Role: graphic designer, motion grapher
Logo collection for internal educational system
Peñacorada International School | Internship 2020-2021
Context
Peñacorada is an international school in León, Spain. It is part of Arenales, an international network of associated educational centers, which seeks to provide its students with a high level of academic training and to promote values related to work well done and service to others.
For the past four years, it has been using a System of Houses, which has proven to be effective in fostering certain values and attitudes in students.
During the time I was working as a trainee designer, I developed, among others, the logo design project for the distinction of the different ranks and members of this system of houses.
System of Houses
The Houses are brotherhoods of students led by a Master and two Prefects, also students. Each House represents a different virtue and the Masters will try to choose their members based on how well they are attuned to those qualities. The Houses compete throughout the course. With collective and individual merits, they score points. The one with the most points wins.
https://colegiopenacorada.es/sistema-de-casas/
Upon the death of the founder, Mr. David Álvarez, the school became part of the Arenales Association, which led to changes in the school's trademark, uniforms, teaching method, etc. However, as a tribute to the history of the school, the four houses correspond to icons of the old school emblem (the mountain, the star, the lion and the heart).
MONTEM ~ The mountain
"Pedes in terra ad sidera visus."
"Feet on the ground and eyes on the sky."
Colors: white.
A member of the Montem House is expected to strive to live all the virtues, but will be reminded often that with planning and effort all things are possible. No matter the challenge or the forces they face, success is within reach for those who do not forget this truth.
LEO ~ The lion
"Tamquam leo rugiens."
"Like a roaring lion" (Revelation)
Colors: red.
A member of the House of the Lion is expected to strive to have all the virtues. But he will be reminded frequently that without courage and valor nothing great is achieved. True courage does not fear failure, it is an opportunity to rise again, never giving up even if others give up. Success is within reach for those who do not forget this truth.
STELLA~ The star
"Sic itur ad astra."
"Thus one goes to the stars." (Virgil)
Colors: blue.
A member of the House Stella is expected to strive to live all the virtues, but he will be reminded frequently to strive for ambition to do great things, though only he and God see it. A man is only as great as his dreams and success is within the grasp of one who does not forget this truth.
COR ~ The heart
"Ab imo pectore."
"With all my heart." (Julius Caesar)
Colors: yellow.
A member of House Cor is expected to live all the virtues. But he will often be reminded that the team is stronger than the sum of its members. Triumph is within the reach of the one who does not forget this truth.
INTERNAL STRUCTURE
Organization Chart
The grand master is an honorary figure who occasionally guides the four masters. Each house is assisted by a specific teacher, the godfather. Other teachers and staff may, if they wish, belong to a house. It is something convenient, not essential nor obligatory. Unlike the students they choose freely to which House they are linked without the need of the acceptance of the Master.
Grand master
'Godfathers'
Montem Master
Stella Master
Leo Master
Cor Master
Prefect
Prefect
Prefect
Prefect
Counter Master
Counter Master
Counter Master
Counter Master
Captain
Captain
Captain
Captain
MASTERS AND PREFECTS
They are in charge of directing the houses during the course and organize the great collective events in which the houses compete against each other. As an educational tool, it favors the autonomy of the students, reinforcing the role of organization and leadership.
The Master is the ultimate will. It is the highest position. He also decides who will be the prefects and their successor.
The prefects collaborate with the Master in the direction of the House.
STUDENTS
All students, from elementary to high school, are divided into four houses or brotherhoods.
The students do not choose, they are assigned by the Masters. The Masters in the distribution will take into account the aptitudes of the students, seeking as a priority to link to the houses those who stand out in the main virtue of each one. They will remain in the same house all the years they remain in the school.
Guidelines and requirements
The purpose of this project was to design logos representative of each category in the hierarchy that constitutes the house system. The coordinator of this task expressed to me the following ideas and requirements for the assignment:
I. Visual hierarchy.
II. Similar symbolism to that used to express the chain of command and different ranks of the army.
III. Abstract symbols, avoid literality.
IV. Use simple strokes, find a balance between geometrization and the appearance of hand-drawn trace.
V. Certain epicness in the choice of icons in line with the approach given to the system (the assemblies of the members are called Council of Sages, deference is generated for the superior positions, a spirit of pride for one's own house and sense of honor is promoted...)
VI. Design accounting for the subsequent use and display of the icons in different formats (papers, pamphlets, digital logos, badges, banners...).
Logo development
In the production of the logos, having already spoken with the project coordinator, it was decided to make the designs around a main one: that of the council of wise men, and to use the same elements, playing with their size, number and position to develop the hierarchical language.
After several attempts, in the image above you can see the selected design. In the process of polishing it, different options were evaluated, one of them was to make the whole series in 3D, finally we opted for a second option: applying a filter to the 3D design we achieved a two-dimensional effect and strokes that met very well the objectives set at the beginning of the project: with a certain balance between geometrization and manual stroke, abstract icons and resemblance to shields or epic icons.
Original design
3D
2D Final Design
Hierarchy and final designs
STELLA
LEO
MONTEM
COR
Council of Sages
Common to all four houses, it has its own color, different from all of them. It is the main figure, in which all the elements are found and the referent for the rest of the emblems, which will have fewer elements the lower the position of authority.
Grand Master
Major nucleus and absence of other elements. Singularity and primacy.
Master
Referring to the logo of the Council of Sages, one less sphere indicating the second position. Authority, subordinate.
Godfather
The only one with an additional and smaller sphere next to the upper one. It is on the sideline but is still part of it as an advisor.
Prefect
Continuing the chain of elements, it has one less sphere indicating one less position of authority.
Counter Master
It has one less sphere indicating one less position of authority.
Captain
It only has the upper sphere, indicating that it is the lowest rank in the chain of authority.
