Image (logo) Ideas

This image now contains a tear drop and automatically the image has become much more powerful than my first sketch. However as I drew this image without first doing the research, regarding how an oxygen mask actually looks, the oxygen mask looks quite unrealistic and denies the image of the powerful message that it should portray.

After researching what an oxygen mask looks like, I have now made the modifications to add some form of realistic aspect to the image. I have also made the tear drop look more effective, by simply adding more of a buldge to it. This cartoon-like feature makes the teardrop easier to understand, it also adds the exaggerated emotional theme that I want my logo to obtain. I decided against adding a nose and lips to the face as i felt that the most important features were the eyes, any other facial features would have clutered the image.



I want a logo that represents the idea of 'no smoking'. However I want to steer away from the conventional 'no smoking' logos and signs. I want to create and present something completely different which will, define and provide my project with it's own identity.

Although it is possible that these images aren't supposed to have thier own identity, they each are recognise by others as being the same. My logo must be different and should provoke a reaction from those who see it, as opposed to something that is just ignored like the logos and signs presented above. My logo must be different and should arrest the attention of viewers.

This is my new & final design for my logo.

My original design was a pencil drawing. I have simply made this image black and white using Photoshop, to mach the theme of my website project (which will black and red). As the colour black has negative connotations, this I feel corresponds with the idea of my project and it's logo (As shown above).

Image Idea2

This is an image of someone with an oxygen mask on their face. Within the oxygen mask is a cigarette with smoke coming from it. The existence of the smoke is to make clear the existence of the cigarette. The cigarette in a sense explains why the person is in need of the oxygen mask. The image is accompanied by the words 'No Smoking', which makes ie extremely clear that my project opposes the habit of smoking.

This image only contains the most important features of the human face in a time of crisis, the eyes. Rouse (2008) states "emotions like sadness, excitement, joy and anger show up in the eyes." I feel although this image is quite powerful with the use of the oxygen mask and cigarette, more emotion needs to be expressed through the eyes. This emotion can possibly be depicted with a tear drop.

Image Ideas

Most if not all name branded companies have a recognisable logo for example, Nike has the famous 'nike tick', Adidas has the three lines, Calvin Klein simply has the 'CK'... My company name will also need a complementary recognisable logo, something that can sometimes be presented as a sole piece as opposed to the actual name of my company. The aim is for my image to be extremely effective. The message of my company needs to be represented within this one image....

This is a sketch of the human organs. I won't exactly use this whole image but, I may use sections of it. The bright colouring around the organs are used to in a sense celebrate the existence of having healthy organs, as opposed to having damaged ones as a result of the habit of smoking. The possitive connotations within the colouring represents my companies aim, to help prevent unhealthy organs by advising non-smokers against smoking.

Pre Production: My Initial Ideas

Pre -Production

Being that I am an ex-smoker, I decided to base my project on the habit of Smoking.
My project will act as an advice source for those thinking about taking up smoking.
It will simply advise people not to start.
Firstly I need to have an identity, something unique, something that represents my project.

These are possible identities for my project, I am aiming for something that will automatically grasp people's attention, making them want to know what my project is about.


1. Let LungZ Live!! - this is straight to the point, it sounds good (the consistant use of the letter L).

2. St.Louis Lung SaverZ!! - This also sounds good, however my surname, St.Louis is also a place in America. My audience may assume that this is an American based project. Also 'Lung Savers' gives the impression that I am some form of health organisation that provides the facilities to cure smoking related illnesses.

3. Luxurious LungZ!! - This title also sounds good. It doesn't encourage incorrect assumptions amoung my viewers. It is a title that I think will possibly create anxiety amoung viewers, who will be curious to know what my project is about. This title I feel will possibly arrest people's attention.

I've decided to go for the name Luxury LungZ. The use of the letter 'Z' as opposed to the letter 'S', on the word Lungs is deliberate, in the sense that my target audience is 13 - 21 year olds. The beginning of the teen years to the end of adolescence. These are the vital years in which most smokers begin to smoke as a result of peer pressure, as a way of fitting in and as way of looking cool and so on. In a study provided by the American Lung Association (2008) statistics have shown that “Half of adults who smoke were regular smokers by their 18th birthday, and 90 percent had started by the age of 21.” - this in particular is what my 'Smokers prevention company', 'Luxury LungZ' will aim to reduce.
I will create a five page website based on the effects of smoking. I will use Marshall Mcluhan's theory, 'the Medium is the Message'. I will focus on how the medium, being the act of smoking, is glamourised on television and the ways in which teenagers in society respond to this by picking up the deadly habit.

While doing research I have found that Marshall Mcluhan argued that “An extension occurs when an individual or society makes or uses something in a way that extends the range of the human body and mind in a fashion that is new. The shovel we use for digging holes is a kind of extension of the hands and feet. The spade is similar to the cupped hand, only it is stronger, less likely to break, and capable of removing more dirt per scoop than the hand. A microscope, or telescope is a way of seeing that is an extension of the eye.”

Kappelman, T. (2002) Marshall McLuhan “The Medium Is The Message”. [Online]. Available at: http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/mcluhan.html (Accessed 13 March 2008).

Within my website I will briefly touch on this idea that modern technologies are extensions of our human functions. For example, it could be argued that a large proportion of civilisation has allowed the media to think for us through films and celebrity lifestyles. We see people smoking, we see them glamourising it so we mimick this by picking up the habit of smoking. I will perhaps potray this in my website by suggesting that smoking is glamourised and as a result of this, people (teens in particular) mimick their idols.

My Project Proposal

Concept
For this project I will create a five page website. This website will be the product of my smokers’ prevention company entitled, ‘Luxury Lungz’. As most people wish to be healthy, the company title will hopefully attract many consumers. In a study provided by the American Lung Association (2008) statistics have shown that “Half of adults who smoke were regular smokers by their 18th birthday, and 90 percent had started by the age of 21.” Taking this into account my target audience for this project (website) will be 13 –21 year olds, the beginning of the teenage era to the beginning of adulthood. My project will be based on Marshall Mcluhan’s ‘The Medium Is The Message’ theory. I will focus on how the medium, being the idea of smoking, is glamorised on television and the ways in which teenagers in society respond to this by picking up the habit.
The aim of this website will be to advise people against the act of smoking, in attempts to prevent smoke related illnesses which include “…damage to the lungs, heart and blood vessels” (Mayo Clinic 2008). I will do this by presenting disturbing but factual information regarding the negative affects of smoking.
I decided to base my project around smoking because I began smoking at an early age, as did many of my friends. Although I am no longer a smoker, many of my friends still are at the age of 21. I feel that perhaps if we were shown a website such as
the one I will create, many of us may not have decided to take up the habit.
According to Hans Wilhelm (2008) “…the sensation of fear is identical to the one we have when we are excited.” In relation to this argument, my website will not be restricted regarding the explicit and raw types of images portrayed. This method I feel will frighten, as well as arrest the attention of many of my teen consumers. The website will obtain a simplistic style, it will not portray too much information, just enough to express the company’s point (aim). The website will contain the consistent use of low-key lighting as this is often associated with negativity. Black will be the dominant background colour on each page due to “…its links with death…” (Maxim 2007). This will emphasis the sites negative connotations.

Project Requirements
In order to proceed with this project I will need a digital camera, as my project will consist of images of my own as well as images from the internet. The dominant programmes needed for my project are, Flash MX and Adobe Photoshop. I will use Flash to create and put together my web pages and Photoshop to manipulate the images I have either taken using my camera or found on the internet. Photoshop will
also be used to create my business cards for my company. I will ultimately use Dreamweaver to upload my website to a server.

Project Timeline
Week 1:
I will begin work on ideas for my company name and logo.

Week 2:
I will do some research on Marshall Mcluhan’s “The Medium is the Message” theory in attempts to generate more ideas.

Week 3:
I will research smoke related illnesses to educate myself further regarding this; I will later apply this knowledge to my project.
I will also take photographs for my website.

Week 4:
I will begin doing research (by questioning students) for my Questions and Answers page. I will also create my business cards in Photoshop.

Week 6:
I will begin and complete the collage for my Splash Page, including corresponding audio.

Week 7:
I will begin and complete my homepage.

Week 8:
I will begin and complete my Smoke Related Illnesses page.
I will also begin and complete my Why Do We Start? page.

Week 9:
I will complete my Questions & Answers page.
I will be testing my website.

Week 11:
I will be going live with my website.
During each of these weeks I will attend the weekly ‘PAL sessions’ provided by the University, which will help me improve on anything I am unclear about.

Product Description:
My website’s Splash page will comprise of a collage of disturbing images, in relation to the effects of smoking. This collage will be accompanied by a slow tempo soundtrack. “A song can evoke a powerful emotional and physical reaction.” (O’Connor 2008) This Intro page will effect consumers and provoke a reaction not only visually but also through the use of audio.

My Homepage will contain information on the company such as what it aims to portray, who it aims to reach and what it aims to prevent. This page will also provide a brief description of what each of the pages on the website contains. It will also have buttons leading to each of these pages.

My ‘Smoke Related Illnesses’ page will contain information on the effects and side effects of smoking. It will contain statistics regarding some of the most common as well as uncommon smoke related diseases.

My ‘Questions and Answers’ page will contain questions about smoking and the effects of smoking. In order to construct the contents of this page, I will do some
research. I will ask approximately 40 males and females aged between 18 and 21, what exactly they would like to know about smoking and the illnesses created by the deadly habit. Eventually I will have a large number of questions in which I will research the answers to. This page will consist of these researched answers as well as their accompanying questions. As my target audience for the website is that of 13 - 21 year olds, initially the age group I was going to target for this research, was going to be within this demographic. However, teens are “easily influenced by their environment and more prone to impulsive behaviour” (Thompson 2008) my aim is to prevent the act of smoking and by presenting an immature teen with the idea of smoking, I could ultimately provoke feelings of curiosity, subsequently being the reason they decide to start smoking (if they haven’t already done so).

The ‘Why Do We Start’ page will contain information on the reasons people start smoking. I feel that if people become aware of the reasons people start smoking such as stress, people may make the efforts to prevent themselves from becoming stressed. Thus preventing the need to find an activity such as smoking to feel better about current stresses.
Each of these pages will be accessible from any of the pages within the website, through the existence of buttons.

References

American lung association (2008) Smoking and Teens Fact Sheet. Available at: http://www.lungusa.org/site/c.dvLUK9O0E/b.39871/ (Accessed: 29 Oct 2008).

Mayo Clinic (2008) Smoking Related Illnesses Come With Significant Costs – Both Financial and Quality of Life. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2008-mchi/5031.html?rss-feedid=4 (Accessed: 29 Oct 2008).

Maxin, K. (2007) Use The Colour Black To Signify Death and Evil. Available at: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Use-The-Colour-Black-To-Signify-Death---Evil/558293 (Accessed: 29 Oct 2008).

O’Connor, J. (2008) Music and Emotion – Why Does Music Provoke Strong Emotional Responses? Available at: http://psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/why_do_you_love_that_song (Accessed: 29 Oct 2008).

Thompson, P. (2008) A Work In Progress – The Teen Brain. Available at: http://harvardmagazine.com/2008/09/the-teen-brain.html (Accessed: 29 Oct 2008).

WilHelm, H. (2008) Facing The Winds Of Change. [Online]. Available at: http://www.hanswilhelm.com/hans-pages/pure-inspiration.html (Accessed: 29 Oct 2008).