The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad are coming to...

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Concept:

Perhaps you missed all of the hype? Whether in the recent winter games or in the latest summer installment, the Olympics are no doubt a spectacle. Though they are chiefly experienced as a sporting event, with the eyes of the world and a longstanding tradition of optimism, the games are much bigger. Perhaps you are unaware, but there is a great deal of design involved in packaging the "Olympic Experience," and this is central to sustaining the Olympic narrative.

This is one of the highest profile design campaigns in existence -- it's something that will be viewed by millions of people from around the world. Now you will get the experience of designing the key elements necessary for a project of this scale. Your challenge will be to conceptualize and "brand" the 2024 Olympics.

More specifically, your challenge is to create, conceptualize, and design highly-charged graphically driven promotional press materials that will convince the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to choose your designs for the upcoming games.

You are responsible for the theme, the concept, the look, the feel, everything. In many ways this starts to get into the next phase of design which is "packaging". Think about it -- this is an enormous worldwide public event, and you’ve got to find some way to contain it in as a unified whole.

You will be responsible for developing a logo, a palette, typefaces, and a number of design elements; all in support of a single city and a massive worldwide spectacle.

The Project

Keeping in mind the issues we have discussed all semester, this project will be based on multiple pieces. Each piece will require a host of details, sketches, and mockups, so don’t let the short list below deceive you. As this is the final project, it is also your final chance to shine.

The major pieces are:

A compelling and dynamic logo
(This logo should be an original design, but it should also integrate the classic "Olympic Rings" as part of it)

A 5 x 8 two-sided full-color postcard highlighting your branding, the candidate city, its cultural significance, history, and possible connection to the Olympics.

Conceptual Facets and Requirements

First, choose a location -- a major city, somewhere prominent and not too obscure. The location of this city is important because it will obviously have a big impact on the design of your piece. Commit to something in a timely manner, and start working on the project – this is an important part of the project, but it’s also important that you decide on something and get moving. (Note: your location CANNOT be in California).

Develop a concept. There must be an underlying concept behind your design. This probably starts with the location you choose.

What is the driving aesthetic behind this location?

What are the stereotypes and what are the realities? (Hint: avoid the stereotypes!)

You will need to do some actual research. Do not rely on the perceived “common knowledge,” because you are really trying to capture the nature of a real place.

What is the history of the region? Look at the cultural practices and artistic aesthetics of your chosen location; figure out a balance between something that works and make an interesting appropriate update.

As you know, this research will become part of the presentation during your critique.

Time to get into some photography!

Employ at least TWO original photographs somewhere in your design. Please note you can use only original photography. This means pictures YOU SHOOT! Absolutely NO web photography, textures, or anything else.

In considering a photo subject, you might think about whether you want a general "Olympic vibe" or whether you want a "regional vibe" (or perhaps both?). Think about how this small design will get people excited about the Olympics, about the spectacle and the excitement of the event. Use the photos to help tell the story.

Obviously this will be a challenge if your goal is to portray Olympic glory, or a different region of the world. How can you capture the spirit without actually having images of the athletes, the medals, the crowds? How can you capture a sense of different locations while being stuck in Camarillo? You’ll have to be very cunning.

Think about how you might integrate macro photos, perhaps tight close-ups of sporting equipment, shoes, or other Olympic related components. You might also try to be more metaphorical – perhaps a footprint in the sand can allude to the long Olympic tradition going back to Ancient Greece, or maybe you could use the shadow of an athlete preparing for some sort of activity.

If you don't have any photo skills, you can recruit someone in the Art Department or a friend. Think about locations -- the high school track, a swimming pool, the gym on campus, etc. Be creative -- if you think about it, textures and scans could also be considered photographs, right?

Develop a palette which will be used consistently throughout your designs. Naturally you can expand on your color decisions, but try to arrive at a consistent range of vibrant colors.

The postcard must contain at least 100 words of "body text" heralding the importance of the region. The text does not need to be "original", but it should fit in with the project and pertain to your concept. Choose an appropriate series of typefaces for different hierarchical structures that you will layout. Some additional mandatory text/copy will be provided for you.

Lastly, choose an appropriate paper stock for your presentation -- something that highlights your work, has a nice weight to it, and somehow adds to your design.

Schedule
The Countdown to Olympic Glory!

Heading into the final weeks of the semester, it will be critical that you end on a high note, and use your time wisely in completing a highly sophisticated and portfolio-worthy design.

You will also notice the timeline for the final projects has become more ambitious. Now that we know the tools, we are getting closer to the speed and facility the industry requires for realistic project development.

As with all past projects, missing the milestones will have an impact on the final grade.

The Milestones:

First Wednesday (4/22)

At the beginning of this class, please upload two TOTALLY DIFFERENT vector logos designs.

These should reflect three different aesthetics of logo design based on classroom discussions.

Second Wednesday (4/29)

You should arrive with a finalized logo design and a rough concept for how the brand will expand into the postcard.

 

Second Monday (5/4)
Expand Your Brand

Arrive with a well developed "comp" that expands on your logo design and highlights both sides of your postcard design in progress.

There will be individual discussions as well as an online digital critique.

Third Wednesday (5/6)

Test Print Individual Critiques

This will be the major critique day -- please arrive with significant progress.

Final Day: MONDAY May 11th (10:30AM)

This will be a "showcase/presentation" and short discussion of your work. Because the time is only two-hours, we will keep the tone light and celebratory as we conclude the semester.

Mounting instructions and details will follow!

 

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Here are some ideas to get you thinking:

The official emblem of Beijing 2008 entitled "Chinese Seal-Dancing Beijing" cleverly combines the Chinese seal and the art of calligraphy with sporting features, transforming the elements into a human figure running forward and embracing triumph. The figure resembles the Chinese character "Jing", which stands for the name of the host city and represents a particularly significant Chinese style. The artwork embodies four messages:

- Chinese culture,
- the color of red China
- Beijing welcomes friends from all over the world
- to challenge the extreme and achieve the perfect and promote the Olympic motto of "Citius, Altius, Fortius (Faster, Higher, Stronger).

As a representative symbol projecting a visual image of the Seoul Olympic Games, the emblem featuring a samtaeguk pattern is seen and recognized all around the world, along with the Olympic mascot, Hodori.
The emblem embraced the five Olympic rings on top of the sam taeguk, a traditional Korean pattern and visual image representing Korea.

The pattern is well known in Korea, being widely used as a decoration on fans, the gates of Korean-style homes, artifacts and folk crafts.

The Olympic emblem comes in two forms of patterns,
centripetal motion and centrifugal motion. The centripetal motion represented the peoples of the world coming together to Korea, thus symbolizing worldwide harmony, while the centrifugal motion represented a march onward in search of man's lasting happiness and prosperity.

The Olympic graphic identity packages, particularly since the 1968 Mexico City games, have consistently offered some of the most intriguing and memorable designs of the last 40 years. (Design by Lance Wyman, with Alfonso Soto Sorio)

The Olympics, as a venue, force a designer to get right to the heart of the graphic design. Ultimately these designs must communicate and make a connection between people and places -- many thousands of people all converging in an unknown locale. All of the design fits into a cohesive package.

There is a great deal of thought that goes into these emblems -- they are the starting place in packaging the entire games...

The Athens Emblem

The emblem of the 2004 Olympic Games was unveiled to the public on 30 September 1999. The design was selected among 690 entries submitted to the international competition by 242 candidates in 14 countries.

From the Official Website:

The olive wreath: an Athenean classic

The ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games emblem is a wreath made from an olive tree branch. It represents the four values of the 2004 Games – heritage, participation, celebration, human scale - in a uniquely Greek design.

The olive wreath or “kotinos” is one of the legacies of the ancient Games and was the prize awarded to Olympic champions. The olive tree was the sacred tree and symbol of the city-state of Athens.

The wreath has the shape of an open circle; it is an open invitation to humanity to participate in a common endeavor, the Olympic way of life, through the greatest peaceful competition of the world.

It is also, a pledge for a universal festival that transcends boundaries and distinctions. The ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games will be a celebration full of energy and excitement in which everyone is invited to participate.

The design is rendered by hand in a free and unrestricted manner that highlights the human element.

The palette of white and blue reflects the Greek sea and sky, suggesting the fluidity and transparency of water and the brightness of the Aegean light.