Mark Jamra, Associate Professor of Graphic Design, speaks about getting the balance just right in the Typographics' blog post Wordmarks, Logos, and the Importance of White Space. Jamra will be leading a two-day Wordmarks Workshop at the Typographics Conference in New York City, June 14–15.
You can view more work on Jamra-Patel's website.
Finalized Portland Color logo. Design/Art Direction: Mark Jamra of Jamra-Patel; Margo Halverson of Alice Design Communication
"Jamra makes a strong distinction between creating letters for a wordmark verses letters for a typeface. With a custom wordmark, you have the flexibility to modify letters without having to worry about how those shapes would work in a full typeface. For example, a designer can create unusual ligatures, make a letter taller to bring a “bounce” into the word, or even remove the dot of a lowercase “i” to make the wordmark more unique. 'There is a sort of chemistry with making wordmarks because they only have to live with the other letters in a lock up and not as a full typeface'. This ability to modify a wordmark allows it to be unique and stand apart which is more important than ever in a visually-competitive marketplace."
Typographics is a 11-day design festival, devoted to typography, features talks, workshops, and tours focusing on where typography is today and where its future may lie. Find out more and register.