Mastery Reflection: Design Integration
This has been one tremendous month in the development of the Reykjavik Identity Rebranding project. After narrowing down the Reykjavik logo down to four vectors in last months course, Design Strategies and Motivation, I was able to decide on the final logo design to represent the three categories of geography, modern culture, and traditions.
The Logo
Based on the naturally occurring crystal formations of the basaltic columns that are created from volcanic activity, the rune symbol that identifies with “man or mankind” as the letter “Y”, and the modernistic approach of the letterforms tie the three categories together handsomely. The end result is a strong word mark that pays homage to the artsy, relaxed atmosphere of Reykjavik.
The Toolbox
With the logo decided on, a toolbox was designed to get a “feel” for the elements that represent Reykjavik. The color palette and font picks were included to showcase these elements to be used throughout the project as it moves forward. The imagery (from pixabay.com) shows the multi-colored buildings of Reykjavik, the hots springs that dot the Icelandic country, the ethereal aerial lights and adventurous environment of nearby areas. The colors chosen reflect the natural aspect of Reykjavik and convey the elements of fire, earth, water, and air. The font choices of DIN Condensed for Headlines and Arial Narrow provides clean letterforms that complement the Reykjavik logo and can provide Reykjavik’s voice clearly.
The Storyboard
Before diving into the video development of the Reykjavik, it is always wise to have a storyboard. Not only does this step is always a pleasure because of the drawing nature of it, but it helps to keep me focused on the main scenes for the video promo. In preparation of the video promo, I turn to the story of Ingolfur Arnarson and his wife, Hallveig Fróðadóttir, as "Iceland's first permanent settlers". A Norse tradition for settling new land would be to toss their high seat pillars into the sea and wherever they wash ashore was where they would settle. It was several years before the pillars were found, and upon seeing the smoky landscape, Arnarson named the area Reykjavik, which loosely means "smokey bay" due to steam from the many thermal pools.
The Video: the beginning
The approach with the video design is to create an emotion that will grab the attention of the target group of 25 to 40 year old couples looking for a unique adventure. The best way to get someone’s attention is to tell a story that intrigues them. Below is the rough concept of the end of the video after the last from of the storyboard. Here the camera flies over the terrain of Reykjavik, past a rumbling volcano and towards the stunning aerial lights to the reveal of the Reykjavik logo. From there a call-to-action will be included to direct the audience to go the Reykjavik website to learn more about the Icelandic capital. Once there then perhaps they will discover a new destination to make adventurous memories with their loved ones from.
Next? In the next course, Multi-Platform Delivery, the Reykjavik Identity Rebranding project will see the completion of the video animation. From there a website will be in development for the remainder of the final four weeks of this revised project. See you then.
EOIII
