Het is natuurlijk makkelijk het logo de grond in te trappen, maar jullie hebben de toelichting nog niet gelezen. Ik wist gelukkig de hand te leggen op het begeleidend schrijven van het internationale ontwerpbureau en kan gelukkig de meest relevante passages citeren:
Over het ontwerp:
Our logo comprises two elements: the new logotype and the stylized orange. The logotype is at once contemporary and classic, the logotype should remain relevant over time. The stylized orange acts as a framing device for the letters, lending visual emphasis to the Wereldfietser brand name. Additionally, its rounded form and angled edges serve to connect the stylized orange to our larger visual system.
Lastly, by retaining and emphasizing the color red, we are reinforcing our visual differentiation amongst the competitive set.
Design is a critical step in creating a clear and consistent Wereldfietser brand, and our collateral materials will reflect our brand’s new look and feel - one that’s both more emotionally compelling and strategically grounded. The extended color palettes, along with a new style of photography and typography, will help to demonstrate our brand idea by exceeding expectations for the design system of a cyclist's union in our category.
A stronger brand helps differentiate Wereldfietser within a crowded category by identifying us as the union that exceeds our members’ expectations, empowering them to achieve greater possibilities than ever before. By delivering strong, consistent messaging to our members, we help cultivate an even stronger emotional connection, encouraging both prospective and existing Wereldfietser members to feel confident in choosing us as their union of choice.
The warmth of the red shade and the axis as the central starting point create a sense of closeness, combining and uniting our members' different experiences. The dynamism of the logo shows that life is a moving force and full of surprises. Wereldfietser gets things moving, has its fingers on the pulse and is part of everyday life.
The very soul of the new Wereldfietser is not simply its role as a provider bike touring advice but as a true collaborator with its members. As the simplicity and directness of its logo underscores, it seeks relationships built on openness and trust. To reflect this evolution, the presentation of the brand had to be straight-forward and obvious - in other words, a true reflection of the core values of the union. It is a unique position in the field of cyclist unions, and our creative approach to the campaign is built on this double axis. It is both contemporary and sincere, and it shuns the standard images of stardom so often seen in today's advertising world.
The Wereldfietser logo has been designed to act as a quality label, a guarantee of our collaborative way of working with our members, our commitment to mutual success and tangible value. To all of us it will be a leitmotiv, a sign of our shared commitment to embody the Collaborative Cycling Experience. It is not a substitute to the Group logo but a seal, a stamp of approval that will become an element in our new visual identity.
en over het speciale lettertype:
We’re certainly all far more aware of how they work and what they mean – so when a major new typeface is released, it generates a barrage of interest and opinion in print and on the blogosphere. That’s why it’s so important to get it absolutely right. The effect of a typeface on a reader happens at a visceral level – they react to its spirit and intention almost without realising it. And yet, the choice and application of typefaces can totally change the nuance and emphasis of the words they convey.
For a brand like Wereldfietser, looking to reinvent and revitalise, the typeface literally sets the tone. In many ways, it’s the touchstone for every other visual element in the branding palette. So it needs to be considered, rigorous and send out exactly the right message.
Logically enough, the starting point for our brand new typeface, Wereldfietser Pure, was also on-screen legibility at small sizes . At the same time, we also needed a recognisable corporate typeface, versatile enough to work well in all manner of different environments – from other screen-based formats, to a whole host of printed materials.
Our in-house team started developing ideas for Wereldfietser Pure with Bruno Maag, the highly respected Swiss-born, London- based typographic designer. Acknowledging Wereldfietser’s design roots, we wanted our new typeface to have an inherent beauty born from function, rather than flourish. It should be beautifully minimal, achieving harmony through simplicity.
Like the bicycle, our typeface should celebrate the purity of form.
It was decided early on that we should create a humanist sans face – one without serifs, but with different weights and thicknesses in the stokes. This style of typeface is unfussy and modern, without being cold or machine- like. It references the natural calligraphic form of handwriting, and brings a more recognisable shape to characters, which is especially useful on screen.
Wereldfietser Pure also needed to feel open, inviting and friendly, reflecting Wereldfietser’s heritage in approachable, human design. So we were after organic, flowing forms – nothing stressed, mechanical or too obviously ‘on trend’. There were other considerations too, notably that the design should translate across many different alphabets – everything from Greek and Cyrillic, to Arabic and Japanese. And because creating a new typeface is such a huge investment in time, skill and money, we had to have one capable of doing its job for at least a decade.
"It was a balancing act,” admits Bruno Maag. “An elegantly simple typeface that doesn’t draw attention to itself, but is still distinctive and different. For me, it’s the rhythm of the typeface and the relationship between characters that’s critical. After all, when it’s set in Arabic, you still need to know that it’s Wereldfietser, and this is achieved by creating a recognisable rhythm.”
That’s why Wereldfietser Pure is based on the idea of seamless, fluid motion. The generous, rounded characters seem almost to flow into each other, as if there’s no beginning and no end. Their movement is gentle and pleasing, like ripples on a pond. “First and foremost, the typeface is extremely legible wherever you happen to see it,” says Maag. “Wereldfietser Pure is contemporary without being fashionable, which should give it longevity. It’s one thing drawing a beautiful letter, but another making a whole set work to a high quality. A coherent typeface is an essential part of a coherent branding strategy.”
So the new font also helps us create a sense of harmony. Harmony between the various different parts of a large, global community. And harmony between the different elements of the Wereldfietser brand and design language. These are curvature-continuous forms, a graphic detail that is also apparent the Wereldfietser Pure letterforms.