Unique Logo Design for ACCET87 SJC, ACCET87 FOUNDATION and ASSET87
When the core committee for ACCET87 ( the Silver Jubilee Celebration of 1983-87 batch Engineering Alumni from ACCET – Karaikudi ) was being formed, I joined the group. Even though, I was not a very socially active guy in college – something inside me told me that I should be a part of this effort.
About a year ago – sometime during the initial stages, Rajeshwar suggested the name ACCET87 for the SJC and we even named the Trust formed as ACCET87 FOUNDATION.
This website – www.accet87.net – was created by Rajeshwar A.S and Saravanan M. (alias VP) so that ACCET 83-87 batchmates from across the globe could connect and interact.
Around January 2012 – the Soft Skills training program for the ACCET students was being finalised, which was to be eventually christened ASSET87 (Alagappa Soft Skills Enhancement Training – Conceptualized, Funded and Managed by ACCET87). By then, in all the core committee meetings and discussions ACCET87, ACCET87 FOUNDATION and ASSET87 were all being quoted and discussed as if they were brands.
It was then the need to create an identity or a logo dawned on me, which was conveyed to all committee members. We all realized the importance of having a professional, eye-catchy and attention grabbing logo, which is the first step for any brand awareness and identity strategy process. Logo is the most important visual aid and a perfect tool for creating an identity or is an ideal introduction for a brand. It has to be expressible, unforgettable & scalable.
Rajeshwar immediately gave the nod to go ahead and I set upon the task of creating a LOGO for ACCET87. After a lot of creative thinking and hard work to design an innovative logo that will reflect our groups ideologies – I came up with the Ant and Leaf logodesign.
I showed Rajeshwar the Pencil sketches that I had drawn and after some tinkering here and there, a final hand drawn design was made and presented to the core committee, who unanimously approved it. Then came the final part – consisting of scanning the original and creating it digitally.
The design was approved which had the ant carrying the leaf standing atop letters ACCET87, which sat on a brick wall structure – that carried the letters FOUNDATION. This was adapted as the logo for our Trust.
Later adaptations of the ant and leaf design were created for ACCET87 SJC event and ASSET87 training program.
The following graphic elements were considered in the development of the logo.
FONTS: Fonts are one of the most important part of a logo design. The fonts selected in this ant and leaf design is simple, stylish and bold, so that there is no confusion while reading and it is very legible. Even while reducing it to very small size – for printing purpose – the logo is readable.
ICON : The icon of our logo literally depicts an ant carrying or turning a leaf, the ant represents and resembles numeral 8, the turned leaf represents and resembles numeral 7 – both joined reads 87 – representing the year 1987 ( the year we all passed out of ACCET – Karaikudi). The brick wall depicts strength and the solid foundation of our group. The ant is turning the leaf and is standing on ACCET87 or ASSET87.
SIGNIFICANNCE OF THE ANT
STRENGTH : Ants are capable of carrying objects 50 times their own body weight with their mandibles.
Ants use their diminutive size to their advantage. Relative to their size, their muscles are thicker than those of larger animals or even humans. This ratio enables them to produce more force and carry larger objects. If we had muscles in the proportions of ants, we’d be able to heave a car over our head.
COURAGE : Soldier ants use their heads to plug the entrances to their nests and keep intruders from gaining access.
In certain ant species, the soldier ants have modified heads, shaped to match the nest entrance. They block access to the nest by sitting just inside the entrance, with their heads facing out like a cork in a bottle.
SELFLESS SERVICE : Certain ant species defend plants in exchange for food and shelter.
Ant plants, are plants with naturally occurring hollows inside where ants can take shelter or feed. The ants live in the hollows, feeding on sugary plant secretions or the excretions of sap-sucking insects. In return, the ants defend the plant from herbivorous mammals and insects, and even prune away parasitic plants that attempt to grow on the host plant.
ADAPTATION TO DIVERSE CONDITIONS: The total biomass of all the ants on Earth is roughly equal to the total biomass of all the people on Earth.
How can this be?! Ants are so tiny, and we are so big! But scientists estimate there are at least 1.5 million ants on the planet for every human being. Over 12,000 species of ants are known to exist, inhabiting every continent except Antarctica. Most live in tropical regions. A single acre of Amazon rainforest may house 3.5 million ants.
CARE : Ants sometimes herd or tend to insects of other species, like leafhoppers.
Ants will do just about anything to get the sugary secretions of sap-sucking insects, called honeydew. To keep the sweet stuff in close supply, some ants will herd aphids, carrying the soft-bodied pests from plant to plant.
DELEGATION : Ants will enslave other ants, keeping them captive and making them do work for the colony.
Quite a few ant species will take captives from other ant species, forcing them to do chores for their own colony. Some honeypot ants will even enslave ants of the same species, taking individuals from foreign colonies to do their bidding. Amazon ants, raid the colonies of unsuspecting Formica ants. The Amazon queen will find and kill the Formica queen, then enslave the Formica workers. The slave workers help her rear her own brood.
LONG LASTING : Ants lived alongside the dinosaurs.
Ants evolved some 130 million years ago during the early Cretaceous period. Most fossil evidence of insects is found in lumps of ancient amber, or fossilized plant resin. This scientists estimate the period of appearance of ants on Earth as somewhere around 130 million years ago.
SOCIAL LIVING: Some ants form “super-colonies,” massive communities of ants that can stretch for thousands of miles.
Argentine ants, native to South America, now inhabit every continent except Antarctica due to accidental introductions. Each ant colony has a distinctive chemical profile that enables members of the group to recognize each other, and alerts the colony to the presence of strangers. Scientists recently discovered that massive super colonies in Europe, North America, and Japan all share the same chemical profile, meaning they are, in essence, a global super colony of ants.
UNITY & TEAM WORK : Ants follow scent trails laid by scout ants to gather food.
A scout ant first leaves the nest in search of food, and wanders somewhat randomly until it discovers something edible. It will then consume some of the food and return to the nest in a straight, direct line. Along the return route, the scout ant leaves a trail of pheromones, special scents that will guide her nest-mates to the food. The foraging ants then follow her path, each one adding more scent to the trail to reinforce it for others. The workers will continue walking back and forth along the line until the food source is depleted.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LEAF
A single leaf is an ancient symbol said to signify happiness. Oak leaves are religious symbols of faith and endurance. In ancient times Bay leaves were considered remedies against poison, and thus they symbolized healing. Their image was also used as a symbol of peace and quiet. Ivy leaves signify strong and lasting friendship. This association is derived from ivy’s ability to stay attached to a rocky surface in even the most inhospitable conditions. And the burdock leaf, edock, or bur, which is the Scottish term for a dock-leaf, was probably a symbol of tenacity and perseverance.
Early Christians used the palm branch to symbolize the victory of the faithful over enemies of the soul, as in the Palm Sunday festival celebrating the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
LOGO ORIENTATION : The Logo orientation is kept horizontal and is stretched wide to give a grandiose feel or impression. The mounting of the letters ACCET87 on the brick structure adds to the grand feel.
COLORS : Only 2 major colors have been used on the icons – green and orange. Since there are only 2 major colors apart from brick red and shades of black, they are cheaper and easier to reproduce. Some research was done on the 2 important colors chosen – red and green and its impact or the emotion conveyed have been detailed below :
THE COLOR GREEN: Leaves are naturally green in color. So there was no much choice in this selection. However, it is good to know the attributes of green color. Green occupies more space in the spectrum visible to the human eye and is second only to blue as a favorite color. Green is the pervasive color in the natural world that is an ideal backdrop in many designs, because we are so used to seeing it everywhere. Green is life. Abundant in nature, green signifies growth, renewal, health, and environment.
The natural greens, from forest to lime, are seen as tranquil and refreshing, with a natural balance of cool and warm (blue and yellow) undertones. Green is considered the colour of peace and ecology.
Green color affects you both physically and mentally, by being Soothing, Relaxing and alleviating depression or anxiety and bringing a sense of renewal, self-control and harmony.
THE COLOR ORANGE : The ant was decided to be in shades of orange.Orange is the color of adventure and social communication. The color orange radiates warmth and happiness, combining the physical energy and stimulation of red with the cheerfulness of yellow. Orange relates to ‘gut reaction’ or our gut instincts, as opposed to the physical reaction of red or the mental reaction of yellow. Orange offers emotional strength in difficult times. It helps us to bounce back from disappointments and despair, assisting in recovery from grief.
Orange brings spontaneity and a positive outlook on life and is a great color to use during tough economic times, keeping us motivated and helping us to look on the bright side of life.
The color psychology of orange is optimistic and uplifting or rejuvenating our spirits. With its enthusiasm for life, the color orange relates to adventure and risk-taking, inspiring physical confidence, competition and independence.
The color orange relates to social communication, stimulating two way conversations. A warm and inviting color, it is both physically and mentally stimulating, so it gets people thinking and talking!
Orange aids in the assimilation of new ideas and frees the spirit of its limitations, giving us the freedom to be ourselves. At the same time it encourages self-respect and respect of others.
BRAND PROMISE & TAGLINE – After the logo was created, we felt the need for a tagline. Essentially a tagline is the brand’s promise and it may or may not be included in the logo. It can be the best brand communication tool, if done right.Taglines are more than just clever word-art. They cut through marketing clutter and communicate the brand promise in a simple and memorable way. They are an accountability tool and they remind us of our own brand promise.
Since they are more important for brand definition and keeping in mind that the logo is a visual representation ACCET87, ACCET87 FOUNDATION and ASSET87, We decided to define the brand promise and craft a tagline.
Thus I came up the tagline – Turn a New Leaf –
As with the Logo – the tagline was unanimously accepted by the core committee. It was then included with our logo at the bottom.
‘Turn a New Leaf’ means – to begin again, refresh or to reform. It also means to start behaving in a better way.
I hope that the effort, ACCET 1983-87 batch is taking to give soft skill and communication training to budding engineers from ACCET may become truly successful and that the logo along with the Tag-line may aid in instilling a sense and purpose to the whole activity.