How to visualize collaboration?Developing a logo for an academic e-collaboration platform. ,Collaborate‘ project, December 2007 - documentation.

Berlin, July 2012

Preface

I‘m a strategist, not a professional designer. Strategy without execution or implementation is worthless. Magic happens, when you see your ideas being executed, when they start to breathe and live in the real world.

There‘s just one thing that is even more exciting: to execute your ideas yourself. To play with concepts, shapes, colors and fonts - to express your very own ideas with your very own visual style.

From time to time, I find some time to go the distance - from strategy/concept to visual execution. Moments of unlimited creativity, moments of flow and joy. December 10th to 14th, 2007 was such a time ...

2

Brief

A very good friend and former colleague asked me to develop a logo for his online platform „collaborate“ (website no longer live). The platform served as an discussion board and hub for the academic „e-collaboration“ community.

He was bored by all the blue-silver-white logos of the IT sector and asked for something really different. Something that expresses the dynamics and human aspect of e-collaboration, not the technical dimension.

The primary application of the logo was the website/online platform. Nevertheless, the logo should be able to be printed on business cards, conference posters, flyers, publications etc.

3

Idea

Dynamic/liquid, generative logoE-collaboration is dynamic, permanently changing constellations, overlays of projects and people on projects, varying arrangements, ever changing set-ups

Warm & translucent colorsHuman factor of e-collaboration, mix of translucent colors symbolizes mix of people and capabilities, unforeseen tones symbolize uncertainty of collaborative projects (results cannot be determined beforehand)

4

Concept

Create a basic shape that symbolizes a realistic network (people = knots). A set of (seven) interconnected people, not everyone to everyone, but max. by 2nd degree (seven people = seven knots).

Visualize different constellations/set-ups of network collaboration by highlighting the active network members (min. = 2, max. = 7). Color-code the different constellations (translucent).

Program a Flash movie (.swf) that mixes a set of shapes with each other. Logotype stays static. Flash, as it was 2007 kind of a proper web-format - and the only tool I was able to develop dynamic web graphics with ...

5

Execution (step 1)

Basic shape and set of different constellationsof network collaboration

Discarded constellations (purely due to visual considerations)

6

Execution (allowed constellations)

(grey pixel on top left corner of shapes indicator for shape alignment)

7

Dynamic configurations (2 shapes)

8

Dynamic configurations (3 shapes)

9

Disclaimer

It‘s fascinating to witness that dynamic/generative/liquid logos become more and more popular. The availability of (realtime) data and the role of the Web as the core of service and brand experiences creates fascinating opportunities for dynamic/generative logos.

This project was inspired a number of dynamic/generative/liquid logos. I would like to highlight, that I never intended to copy a concept or logo. Stefan Sagmeisters ,Casa Da Musica‘ had a strong influence, especially in terms of concept, rigor and execution (http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/the_17_sides_of_a_cultural_id.php).

The generative logo of the MIT Media Lab is a newer but still brilliant piece of art. (http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663378/mit-media-labs-brilliant-new-logo-has-40000-permutations-video). It displays a certain similarity to my ,collaborate‘ project. Therefore, I would like to point out, that the ,collaborate‘ project started and ended December 2007, a few years before the MIT Media Lab logo was launched. The friend who asked for the logo and former colleagues at The Brand Union Hamburg would testify that this is true.

If somebody feels copied or robbed of his creative idea: I‘m sorry, it was really not my intention. And ,collaborate‘ was never for commercial purposes, just explorative, experiential and academic.

10

Contact

Carsten Totz (Ph.D., Dipl.-Kfm.)

Digital | Brand | Strategist Berlin, Germany

www.totzi.comtwitter.com/totzitotzme@totzi.com