SUMMER NEWS MAGAZINE

the logos of the future Raymond Loewy Simple ideas are always the best The MP 4/5

PINYIN STUDIO

Plain Packaging

Pinyin Studio is approaching its one-year anniversary. Creating a new company is a challenging task in any environment and especially in one as competitive as the Chinese graphic design market. Although our first ten months have been marked by many challenges, the positive things far outweigh the negative and we are looking to the future with both hope and confidence.

Apart the fact that we have a solid and reliable team to rely on; that we have managed to establish our WOFE after months of tenacious work and perseverance; and that we have loyal and valued clients who constantly push us to excellence, our confidence also stems from the expansion of our service offer. We have already cemented our capabilities within web development, allowing us to handle virtually any demand within the area of web design irrespective of the projects technical complexity. Similarly, we are now also able to assist our clients within marketing research and also offer services from the technological forefront of graphic design, such as the generative logos described in this newsletter. Finally, we have already taken our first steps into the domain of interior architecture and design and are looking forward to strengthening our competence within this area within the coming months.

With so many things to celebrate, we wish to share some of our thoughts and interests with you in the form of this newsletter. In the pages below, you will find some short comments about graphic-design related topics, spotlights on brand-relevant events and some other digressions and opinions that we cant help ourselves from sharing. Live long and prosper, The Pinyin team

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Often referred to as the father of industrial design, Raymond Loewy truly deserves his place among the most influential and celebrated designers of all time. In his lifetime, the French-born Daiquiri enthusiast worked as a consultant for more than 200 companies and designed everything from cigarette packs to cars and spacecrafts. As New York Times reporter Susan Heller remarked at the time of his death, One can hardly open a beer or a soft drink, fix breakfast, board a plane, buy gas, mail a letter or shop for an appliance without encountering a Loewy creation. Born in Paris in 1893, Raymond Loewy left France for America in 1919 after having fought in World War I. He found work as a window designer for department stores and worked as a fashion illustrator for various magazines before starting his own design firm. His career as an industrial designer took off when he designed a duplicating machine for Gestetner in 1929

Designer spotlight: Raymond Loewy

and he then soon found himself providing designs for a range of products including cars, refrigerators and trains. Through use of a technique called streamlining, Loewy gave the objects he designed modern and efficient forms that suggest speed and dynamism. The attitude Loewy expressed towards design was one rooted in an economic rationality. He described design as a means to achieve better results rather than an effort of art for arts sake. Design was a way to increase efficiency and boost sales. As Loewy put it: Between two products equal in price, function and quality, the better looking one will outsell the other. It is thus little surprising that visual retention was Loewys focus when he designed a logo, which he did on many occasions. Exxon, the US Postal Service, Studebaker, Greyhound, Nabisco and Spar are just a few examples of logos of his pen. Perhaps the most famous logo of his creation remains that of Shell. In the days before fax machines, many logos included small, subtle details. From the 1950s, the icons became increasingly simplified, improving recognition and memorability. Loewy contributed to this change. Having originally featured a realistically

Raymond Loewy gave the Shell logo its modern appearance in 1971 and it has remained virtually unchanged since.

drawn shell, Loewy redesigned Shells logo in 1971 in order to make it more visible from a distance. One of the tests involved hanging various prototype designs on poles where drivers passing on a nearby motorway could view them. The drivers were then asked for their opinions on the prototypes. The tests seem to have been fruitful the logo has become so recognizable that it often appears without the companys name to identify it. Lucky Raimon, as he was allegedly nicknamed, also worked as a packaging designer. His arguably most famous contribution within this field was to redesign the Lucky Strike package. In 1940, the president of the American Tobacco Company, challenged him to improve the existing green and red Lucky Strike package with a $50,000 bet at stake. Loewys replaced the green background with white, sharpened up the typography and reworked the logo by emphasizing its target-like aspect. He also placed the logo on both sides of the package, increasing product visibility and ultimately product sales. Moreover, the changes reduced printing costs as the need for green dye was eliminated. In a famous advertising campaign that used the slogan Lucky Strike Green has gone to war, the company claimed the change was made because the copper used in the green color was needed for World War II. In fact, however, the white package was really introduced to modernize the label and to increase the appeal

of the package among female smokers. The war effort became a convenient way to do so while appearing patriotic at the same time. Needless to say, the company president paid off the bet. Raymond Loewy duly retired in 1980 at the aged 87 and, like most sensible people with taste and money, moved to Monaco where he died in his Monte Carlo residence six years later. Having remained a legend and immensely popular, neither his exile nor his death prevented him from becoming a Citizen of Honor of Palm Springs in 2001.

The attitude Loewy expressed towards design was one rooted in an economic rationality. He described design as a means to achieve better results rather than an effort of art for arts sake.

SIMPLE IDEAS ARE ALWAYS THE BEST

These logos have gone through very few changes since they were first created WHY?
Because the simplicity of their shapes and concepts gives them an iconic status. Because, through the rigor of their design, they manage to blend impact and versatility while also conveying a feeling of quality to the consumer. Because numerous and excessive modernizations based on trends and fads constitute a rejection of the brand and of its history.

A simple logo is easy to recognize, understand and memorize. It is when a logo is simple and possesses the immediate obviousness of a given fact that it has the potential of becoming iconic. A logo doesnt have to tell what products the brand offers. Instead its key mission is to capture the attention of the consumer and effectively communicate the identity of the brand. While in college in the mid-70s an instructor introduced me to the K.I.S.S. Principle of design; which translates to: Keep It Simple, Stupid. It does convey a very important design consideration. Simple logos are often easily recognized, incredibly memorable and the

most effective in conveying the requirements of the client. A refined and distilled identity will also catch the attention of a viewer zipping by signage at 70 miles per hour, on packaging on the crowded shelves of a store, or in any other vehicle used for advertising, marketing and promotion. Remember, the basis of the hugely effective international branding for the worlds largest shoe manufacturer is a very simple graphic swoosh. ~ Jeff Fisher A logo needs to be well-constructed and functional in order to remain pertinent 20 or 30 years after its creation. Focus should thus be placed on simplicity and versatility rather than

visual effects and add-ons intended to make it more appealing at a given and brief period of time.

A simple and well-designed logo can easily go through minor alterations without losing its identity. If a logo looks good in black and white then it will look good with any type of color and visual effects added to it (within the limits of good taste of course). I like to work first in black and white to ensure that the logo will look good in its simplest form. Color is very subjective and emotional. This can distract from the overall design say if you saw your logo in all red, that color may be the first thing that you respond to and not the composition of the design elements. I will not even consider submitting color suggestions to a client for review until they have signed off on a final black and white logo. ~ Patrick Winfield It is highly unwise to replace or profoundly alter a logo according to the latest trends if the ambition is to develop a brand that remains strong through time. A good example is provided by Pepsi and Coke. Leave trends to the fashion industry Trends come and go, and when youre talking about changing a pair of jeans, or buying a new dress, thats fine, but where your brand identity is concerned, longevity is key. Dont follow the pack. Stand out. ~ David Airey Logos must remain themselves and true to their history. It is a sign of strength and of confidence in the brand, and will be viewed by such by the consumer.

The Nike logo, designed in 1971 by Carolyn Davison for the modest sum of $35, is the perfect proof that a simple logo can easily stay relevant and modern after 40 years of without changes to its design.

Branding focus: Australia leads the way to plain packaging

Less than half a year now remains until when plain cigarette packaging will become compulsory in Australia and the countrys cigarette packages will be forced to don the brownishgreen uniform decreed by law. Plain packaging being seen as a major industry threat, the main tobacco companies have done their best to stop or at least slow its implementation but are now preparing to face the music.
The worlds first move to plain packaging which requires the removal of all branding such as colors, imagery, logos and trademarks will take effect on December 1st 2012. From then on, Australian cigarette packs will only feature the brand name in a mandated size, font and place on the pack in addition to the compulsory health warnings. The color of the packs will also be standardized as all packs will be of a dark brown dye found by research to be the least attractive of all colors, particularly among young people. Naturally, the tobacco industry has mobilized in opposition. After having joined together under the name of the Alliance of Australian Retailers an organization working against plain cigarette packaging by means of multimillion dollar campaigns British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco and Philip Morris International have all done their best to rally the public to their cause and prevent the legislation from being passed. But in vain, as their fears materialized in November 2011. The strong reluctance of the tobacco industry is understandable and goes well beyond the considerable logistic hassle of replacing the packaging of all the brands on the market. Even though the industry claims the opposite, there is in fact research confirming that plain packaging increases the negative feelings about the pack and about smoking and ultimately is likely to lead to reduced consumption. The tobacco manufacturers are of course well aware of the impact packaging has on consumers, and they have been so for a very long time as shown by Raymond Loewys female-oriented redesign of the Lucky Strike pack in the early 1940s.

The Australian packs will be designed to repel

Moreover, there is a fear among smaller producers that plain packaging will benefit big, wellknown brands at expense of smaller ones, the underlying reasoning being that consumers will choose to buy brands they recall from their top of mind awareness when specific brands are hard to identify. Australia isnt one of the worlds most interesting tobacco markets in terms of size or revenues but should rather be seen as the first brick to fall in a potential domino race leading the tobacco industry into a bleak and uncertain future. This follows a pattern often observed in the past: once one country adopts an anti-tobacconist piece of regulation then others are likely to follow suit, as exemplified

by the pictorial health warnings or Low Ignition Propensity (LIP) cigarettes. Simply put, the tobacco manufacturers need to take the fight as far as they possibly can since Australia is likely to set a global precedent New Zealand and the UK are among the countries already considering plain packaging at this date. From a purely brand-focused perspective, many designers probably agree that the reform will bring a certain regret. It is very possible that we are currently witnessing the beginning of the end of some of the most iconic brands and brand attributes in the history of graphic design. Nevertheless, most would probably also agree that the ends justify the means. Still, what is about to happen to the cigarette brands is rather

unique. Indeed, cigarettes are legal products, yet they have to conform to special rules that arent applied to any other consumer goods. From a logical point of view, it might actually be considered hypocritical that these dangerous products arent simply banned altogether, but of course that would mean missing out on some very considerable tax revenues (for instance, tobacco represents the 4th largest tax income for the French state, amounting to 13 billion euros). The implications of plain packaging for the industry will be significant also from an operational point of view. The tobacco companies, which used to be (brand) marketing driven organizations, will now have to find new sources of competitive advantage. For instance, the implementation of

plain packaging in a dark market such as France where the promotion of cigarettes is already very limited would make all types of advertising impossible and render 90% of trade marketing initiatives ineffective. Interestingly, focus would thus be likely to shift from marketing and sales to the back office as supply chain and stock management will become the new order-winners. Regardless of the aesthetic considerations, things are about to change on the tobacco market and a very interesting time lies ahead.

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Design spotlight: the McLaren MP4/5

Few things embody speed and direction as vehemently as a Formula 1 car. More than objects of speed, they are also objects of great design, and the McLaren MP4/5 is a good example of this.

The McLaren MP4/5 at the hands of the great Ayrton Senna

The MP4/5 hasnt earned its place in history only due to its results but also due to its looks, and often appears at the top of lists ranking the most beautiful Formula 1 cars of all time. A remarkable blend of robustness and elegance, the design combines angular shapes and somewhat bulky, almost rudimentary appendices with elongated, graceful lines. As opposed to the F1 cars of today, the smooth-flowing design of the MP4/5 is clear of ticks, twitches and protuberances and has aged well thanks to its simplicity and purity: 23 years after its conception, the car still exudes power and elegance and has also acquired a retro-futuristic quality. The iconic livery, with its simple yet forceful red and white paint scheme also contributes to the impacting appearance. Just like the trains of Raymond Loewy and the Concorde aircraft, the McLaren MP4/5 is a great example of how beauty and efficiency often go hand in hand.

COMING SOON TO YOUR LOCAL PINYIN STUDIO:

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE

The McLaren MP4/5, which was driven by Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost during the 1989 Formula 1 season, is one of the most successful racing cars ever built. It was designed by Neil Oatley under the supervision of Technical Director Steve Nichols and allowed the McLaren team to clinch both the drivers and constructors world titles with 6 wins for Senna and 4 for Prost. The MP4/5 also conquered 15 pole positions out of a possible 16. 13 of these were scored by Senna, who is widely regarded as the greatest qualifier in the history of Formula 1.

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THE LOGOS OF THE FUTURE

In his paper What is Generative Art?, American artist Philip Galanter offers the following definition as an answer to the question asked by the papers title: Generative art refers to any art practice where the artist uses a system, such as a set of natural language rules, a computer program, a machine, or other procedural invention, which is set into motion with some degree of autonomy contributing to or resulting in a completed work of art By applying the techniques of generative art to the visual toolkit of the corporate world, it is now possible to create a new generation of visual identity elements. One example of this is what is sometimes referred to as generative logos. A generative logo is an assembly of shapes, colors and movements which evolve in a seemingly random manner while in fact following a specific mathematical or geometrical scheme. Simply put, generative logos are animated logos and constitute a shift from static design to dynamic design. Apart from the obvious advantages of a more attention-grabbing and mesmerizing look, the generative logos offer a range of other benefits and allow for various new uses. Through generative design, the link between the logo and the entity it represents can be strengthened or made more explicit and the logo gains the means of being not only a symbol but also an efficient communication tool. A good example is the logo created for the COP 15 Copenhagen conference. The dynamic design alludes to the turbulences of climate change while also illustrating the complexity of cooperation and international coordination: http://www.my-os.net/blog/index.php?2009/12/21/1418-logo-generatif Another example is given by the Ecole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne (EFPL), an engineering school whose students end up working all over the world after their studies: h t t p : / / w w w. r s l n m a g . f r / post/2012/06/05/Les-logos-generatifs-vous-connaissez-.aspx The school is placed at the center of the design and each line represents the movement of a student. Over 100 000 unique yet similar logos have been generated in this way, coming together in a design that stands for diversity and movement. The development and the use of generative logos are still at their very beginning and in Beijing they can be described as inexistent. Yet, given the fast pace of technological development and the ever-growing importance of IT in corporate communication, we believe they represent a natural next step in VI design. Luckily for those who are impatient, Pinyin Studio offers this service since July 2012, so there is no need to wait to get a taste of the future.

1. Galanter, P., What is Generative Art? Complexity Theory as a Context for Art Theory, in International Conference on Generative Art. 2003: Milan, Italy.

Pinyin Studio now also creates generative logos!

Incredible!!!

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JEAN GIRAUD MOBIEUS

a.k.a
Drawing by Maxence van Robais from Pinyin Studio

Four months after his death, Pinyin Studio wishes to pay a tribute to a man whos brush has left a mark on an entire generation of graphic designers and illustrators. The poetry found in his illustrations, the precision of his drawing skills and the imaginativeness of the universe he created have all combined to make him one of the major artists of the 20th century as well as an ever flowing source of inspiration for creators of comic books, mangas, bande dessines and even sci-fi movies. We hope that these few lines will trigger you to discover or rediscover Jean Giraud and his work, which stands out as much due to its quality as to its boldness. For more information, you may visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Giraud