I’ve started my research by looking at how different shapes convey different meanings to the viewer and how these are used by different brands to present a first image of their company. I found this information from the lecture we received and from research that I had done in the design module last year.

CIRCLES

– No shape is more basic than a circle

– It is used to represent organic and natural things

– Suggests unbroken time, eternal life

– Constant and reliable movement

– Can evoke feelings of movement, strength, energy, life and vitality

– Suggests trust and protection from either things outside the circle or from inside

SQUARES AND RECTANGLES

– Suggests reliability, familiarity, strength, stability, power, balance and dependability

– Used in unexpected ways to counter their ‘ordinariness’ or is used to demonstrate strength to emphasize the dependability and durability of the brand

TRIANGLES

– Dynamic, conveys either conflict or strength

– Can direct movement – points the reader in a direction

– Equilateral triangles – set flat to a baseline evokes the pyramid and stability, while retaining the dynamic power of ‘the point’

– They are less common in nature and so have mystical associations

– When the triangle is pointed down it becomes more action oriented and evokes a sense of speed and dynamic force

– They are used to represent law, medicine, science and religion

– Rooted in ancient pagan and druidic symbolism

– An upside down triangle generally is associated with femininity, although in contemporary culture they are now seen as masculine