TC letterhead + extended pieces

My Top Crops project is coming to an end. After we finished our logos, we had to create a stationary system which included a letterhead, business card and envelope. We also had to create an "extended" piece -meaning any other element the company could have with graphics on it. These extended pieces show the client how we can use the logo on other pieces and it also establishes a graphic language for the company.

For my letterhead, keeping in mind my brief and company which truly emphasizes the juxtaposition of modern/urban and rural/crunchy (healthy, hippie, organic lifestyle) - I created a clean, structured label to hold in the company information. The thin stroke of the box and condensed trade gothic's (the typeface used) angular letters helped mix in the modern aspect of top crops with the most organic/stamp logo. I used the same graphic system for my business card and logo.

My extended piece is an email blast sent out to all our co-op members. It explains the CROP OF THE WEEK! how exciting. I used my created label to structure my elements and added some fun elements like place of origin and hypothetical growing conditions! I even created an icon stamp system for the growing conditions. Check them out below!!

Thats it for now, its 16 degrees right now in new york and Im about to head out for a haircut and some shopping - its a margaux day today!

enjoy. bisous.

Final TC logo

After drafts and draft, we finally chose the "bean TC" logo as the most successful. The bean communicated the organic quality of my company, along with signifying ideas of growth, regeneration, ideas/innovation. The rigid, box like TC initials communicate the urban, scientific, structured and modern aspects of my company.

Here is the final logo. I am most excited about my "stamp" logo - i am definitely going to use this effect on my stationary that i am in the process of starting now. There is a place on 27th that can create custom stamps so i am planning on getting that made once i know the dimensions.

Top Crops logo stage 2

Based on my last critique, I worked on five different directions. Here is where I got to.

NYC ICONS

Visual Process is the name of a course I am taking this semester. The name describes the class well. There is an emphasis on the creative process ; we are not creating final portfolio pieces... but rather exploring different aspects, techniques of design. The class also focuses on semiotics since icons have become such a huge part of design.

Our first assignment was to create a set of icons of four "city" animals, being a rat, pigeon, dog and squirrel. We began by tracing photographs of the animal and exploring what features are necessary when simplifying the shape in order to be able to read "squirrel" or "dog". From there we had to create a set - so the four icons had to look lik

e a family. The last criteria was that the icon set had to be NEW YORK. To avoid clichés, the icons didn't have to communicate New York to visitors... but rather to new yorkers or simply to you... as a new yorker. After word lists and word lists....here is what i came up with.

TOP CROPS LOGOS / STAGE 1

Top Crops is New York’s City first ever vertical farm co-op located in the Lower East End. What is a vertical farm? It is a skyscraper greenhouse that cultivates, using hydroponics, the produce (Fruits, vegetables, grain) to feed Manhattans growing population.We grow organic food: efficiently, sustainably, locally and environmentally. Our food is fresh – the cream of the crop.

This is the first paragraph of my brief explaining my company. My firstCORPORATE ID project is TOP CROPS. We began by writing a brief and creating mood boards (which you can see below). Our next step was to execute 60 logos - all of different concepts - by hand. From there, we had a class critique and had to choose four directions and develop four variations each direction. I have attached my four directions below (they all have more than four variations and concepts.. i got a bit too excited.) So, from here, the next step it to narrow the logos down.

The Fan Logo

This semester I am taking a CORPORATE ID or BRANDING class - definitely the most exciting class this semester .

Our first exercise was to great a logo. The company name, the marketing strategy or positions wasn't given... the only thing given was a pdf document of vintage fans. We had to develop a logo .. inspired by these fans. So.. here is what i developed.

I was really attracted to the organic shapes of the fan blades when drawn in perspective. I took the liberty to overlap the blades rather than meeting them at a single point. The organic shapes and cellular looking shapes seem to make the logo appropriate for a science museum - paired with a bold type.

So heres the logo and two letterheads and a

business card. I had fun with the back of the business card and decided that each back would change - being a different crop of the logo mark itself.