Assignment 06
Icon System
Design a belief system that exist through its symbols. Create a set of 15-25 icons based on the aesthetic and conceptual characteristics of your beleif system. Text can supports the system, but meaning should be communicated primarily through the signs and symbols chosen. Your icons should share common stylistic attributes and feel like a family.
Deliverables Week 1 (GC)
- Present your beleif system, explain why you chose it
- Sketch a set of 20 total prelimanary icons considering concept and symbol
— 10 core icons that represent foundational beliefs
— 10 secondary icons to support the system that feature rules, rituals, laws, etc. - Design 3 of your icon sketches in a higher fidelity considering style and system. These should be taken further in a design or vector program. Their aesthetic qualities should be your primary focus.
- Print your 20 sketches and 3 final icons on 8.5x11" paper for a total of 23 pages
Deliverables Week 2 (OOO)
Develop 15-25 final icons for your project. Create a system or logic for your icons which could include stylistic characteristics, a grid, scale, etc. Make progress on one of the two following deliverables and show your work as a presentation that walks me through your progress during a one on one critique. Choose one of two final deliverables...
Manifesto Book (24 pgs)
Design a 24 page book that describes your manifesto and prodominently features 15-20 final icons. For your content consider: Core beliefs (each belief anchored by an icon), rules, rituals, or laws, contradictions or hypocrisies, etc.
Deck of Cards (25 cards)
Design a deck of 25 cards. Each card uses one icon or icon combination and a has a clear front/back design logic. Design a small interpretive guide (folded sheet or mini booklet) that explains the meaning of the icons and how to use the deck.
Deliverables Week 3 (FC)
Produce your final book or deck of cards. Write and print a 150 word rationale that explains your project. Reflect on your process and the choices you made. Use this as a guide or script when you present your project to the class.
Learning Outcomes
This project demonstrates symbolic thinking, system design, and the ability to translate a visual language across formats.
Background
Icons are different than letterforms. An alphabet is a writing system where glyphs stand for sounds in a spoken language. Understand that icons represent something less abstract as a glyph, they have inhernt meaning. In class we discussed the fundamentals of icon design. We will use these terms to evaluate your icons.
Concept—A concept is an abstract idea representing the type and fundamental characteristics of some set of objects. In terms of graphic iconography the concept is what you need to communicate to the user.
Symbol—A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship.
Style—Style is considered the visual details in which an icon is rendered. This can be fill style, line weight, round corners, color, size, etc.
System—A system is the consistent details that carry from one icon to the next. How are the stylistic details executed across the set, and what is the underlying grid or scale relationship the icons follow.