The Monogram.
Monograms have the power to instantly spark thoughts of a certain brand, feeling or product. Whilst their style and purpose has evolved over time, their significance in design practice has remained unmatched.
Image Sources: (Louis Vuitton), (LSO)
Traditional vs. Contemporary
Louis Vuitton
The Louis Vuitton logo pictured above, was created in 1896 and is a highly recognisable example of an effective traditional monogram. Designed by Georges Vuitton, it has long been viewed by society as an instant identifier of high social status through the clean and classic crossover of an L and V in a serif typeface (Yotka, 2018). This is significant as Originally, the brand was producing luxury luggage, meaning the monograms were included in the designs of their products through a repeated pattern on canvas. The monogram's simplicity reinforces the brands message of elevated class, power and money, distinguishing it from competing fashion brands who have interchanged their logo and identity over time. Similarly, the fact that it has not changed since 1893 has shaped societies perceptions of the brand to be authentic, reliable and timeless. Thus, making the monogram extremely effective in establishing the identity and values of the brand.
London Symphony Orchestra
Contrastingly, the contemporary London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) monogram exhibited above, captures the capabilities of modern monograms. Designed strategically by London design agency The Partners in 2011, the left to right placement of the LSO simultaneously depicts a conductor and their baton. This monogram was designed with the purpose of "breathing new life" (Davies, 2017) into the London Symphony Orchestra. Ultimately, the designers drew inspiration from the notion that the orchestra was constantly moving through both musical flow and innovation. This resulted in their use of minimalist curvature to join each letter. Creative decisions such as the varying line thickness assist the reader in distinguishing the letters whilst still being able to observe the illustrative properties.
In comparison to the contemporary LSO monogram, the traditional Louis Vuitton monogram does not hold a double meaning. This is as more traditionally, monograms were used as a status symbol rather than strictly for the purpose of a logo (History of the Monogram, 2022). However, they both adhere to minimalist design elements through their clean vectors. Whilst the Louis Vuitton monogram utilises sharp, straight vectors to convey power and wealth, the LSO monogram utilises smooth curvature to create a sense of musical movement. In turn, displaying how each monogram has used minimalistic vectors to portray the desired feelings of their brand.
How Has the Practice of Monograms Changed Over Time?
As expressed, monograms were traditionally a form of aristocracy in the Victorian Era. They could be seen in households on utensils such as knives and forks and table linen to display high prestige (Monogramming History, 2022). However, over time their personal nature has intrigued designers, making them extremely useful as a branding tool for business's or individuals. For example, the Toyota logo is a well known contemporary monogram that has been used for the purpose of branding.
The classic Toyota monogram, designed in 1989 utilises the overlaying of ovals to create a word mark that is both complex and minimal.
As the brand centralises around mechanics and automotive vehicles, the designer's choice of ovals for the composition is significant. This shape evokes a sense of circular movement, mimicking the movement of car wheels and a steering wheel. In relation, as the monogram has most been formed from shapes rather than a typeface, this has allowed the emblem to uphold a complex and layered meaning formed by multiple of the brand's values. There are a total of 3 ovals, horizontally joined through a symmetrical configuration. The perpendicular ovals that lay within the larger oval symbolise the heart of the company and their customers, whilst the overlap element depicts trust (Emblem, 2022). Simultaneously, each of the letters that make up the word Toyota can be highlighted in the monogram.
Further visual qualities such as the varying thickness of the oval strokes and use of white space behind the ovals add depth to the logo mark. The alternating thickness of the strokes is inspired by Japanese brush art, which is the brands country of origin (Emblem, 2022). According to Toyota (2022), the white space behind the ovals are symbolic infinite values including integrity, social responsibility and innovation. Thus, making this monogram largely effective as it holds various meanings whilst acting as a simplistic and instant identifier of the brand.
How Has This Impacted My Design Process?
Overall, researching the history of monograms and their evolving purpose has positively impacted the development of my own monogram. I have learnt that simplicity and legibility of the monogram are the most significant factors to consider. Therefore, when designing my monogram I ensured that it was not overly complex but still retained character to convey my personality. This was achieved by utilising varying thickness of the lines and adding curvature to enhance the idea of my easy going personality. My final monogram versions can be examined below, displaying how this knowledge has impacted my design choices.
REFERENCE LIST
Davies, I 2017, 'How The Partners updated the London Symphony Orchestra’s branding using the conductor’s gestures', Creative Lives - In Progress, viewed on 8/06/22
Yotka, S 2018, 'A Brief History of Louis Vuitton’s Famous Monogram', Vogue, viewed on 7/06/22
'Monogramming History', Mark and Graham, viewed on 8/06/22
'Emblem', Toyota, viewed on 9/06/22
"History of the Monogram', So and Sew Boutique, viewed on 7/06/22
BLOG 4 TASK 3 - 'Monograms'
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