This was a challenge that I was given, to pick something from my life whether a brand, a store, website etc, and find an area that I feel can use improvement. Living in Harlem, I have the honor of being able to walk by the Legendary Apollo Theater on a daily basis. This was the subject that I chose to focus on, it's logo and branding. For the most part, the only image that is associated with the theater is the original sinage that appears on the outter facade. I felt that a proper logo for the theater can be designed that not only holds on to the history of the famous theater, but also keeps it relevant in today's society. The final logo design is placed below.
Process
My first attempts were to focus on the original sinage that appears on the outside of the theater. Theres a heavy art deco infulence to the original sign, so I tried to keep that aspect with these logos. I tried to bring other elemets from the theater into the design, such as the yellow circles representing the lights, and the Harlem going vertial on the last design being similar to a sign the goes down the side of the actual building.
With this pass, I chose to go for a more simplistic and modern approach. Starting very simple and then adding other elements as i progressed and played around with the idea. Though I do like some of the designs, I don't feel that it tells the viewer anything about what the theater is.
With this third pass of designs, I decided to play with the idea of making a graphic depiction of the theater a part of the logo. Returning to the Art deco influence, I tried a few fonts before choosing the final one. I liked the idea of the lights from the first pass as well as the Harlem lettering going vertical, so I brought those elements back. Eventually I put the Apollo type in a rectangle to represent a marquee to go with the idea of turning the facade of the theater into a graphic. I wanted to make it simpler, so I took the block out and enlarged the Apollo lettering to give the same feel of a marquee.
I belive that my final design incorporates elements of the theater and tells the viewer what it is without actually having to say it. The mix of type elements showcases its art deco influence and gives a modern feel.
