The New Starbucks Identity

Does the future of striking brand personality lie in 'minimalism'? At least Starbucks thinks so. The worlds largest coffeehouse company has just unleashed their new corporate image. But Starbucks fanatics do not seem to be very impressed. There has been over 150 responses on the company's website asking for the Seattle company name to be reinstated. It is true that the company or brand name plays a significant role in a brand image. I wonder how Starbucks will make its presence felt in the new markets? I'm sure there are people who've heard of Starbucks but are not familiar with their logo. Now, how would they react if Starbucks moved to their town with this new logo which does not have their name in it. Isn't Brand perception lost at some level then? Riding on the assumed brand awareness is a bold move to make when you're targeting new markets. Especially, when every traditional and new media is saturated with brands competing for attention.

Clarity of Visual Design

Clarity should be the prime focus of any design for visual communication.
A Design has to Communicate effectively. It has to convey the message Clearly.

A Signage for example has to break the barriers of culture and language and convey the message clearly, communicate at a level that can be easily understood by people of various backgrounds, cultures and exposure. This realm of interpretation is mostly at a subconscious level, a paradigm that helps people to navigate and communicate in this world. This has perhaps evolved with humanity itself and is remodeled everyday by every single visual input one gets in day-to-day life. Put simply, it tells us what we are looking at.

Visual Design should focus on the 'message' and find ways to develop a solution that would comply to the laws that govern human interpretation in a visual world.

Colors for instance mean different things in different cultures. A Bride in the west is dressed in white, this symbolizes her purity, but in India a lady dressed in 'all white' is the widow. Such is the difference in the symbolism of colors in various cultures. A color scheme of a Design should therefore either surpasses cultural significance or thrive as an independent entity that has no symbolic association whatsoever.

Design therefore has the strength to remodel believes, shape perspectives, to educate, even change how we communicate. If it is designed to communicate, then it has to be 'clear'. If there was no clarity, then there was no communication.

Contact

email : arun.rajeev@hotmail.com

Light

Images & Words

A Series on perpetual calmness in sorrow and wandering nature of the mind

Mascot

The addition of a Mascot to a theme aids in its perception. Providing a way to observe and understand. The personality of the mascot has to be aligned to the tone and character of the parent theme.

Aggression