The American campaign completely over-shadowed its Canadian counter-part and while I’d be interested in learning more about the design of the Conservatives’ logo, I’ll stick to what I found via Brand New.
Sol Sender was the head of Sender LLC, design studio, when MODE (a firm specialising in motion design in Chicago) contacted them about designing the logo for Barack Obama’s ’08 campaign. Sender led the creative team who, in two weeks, had spawned over a dozen proposals which were then reduced to three main ideas to present to the candidate’s campaign strategists.
Sender is now counted among VSA Partners, who then produced a 13-minute video (in two parts) on the creation process and how the identity evolved thereafter.
Many interesting facts in the video:
- A design is not necessarily simple because it was the obvious route. Using the ‘O’ was not ultimately the easy option of simply taking his initial. Instead, it was the unit’s thought process that led to the use of the letter
- Developing an identity is not always a design trip leading to looking new. Obama represents change and renewal but the logo could not clash and appear too new. Early criticism against Barack Obama often claimed that he has little experience, which is why the creative team turned to the more traditional, more down to earth proposal.
- One will not work indefinitely with a newly-developed identity and other designers will have to use it: respect their work. Sender has great respect for the designers and graphic designers who worked with the identity they had developed. Contrary to a diva who would have no one touch her creation and who would have complete control over what happens to it. They handed over the design to the campaign team in summer ’07 and this is when the logo really started to blossom.
- When the customer allows it, talk about your work, show the process. Everyone can benefit: both the general public and the community. Sender gives us open-book on the process, showing even the rejected proposals, exhibiting the same open-mindedness that is expected of Barack Obama. It’s rare to be in on the creation of a new identity. You’ll sometimes stumble upon a documentary on identities created 60 years ago, but rarely upon one on an important logo in North-American culture, created less than 2 years ago.
We work in design and highly commend their work. We understand their issues/problems and would still have liked to participate in the creation process. Publishing these videos on YouTube (the first, the second) makes the content easily accessible and I am (unfortunately) not surprised at some comments that were made.
The general public knows very little about the work we do and the importance of experience combined with the creativity of the members of a creative team. A campaign logo, as can clearly be seen in the video, can be very boring. Obama’s ’08 campaign logo was everything it could have been thanks to the work done by its creative team.