The Task

Design a logo for general use and a letterhead which uses the logo (i.e. two separate things/files/pieces of paper), for a charity of your choice.

A suitable vector-based graphics program (e.g. Illustrator or Inkscape) must be used for the logo and letterhead design parts of the task.

Sample work is available on-line and in past student portfolios in Queen's Building.

What to submit

1. The appropriate graphics files must be submitted with the task, as well as the paper versions of the design material. The files can be submitted by email or on memory stick (the storage media will be returned to you). Please state the name of the files to be looked at in the critique. If the typeface(s) used are not generally available on PCs, please include the relevant font files in your submission.
2. A word-processed critique. Submitted on paper and electronically.
3. By all means include any rough working, preliminary sketches etc. - which will be discussed in the critique.
4. If you have problems getting correct colours printed, but they are fine 'on screen', do not worry - just state in the critique that the graphics files should be referred to for correct colours.
5. All images must be in Illustrator or Inkscape (or alternative vector-based program) - no bitmap (e.g. created in PhotoPaint or Photoshop) images are to be used.
6. No clipart can be used. The task will receive a fail mark if it is.

The Two Design Parts of the Task

1. Logo

The logo is to be designed for general use, such as on uniforms, shirts, equipment, vehicles, as appropriate for the charity. State in your critique the sort of 'objects' on which the logo will be expected to be used - you could even scan in pictures of such objects and superimpose your logo on them within the graphics program you are using.

Consider the problems of how the usage of the logo may affect the design, e.g. printing it at different sizes may affect the amount of detail you can have and how small text can be; this may mean you have to design more than one version to take these factors into account. Comment on this aspect of the design process in your critique.

Give thought to the style and size of typeface for any text on the logo. State the name of the typeface within your critique. Give reasons behind your choice of typeface in your critique.

Submit the logo printed out at a reasonable size, e.g. postcard size. If smaller versions are required, and you have had to adapt the design to take account of this, submit smaller versions as well.

2. Letterhead

The letterhead is to be a piece of A4 paper, and is to be submitted as such.

The graphics programme must be used for all aspects of the letterhead. Do not use Word. The reason for this is to assess your text handling ability in the graphics programme.

The logo you have designed for the charity is to be included on the page at an appropriate size and location.

Include the charity's contact details, for example the postal address, telephone number, fax number, e-mail etc. The exact form of these details will vary according to the type of charity. Give thought to the style and size of typeface for these details, as well as to their location on the page. Explain the reasoning behind these design decisions in your critique.

Include the registered charity number, if appropriate.

Include a sample letter, i.e. a section of text beginning "Dear ..." and ending with a signature. Make up the contents of the text.

Give thought to the style and size of typeface for the text of the letter. State the name and point size of the typeface within your critique. Give reasons behind your choice of typeface in your critique. (you would have to do this if designing a letterhead for a real client)

Give thought to the width of the left and right margins either side of the text of the letter (avoid the margins being too narrow) and to the amount of space above and below the text, i.e. the amount of space between the text and the logo, contact details etc on the page.

You can use white or coloured paper for the letterehead.

Do not include your own name anywhere within the letterhead, so that the work remains anonymous.

You may have problems printing text or graphics as close to the edge of the paper as you might wish. If this happens, print them as close to the edge as you can, and comment on the problem in your critique.

The Critique

A critique of your design etc must be included. The critique can be of any length, but a guide length is about 1500 words. You can certainly write more if you wish - the longer the critique the better, as it usually shows you have really thought about the problems.

Do include illustrations in the critique if you wish. Illustrations can be particularly useful for presenting more meaningful analytical discussion of the original design(s) of the logo (if any exist) and of any visual material you may have used.

If the charity already has a logo, an illustration of it must be included in your submission and it must be analysed in the critique.

Use the critique to state the source of any textual or visual material, not your own, which has been used in your design.

The critique is to be word processed - any program can be used for this.

The critique should include (though not necessarily discussed in this order):

• An analysis of the charity's function
• The charity's 'customers' - i.e. to whom does the logo have to appeal
• Its market stance
• A bibliography of material you have read in connection with developing the design
• Justify what you have done, bringing out the good and bad points of the design
• ... in effect sell me (the client) your design.

Sample critiques are available on-line and in past student portfolios in the Pallas office.

Marking Criteria

The things I shall be looking for when marking the logo design and critique are available as a Word file.

The Design Process

You may work in black and white or colour. Do bear in mind, however, that using many colours increases printing costs for your client and this may be inappropriate for the use of that organisation's funds. You could justify the use of colour in your critique.