled lines cross over each other. I need to find a way of overcoming this, possibly putting a line down the middle:

I put the line down the middle because I still wanted the composition to be balanced and I think it successfully stops the 'v' from looking like a 'w'. 

I tried the design in a negative:

Created a bolder, hard hitting logo than I previously expected. This has a lot to do with the colour scheme as there is a high contrast. I like how the negative space creates pattern but I still don't think the concept is functional due to the negative space getting lost, especially at the top of the 'm'. 

I even tried it using the iconic HMV colour palette:

HMV's colour scheme is pink, white and black which work to create a very bold outcome. The flat back is usually in the background to create a main focus on the type or imagery, specifically on their website and in store. The vibrant pink is used to separate the white and black, almost like a mid-tone. It is prominent on the website because the when you hover over a menu, the text turns pink which is a good concept as it is always reminding the audience of the colour subconsciously. I tried to transfer these colours into my design but found the black was too strong against the pink and white and made the logo look very cheap.

The concept behind this was to turn the shape of the 'v' into the needle on a record player. I am pleased because the addition of the 'needle' still makes sure the 'v' doesn't look like a 'w'. Again, I like the concept but I am struggling to find a way of making the type look formal. The line that's just touching the needle resembles a record but the rest of the type is too high up and is lost again. 

I wanted to play with the colour palette in order to see if a softer, monochromatic tone would replace the vibrant pink.

I didn't systematically add the two tones of grey, the shape in the letters was too complex to work out. I think the previous image is more functional as it is bold and striking where as the two tones makes it more confusing to the eye because it's hard to find where to look.

Using a darker shade of grey meant it was consistent. I thought it was a shame to lose the iconic pink so I subtly added it to the needle and vinyl. I think this highlights the concept because it stands out in front of the grey text. I like how the 'needle' is blended into the 'm' and the vinyl continues across the rest of the letters. 

To emphasise the needle concept, I tried to make it more dynamic by adding the vibrant pink. I didn't want the composition to be imbalanced due to too much colour on one side so I kept it minimalist. I prefer the last image because the added colour enhances the needle which will ultimately draw more attention to it. 

Now that I've created a concept to work with, I thought I'd experiment with using upper case again:

The capitalised Helvetica Bold is a lot more balanced due to it's straight edges. I think this resembles my initial concept of using the lines in the circle to create the vinyl/retro effect but with a modern feel because of the diagonal and vertical lines crossing over. 

I think the same design in monochrome is a lot more versatile and easier to look at because of the two shades of grey. I will ask people for feedback on whether they still think I should keep the original colour palette. 

I like how my concept is developing deeper and I am beginning to come up with a concept that suits the rebrand. I feel that I should keep the original colour scheme because HMV are renowned for it's expressive pink and I would risk the audience miss reading it. 

I need to think about where the logo will be displayed and how it will suit the different medias. At the moment it's very bold due to the contrasting colours which will work on a large and small scale. My only worry is that the line wont be cohesive with the type when it's printed smaller. I could also think about where the logo is placed inside the store. Oh the bags, sticker, receipt, etc.