R.E.A.D. Part 2 (E for Extract)

Hey Bloggees  Welcome back for the second installment of the R.E.A.D. method of design.  Last time we covered Research (probably one of the most underpracticed steps in the creative process).  This week we're tackling "E", Extract.  The point of extraction is to distill all the information through company history, (if applicable), company goals objectives (new or existing company), and market designs down to the essentials.

A couple of methods could be used to extract the information.  One method is reducing down the information to a slogan, a phrase that encompasses what the company is about or what it is trying to achieve.  A good way to do this is to summarize a common characteristic in the company's history.  The other method is using keyword.  This method condenses this concept down to just three words (or four if you're struggling).  Keep an eye out for repetitive words (i.e. innovation, first, quality, class, etc...). 

These methods could help you distill the information not only from the heritage, but also with the goals and objectives of the client, company goals, and even the design.  The key is to find common elements that could / should be used.  It also helps to study the competition for common elements, as well as find out what will work and what won't.
 
Project Application:  Based off the research I discovered that TWA lead in airline innovation and had strong aviation history with Charles Lindbergh and Howard Hughes.  Using the slogan method, I distilled it to "A Heritage of Innovation".  Narrowing it down even further with the three word method results with "Innovation, Heritage, Legacy".  When studying the logo's history, the common elements that emerged were the color (red), and a sans serif font.

Here is a list of rival logo designs as well as the general characteristics...

This distilling of the facts will help guide the Application portion of the process, which we'll cover next week.  If you have any ideas for future blogs, I'd love to hear from you.  Please leave a comment, thought, or suggestion on the blog site.  'Till next time Bloggees!