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Some of the hardest identity projects are for cultural institutions: Long names coupled with (or replaced by) funny-sounding acronyms, high expectations, opinionated board members and a need to appear, well, cultured. [Book recommendation: C/ID]. Dance institutions (of any style and kind) prove even harder, as there is an added layer of complexity that revolves around the inevitable desire to convey the dynamism and movement of what is being shown on stage or offered in their programming. MetaDesign (of Erik Spiekermann and Adobe packaging fame) have taken this challenge and redesigned the identity of the San Francisco Ballet with an entrechat of cropped and baseline-shifted classic Didot and contemporary Galaxie Polaris.
MetaDesign explains the logo further:
The elements of the new logo are choreographed as if on a stage: A vibrant snapshot of an energized performance. The letters are orchestrated to suggest the dynamic nature of the ballet art form, while highlighting the dramatic production lighting and shadows created on-stage through the use of a sophisticated gray color palette.
Initially I was not too convinced about the new logo; more than energized, it felt slightly constrained and harsh, and I am not a fan of lowercase t’s without the left end of their crossbar (like Kate’s). But with more extended viewing, I find this logo to be convincing in its implied dynamism and serious in its execution, giving the SF Ballet a memorable and recognizable identity that goes beyond a typesetting job of the institution’s name. Certainly a grand jeté.
Jump to Most Recent Comment
Neven’s comment is:
Very nice.
You could debate kerning (should we even call it that in this case?) and cropping forever here, but here's my two minor quibbles: "et" is too tight, and B is cropped a little oddly - I would've liked to see it fully rounded on the right side.
On Jun.03.2007 at 11:41 AM
ed mckim’s comment is:
i have c/id... it's a great book IMO
On Jun.03.2007 at 12:13 PM
Jared’s comment is:
I'm not sure if certainly it would work without the explanatory text. The logo itself is a little entropic - without even the direction of performance.
On Jun.03.2007 at 01:25 PM
Jeff Gill’s comment is:
I look at this and think that I should like it (kind of like I think I should like ballet), but then I wonder why the e & t are lowercase, why the B is cropped like that, why the half-serif is still on the A, why the e is so ugly.
But then I get the grace & constraint thing, and that mostly works.
And the 80s were cool, so it's fun to see them popping up here and there.
On Jun.03.2007 at 01:26 PM
Ben Thoma’s comment is:
For me, this execution for the Sydney Dance Company does a better job of accomplishing some of the same things, typographically. Of course, we can't all be Vince Frost.
On Jun.03.2007 at 01:42 PM
Ben’s comment is:
I like this a lot, but would agree with Neven's comment. Would look good in signage, no?
On Jun.03.2007 at 02:08 PM
Splashman’s comment is:
Enh.
Something that grates on me is redundancy. In this case, "Ballet". Why bother using the word in the symbol if it's going to be repeated in the accompanying text? The obvious assumption is that they intend to use the symbol stand-alone. If so, how long until they educate the public? Will that happen before or after their next redesign?
Would have preferred either to see some sort of illustration, or have the entire identity integrated.
On Jun.03.2007 at 07:00 PM
hyun’s comment is:
Very nice identity but just to play devils advocate, what makes this distinctly San Francisco? The "Ballet" logo alone could be for any other Ballet company. Of course this won't be a problem once it is well established with time.
On Jun.03.2007 at 07:13 PM
Danny Tanner’s comment is:
This is by far the best mark posted on Brand New in weeks. It's good. It's interesting. It's pretty memorable. Thank you Armin for a posting that gives me hope for the future.
On Jun.04.2007 at 12:30 AM
Deaf Musician’s comment is:
The colors are bland, but the idea is nice.
On Jun.04.2007 at 01:58 AM
Tom’s comment is:
I feel that they successfully conveyed the feeling of "dynamism" as Armin points out, yet missed a little on the "grace".
Agree with most of the comments about the cropping. Leaving a bit more of the rounded portions of the letter forms would have added a some of the grace I find lacking. Perhaps the brief called for a more aggresive feeling. Regardless, an excellent job.
On Jun.04.2007 at 03:17 AM
Christian Palino’s comment is:
The logomark is successful in delivering a legible, dynamic, energetic word with a simple playful exercise – its nice to see the restraint here through just employing the cropping and baseline shift.
It would be usefull to see this in one color though, as I am guessing its sense of motion wouldn't be as strong as with the multiple color approached shown above.
The only element I find misplaced is the name of the organization and the artistic director's name. The justification and presentation of the two lines as a block of text, I find detracts slightly from the logomark. One or two lines of text, left aligned and fitted to act more as a horizon line may have been more successful there.
Overall, a great logomark. Hopefully we will see some flexibility in the cropping and shifting of the letters in the future, allowing us to see more of the identity system at play.
On Jun.04.2007 at 03:40 AM
JBIII’s comment is:
At first glance I read this as 3allet and thought it was confusing. The cropping of the letters could have been explored a little more in my opinion. What is up with the e,t being lower case? The logo and the wordmark do not work well in this horizontal lock-up shown.
Maybe using one typeface for the logo would help? Does the slab on the A read as an arrow going down hill to anyone else?
I think it is a step in the right direction but not there yet.
On Jun.04.2007 at 07:35 AM
L.Vazquez’s comment is:
I don't hate it, and I don't 'love' it... it works. I feel positive about it. I don't follow the ballet, but I can appreciate the commentary on how difficult it is to work for cultural institutions. Great write up.
I like, in the explanation: "...through the use of a sophisticated gray color palette."
Awesome. I'll be saving this logo, and when I need 'sophisticated' grays, I'll be eyedropping that badboy.
On Jun.04.2007 at 09:15 AM
Rob’s comment is:
I think the premise is strong and in the long run, I think the logo will work.
Personally, though I find myself reading the "B" as the number 3. And the divisions seem a little too harsh and clean, rather than reinforcing what they say is the flow of dance on the stage. And I don't quite get a compatible connection between the logo and the logotype. The seem more like two separate elements than two elements working together.
On Jun.04.2007 at 10:43 AM
Mark’s comment is:
sigh, yawn I don't see much dynamic movement,it all seems to go in one diagonal direction,no reason for the cropping,nothing surprising to me, it looks awkward as a logo.
I've seen ballet and this doesn't look like it.
the different typefaces are confusing,and the way they are cropped is rushed,how about a bit more variation in the position?
The other example of Sydney Dance was better.
On Jun.04.2007 at 11:51 AM
Mark’s comment is:
sigh, yawn I don't see much dynamic movement,it all seems to go in one diagonal direction,no reason for the cropping,nothing surprising to me, it looks awkward as a logo.
I've seen ballet and this doesn't look like it.
the different typefaces are confusing,and the way they are cropped is rushed,how about a bit more variation in the position?
The other example of Sydney Dance was better.
On Jun.04.2007 at 12:03 PM
Mark’s comment is:
sigh, yawn I don't see much dynamic movement,it all seems to go in one diagonal direction,no reason for the cropping,nothing surprising to me, it looks awkward as a logo.
I've seen ballet and this doesn't look like it.
the different typefaces are confusing,and the way they are cropped is rushed,how about a bit more variation in the position?
The other example of Sydney Dance was better.
On Jun.04.2007 at 12:03 PM
Mark’s comment is:
yawn, doesn't look like ballet dancing to me looks like all the letters crashed into each other,I think the letters need a bit more breathing room.
Needs a bit more variation on the positions.
No explanation for the different typefaces or the cropping, the idea behind it sounds great,but the execution is disappointing can't help but think of Campbell's Soup's "possibilities" logo.
Sydney Dance is a better example.
consistent typeface and practical positioning of letters,clean and simple.
However I doubt the designer is to blame, they probably had a better example that the client decided not to chose. Oh I wonder what other possibility could have been made.
What other logos that could have made a better impact,sigh.
On Jun.04.2007 at 12:16 PM
Mark’s comment is:
yawn, doesn't look like ballet dancing to me looks like all the letters crashed into each other,I think the letters need a bit more breathing room.
Needs a bit more variation on the positions.
No explanation for the different typefaces or the cropping, the idea behind it sounds great,but the execution is disappointing can't help but think of Campbell's Soup's "possibilities" logo.
Sydney Dance is a better example.
consistent typeface and practical positioning of letters,clean and simple.
However I doubt the designer is to blame, they probably had a better example that the client decided not to chose. Oh I wonder what other possibility could have been made.
What other logos that could have made a better impact,sigh.
On Jun.04.2007 at 12:16 PM
Mark’s comment is:
I apologize for the duplicate posts, the computer wasn't being cooperative so for a time my attempts to post didn't even show up,but for some reason now they did.
It had something to do with an internal error of some sort.
On Jun.04.2007 at 12:22 PM
Mark’s comment is:
I apologize for the duplicate posts, the computer wasn't being cooperative so for a time my attempts to post didn't even show up,but for some reason now they did.
It had something to do with an internal error of some sort.
On Jun.04.2007 at 12:27 PM
David E.’s comment is:
As to the form of the logo, this works as a type treatment at a display size, but not as a logo when compined with the type to the right of it. Look at the two examples given: In the bigger example, it works because you're seeing the individual letterforms. In the small example, it doesn't come together with any cohesion. It feels off-balance. The fact that the name of the artistic director is on the same baseline as the "A" in "ballet" isn't enough to give it a visual baseline reference point.
As to the concept of it, it's meant to look dynamic and vibrant, like ballet dancers leaping around. OK, I get it. But ballet is about grace, and this is not a graceful logo.
On Jun.04.2007 at 12:45 PM
David E.’s comment is:
As to the form of the logo, this works as a type treatment at a display size, but not as a logo when compined with the type to the right of it. Look at the two examples given: In the bigger example, it works because you're seeing the individual letterforms. In the small example, it doesn't come together with any cohesion. It feels off-balance. The fact that the name of the artistic director is on the same baseline as the "A" in "ballet" isn't enough to give it a visual baseline reference point.
As to the concept of it, it's meant to look dynamic and vibrant, like ballet dancers leaping around. OK, I get it. But ballet is about grace, and this is not a graceful logo.
On Jun.04.2007 at 12:45 PM
rynot’s comment is:
if meta's name wasn't attached to this with the flowery, euphemism-laden description i would dismiss it as derivitive in concept and amateurish in execution. but given it's meta, i'll just say underacheiving.
with the cropping idea i can't help but be reminded of another SF 'cultural mark' that recently fell by the wayside the SF Opera.
JBIII’s comment is:
Is that SF Opera identity system being used today?
Oooffaaaa....Who was at the helm for Landor on that job.
On Jun.04.2007 at 01:05 PM
C-Lo’s comment is:
Logo looks like a limit check error to me. I can understand the cuts of each letter to emphasize elegance, movement, etc. but I am just not feeling it. As for the "San Francisco Ballet" lettering, I am impartial to the older lettering simply because it gives off a retro theater feel to me. Probably not something a modern ballet company wants, but this post is more IMO then anything else, and I am not taking into consideration who it's for.
It works well for the Ballet company however minus the serif for the A. That bothers my eyes like Brush Script on Bank Gothic. I am sure they will be more then ecstatic for the logo, and yes it does show sophistication. Suited for them, but one I might keep out of a personal portfolio
On Jun.04.2007 at 04:00 PM
SuziQ’s comment is:
I think its interesting; kinda like it actually. Especially after looking at the Sydney Dance example which is boring and has no character, could have done it in Word.
As for the SanFrancisco mark, it is interesting, not much grace, rather brash actually, but it does have movement nontheless. I think its unfortunate that the BALLET part doesn't mention San Francisco though, there's ballet everywhere, whats to say this is San Francisco's ballet?
On Jun.04.2007 at 05:02 PM
Moriarty’s comment is:
Mmmm.
Prehaps this is just a taste thing and I'm the odd one out - but this looks bloody awful. It has none of the movement or elegance of ballet and just looks clunky, blocky and mixed up.
Whilst I'm not a major fan of the type for Northern Ballet Theatre in Leeds…
Northern Ballet Theatre Website
…the mark seems to sum up ballet a lot more to me in terms of movement and elegance.
The 'ballet' bit for SFB looks really dated and odd whilst, even if it's supposed to be about movement etc… the type next to it looks so static it's untrue and doesn't seem to really feel like it belongs there (or anywhere).
None of it's helped by being in various shades of the most exciting colour in the universe – grey.
Again, hopefully it's just a taste thing and that it's loved in SF.
On Jun.04.2007 at 05:09 PM
Mike Fats’s comment is:
Beautifully crafted.
Just today I ran into a somewhat similar typographic solution for a Canadian ballet group: http://www.albertaballet.com/users/folder.asp?FolderID=3648
Mark’s comment is:
Alberta Ballet even looks better, and is a more clever solution.
In that logo you can see an image of a ballerina's foot in the "A" and the "B" you can almost make out another pose with the top being the hands bottom the feet. Excellent design.
What weakens the SF Ballet logo is that it's using the wrong typefaces to evoke the motions of ballet and poses.
The "B" is too rigid, the "A" could have been more promising, right type face, but it's cut off in the wrong spot, eliminating any sense of feet, the two L's I see feet, but they're just standing, the "e" is somehow lowercase for some strange reason, again in a stark rigid font sigh, I see arms but I have to go searching for them because it's supposed to be an "e", too much trying to be an "e" and not leaving buch to imagination, the "t" also looks terrific but I can't see any anthropomorphic features, except a foot with a fancy shoe.
Sigh, looking at how the letters are aligned I think it's supposed to represent the leaping of a ballerina, but that notion goes out the door since the "A" and the "e" arn't on the same line.
So what am I supposed to do? What left for me to think about? I just see a bunch of letters misaligned, and in different typefaces. Unfortunately, thats what I see.
Of course the designer would say "look closer" or "use your imagination" um, ok I sorta see it but it's still too fuzzy, and theres no design features to really "clue" me in. Personally I hate it when you have to really,really,really struggle to find the implied meaning behind a logo.
I mean it's frustrating to not "get it" or go "aha thats what it means!" when the meanings so deeply buried, that you have to picture aspects differently than whats on there.
Instead of pleasantly discovering the meaning in a relatively short amount of time like in the old Bank of America letter B/bird logo, or the arrow in the FedEx logo, or the CBS eye logo etc. You have to search for it like a needle in a haystack.
Don't get me wrong I like challenges, but if it becomes nearly impossible to "get it" then the implied meaning seems to me more like a excuse.
Therefore the design fails to me.
How is this memorable? I completely forgot about this logo yesterday, theres nothing that sticks out to me except for the letter "t" in the logo . The rest of it seems to be a jumbled mess to me with contrasting typefaces, lower case and upper case letters,colors, and alignment.
Complete opposite to what ballet is about which is consistency, practice, repetition, and graceful movement.
I don't see any choreography I see cropping, dynamic movement? nope letters are standing still,dramatic production lighting? nope not much variation in tone.
If the meaning doesn't fit the logo, it's not successful.
However this, once again probably didn't result from the designer, I'd say it was probably the client fault who asked them to "modify" the logo to their tastes.
the original final logo was probably a lot more stunning than this.
Maybe this is a case where the logo shouldn't be assigned a meaning to it such as the designer of the TSW (Television South West) logo did.
http://hub.tv-ark.org.uk/dsplus/m.php?p=tswlogointerview.rm
Yet to this day, even though the network is defunct (lost it's franchise) people in the UK and maybe abroad still remember it and are trying to assign meanings to it.
tells something about it's effectiveness,doesn't it?
On Jun.05.2007 at 11:44 AM
felix’s comment is:
in a word, clunky.
On Jun.05.2007 at 07:40 PM
Pixel’s comment is:
FYI: Metadesign is not run by Erik Spiekermann anymore (since years). But he was one of the founders, that's right. His new company, called SpiekermannPartners has no dependence in SF, as far as I remember, just the main office in Berlin, Germany. While Metadesign has a dependence in SF. Anyway, I can't find any hints for this client on both websites.
OT: I like the logo very much. It's dynamic and classic as Armin said. The Sydney Dance Company can't get close to it.
On Jun.06.2007 at 07:11 AM
erik spiekermann’s comment is:
FYI: I did leave MetaDesign in 2000 after founding it in 1979. MetaDesign SF is not related, except by name, to MetaDesign Berlin anymore. But SpiekermannPartners has a small office in SF as well as one in London. Berlin is head-office.
On Jun.07.2007 at 02:59 PM
Comments in Brand New, V1.0 have been closed.
