#15minutecityresearch

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Favela Mosaico

This artwork was created over an old painting by a group of residents in the north of Rio de Janeiro. The previous work had lost its brightness to the sun, so they decided to freshen it up by sticking tiles on the wall.

I love the way they brought colour back to the city and improved the look of the whole area, using more sustainable materials that will last a long time.

The previous artist makes impressive use of the space around the staircase that leads to the river. The space itself works as a frame. I'm also fascinated by the colour palette as it combines the colours of the architecture: brick and concrete walls.

https://favelapainting.com/FAVELA-MOSAICO-FP

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Branding research

Fully Visualised: Branding Stories

This book helped me to understand what needs to be shown and said in my presentation.

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Posca brand research 

I struggled to find much information about the history of the logo and where the name came from, but I'm really impressed with Posca's values and how they managed to achieve such popularity among artists.

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Faber-Castell brand research 

I wanted to know what the logos of popular art companies mean and what the history behind them is to see how they go about advertisement and brand recognition. Faber-Castell is a family brand and I like the fact that they have kept the original logo to this day instead of rebranding and putting pencils on the logo, for example.

“Upon the marriage of Lothar Faber’s granddaughter, alongside a new name, the company gained a new logo featuring the original Faber motto of “Since 1761” with the addition of the Castell’s coat of arms.

In 1905, the Faber-Castell green we all know and love was added to the company’s packaging by Count Alexander, who decided upon using his bold regimental colour. This Count also commissioned a painting, years later, of two knights jousting with pencils. This adorned the company’s packaging for many years, but was then dropped due to being seen as old-fashioned. However, in the 1990s, this image was reinstated when the current Count was creating a new corporate image. To this day, they remain as an important part of the logo, be it in an updated form, and a reflection of the company’s past.” - from https://www.thepencompany.com/blog/meet-the-brand/faber-castell-brand/

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Book of branding by Radim Malinic

This book made me think that I need to revisit some key aspects of my brand personality, my client persona and the core message I am trying to communicate. I was a bit stuck with logo design and this book helped me realise that I needed to take a step back and make sure I understand where my brand stands and what it wants to say.

The latest logos I've sketched illustrate open spaces and bright, refreshing colours, but they don't bring up the theme of creativity, community and bringing people together. I want my brand identity to be about art that brings people together. I may have to work on the name as well, as my brand is not about framing the work of creative individuals, but about motivating people to go out and explore, talk to each other and connect with the city and its residents.

Client persona 1:

23 years old

Female

Works in hospitality

Lives in a small town that doesn't have a lot of bright colours in its architecture, and there's not much to do other than go grocery shopping, walk in the park or go to a cafe.

This person doesn't spend a lot of money as they are an ordinary person working in the hospitality industry and their income is around £10 an hour. They like to spend time with their friends, but very often it becomes boring and their friends prefer to stay at home most of the time. They live alone and often feel lonely and even going to the shop is not something they get excited about.

Customer persona 2:

35 years old

Male

Has his own marketing business

This man has a lovely family consisting of him and their two children, an 8 year old boy and a 12 year old girl. He spends most of his time at work and comes home late and very tired. On weekends, he and his wife go to the same places as they run out of ideas of where to go. He loves spending time with his family, but wishes there were more interesting things they could talk about in the place where he lives.

Notes:

-branding is a process based on eventual shaping how people view your company or product through its image and its foundational purpose - the idea is to create emotional response ultimately. (page 18)

- brand strategy shapes effective company communication through identifying its audience, tone of voice and brand messaging, Parker positioning, defining the brand values and purpose, and showing its personality. (page 38)

- new brands should focus on who they are truing to reach, rather than the competitors they’re trying to beat. (page 46)

- start putting together a profile of your potential customer persona: age, gender, income, location, shopping habits, interests and even political views. (page 46)

- identify audiences mindset (page 46)

- a name should encapsulate the concept of everything a brand stands for. (page 84)

- say the name out loud - see how it sounds, how easy it is to pronounce or use in conversations with everyone. (page 84)

- one logo, one direction, one message. (page 86)

- the font selection should should reflect the values, purpose, tone of voice ad overall visual language. (page 92)

- really examining various colours’ more personal or evocative meanings can be instrumental in finding the right ones for the brand. (page 94)

- tagline text - usually a grabby one-liner that summarises the brand in the same way the logomark does - and which becomes an essential piece of the overall branding identity. (page 106)

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Let Sourdough Be the Bridge by Victoria Hitka

https://szinesvaros.hu/en/who-we-are/

I saw this mural celebrating the end of the coronavirus epidemic and thanking everyone for working together and helping each other in Budapest. And later I found the organisation that painted this illustration and decided to research their branding. Their company is called Colourful City, which says a lot about the projects they take on: bright and bold designs. I also really like their logo. The letters really remind me of the different shapes of buildings, and the details like the sun and rainbow suggest that the works are placed outdoors.

“Colourful City members became active when they realised that the cities where we live are grey and alienating. It is hard to love and protect a city where public spheres are filled with adverts or the walls are simply neglected and cannot work as a community place. Our work is not just about painting walls. Firewall painting is a creative tool that can help bring together citizens, decision makers, and companies.” - from Szines Varos website

I am very inspired by their idea and concept and hope that their project will give me more confidence to develop my branding, as well as encourage me to think about how I can evolve my idea so that it does not resemble existing projects.

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15-minute city tutorial

Notes: 

- What does my city look like? I need to think more deeply about what my city is like and what its residents need.

- A 15-minute city is the city of the future, so think about how people's needs will change over time.

- What is the purpose of my brand?

- How and where can I engage people? Think about making it more interactive. The Fourth Screen project is a great example of exhibiting art.

- Think about creating an app where people can interact with the animation/posters on the screen and vote for the person whose work is displayed.

This tutorial helped me to open my mind to other areas of research, such as the moving image and interactive art. However, it contradicts my main idea of bringing happiness, tranquillity and social cohesion. It seems to me that this will be more difficult to achieve if people use their phones instead of talking about art face to face. Technology is evolving very fast and people are becoming more and more dependent on their gadgets, so I don't want my project to be a reason for them to waste even more time on it. I don't seek to overstimulate people's minds by making them look at moving images that take up more space in the brain rather than something stationary and familiar. I want to create a company that does physical work and focuses on traditional tools.

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Doors for Doris Sam Moyer

This installation by Sam Moyer impressed me greatly with its connection to the nature of Central Park, as the artist uses the blue stone found in the park as the basis for her monuments. I love the way she brings art into the space, considering its setting and history, the nature of the city and its man-made appearance. Her project is a great example of using the public realm as part of art. Moyer's doors work as a transition from the chaotic rhythm of New York City to the calm peaceful atmosphere of Central Park.

Looking at her project helped me consider different ways of framing the work: it can be not only flat and colourful, but also textured, which in her case recalls the history of stone and its age, which can be compared to the history and natural materials of the city itself.

https://www.publicartfund.org/exhibitions/view/sam-moyer-doors-for-doris/