Chinese Traditional Visual Elements and Modern Logo Design

I. Traditional Chinese Visual Elements and Modern Logo Design

Logo design, as an important component of modern visual communication system, is to express concrete things, events, scenes and abstract spirits and ideas through special graphics. So that when people see the logo at the same time, naturally produce associations, so as to produce a sense of identification with the brand. In the whole process of corporate image transmission, because of its high frequency and wide application, it is easy to be recognized and remembered by people. Throughout the history of modern design, many famous and creative logo design in the simple, clear form of the beauty of an enterprise, group of national cultural heritage and the spirit of the times contains the essence. For an enterprise and the group has a role that can not be underestimated.

In the modern logo design, Chinese plastic arts inherited the traditional Chinese art concept. It is different from the western emphasis on image, vivid aesthetic interest, more than not "realistic" heavy "God", in the context of the pursuit of "big and clumsy" romantic realm. It is concrete and abstract; it is drawing shape, but also into the spirit; it is certain, but also undetermined. The meaning of the work has the aesthetic effect of multiple meanings and ambiguity. In recent years, the integration of traditional Chinese cultural elements into modern logo design has been favored by designers.

The success of the Olympic bid logo is the best example: the five stars, the five rings, the Chinese knot in the shape of a hieroglyph, and the combination with the essence of traditional Chinese culture - taijiquan - make the logo as vivid and harmonious as flowing clouds and water. While reflecting modern design concepts, the work also reflects the aesthetic value orientation and historical and cultural characteristics of the nation. It fully demonstrates the artistic charm of the close combination of traditional cultural concepts and modern logo design.

1. Application of Chinese characters in modern logos:

The ancient Chinese characters have spanned thousands of years and are still full of vitality and unique artistic charm. Chinese characters are square characters that have evolved over a long period of time on the basis of hieroglyphics. The six means of composition, such as hieroglyphics and ideograms, are used to convey specific ideograms. With the expressive qualities of "graphical" and "symbolic", it can be said to be the most primitive form of logos. At the same time, the different representations of oracle bone script, seal script, official script, regular script and other calligraphic styles also provide rich visual elements for modern logos.

The logo of Expo 2010 was designed based on the Chinese character "世", which implies the image of three people embracing each other with their arms together, symbolizing "you, me, and him" of all mankind, and expresses the "understanding, communication, reunion, and cooperation" of the Expo. It symbolizes "you, me and him", which expresses the concept of the World Expo "Understanding, Communication, Gathering and Cooperation", and overflows with the spirit of the Chinese nation, which advocates harmony and unity. The Chinese character "世" in calligraphy is similar to the character "京" in seal script, the emblem of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, which is a mirror image of the Chinese character "京" in seal script. The Heilongjiang TV station's logo uses the Chinese character for "dragon" written in cursive script, with the wildly dancing dragon's body of great masculine beauty, which also demonstrates that the descendants of the dragon have gone from "leaping in the abyss" to "flying dragons in the sky". It is also a symbol of the dragon's evolution from "leaping in the abyss" to "flying dragon in the sky". It can be said that the Chinese characters as a very effective design element and the logo to win the shape and connotation of the same lineage.

2. Seal engraving has gradually become the design element of modern logos

Seal engraving is a unique art category in China. Its different external forms, such as Zhuwen and sealing clay, and the rich and varied styles of seal scholars through the ages have made the art of seal carving create a thousand images within a square inch. The seal is a power and a duty, a solemn agreement and a promise of integrity. Therefore, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games emblem chose the traditional Chinese cultural symbol - seal (Xiao Xing Yin) as the main pattern of the logo, which is a major breakthrough and innovation in the entire history of Olympic emblem design. The ancient seal symbolizes the solemn promise of the ancient Chinese nation with thousands of years of honesty and integrity, "The world gives me trust, and I give the world splendor!

The seal character "京" in the seal of the emblem represents the youthful ancient capital of Beijing, which is welcoming people of all races in the world with her open mind and her cultural cohesion of absorbing all directions and blending the past and present. The yin text of the seal also transforms the character into the image of an athlete running against the line and dancing to meet the victory, and the whole modeling embodies a high degree of combination of power and beauty, with God outside the image, the image outside the words, and the words in the accident. It conveys the double beauty of human body and spirit in the movement, which is the perfect interpretation of sportsmanship.

3, traditional graphics and modern logo design

From the Neolithic era in Xi'an, half-slope of the "human face color pottery fish basin" to the Han Dynasty, the vivid portrait of the stone "Jing Ke stabbing the Qin King", from the bronze Taotie pattern to the simple shape of the Qin and Han Dynasty Wadang, these graphics, in different forms, the ancient interest of the simplicity. They are the image interpretation of the social life of the Chinese nation in different periods, and also reflect the aesthetic interests of the people in different periods. Many works that are recognized by the world and have distinctive national characteristics and cultural connotations are inspired by traditional graphics.

The logo of Hong Kong's Phoenix Satellite Television has successfully borrowed the traditional Chinese phoenix pattern and adopted the unique Chinese structure of "happy meeting", with a phoenix and a phoenix soaring on the wings, resounding and chirping, expressing the characteristics of the media and the brand's lofty intentions and the spirit of the king who leads his peers to the fullest extent, and using the image of the two soaring phoenixes to represent the two different types of Chinese and American culture. The image of two flying phoenixes represents the complementarity and integration of two different cultures in China and the U.S., reflecting the cultural concepts of blending East and West, North and South, with the obvious imprint of Chinese civilization.

China Unicom's logo is a modern interpretation of the ancient Chinese auspicious figure of "Panchang". The word "panchang" is derived from the Buddhist "eight auspicious symbols", which originally means "a long and continuous flow of resources". The logo adopts meandering lines to symbolize the highly developed modern communication network in the information age. The whole logo is easy to remember and full of rich national sentiment, the high recognition brought by the distinctive image, for the expansion of Unicom's users and business promotion has played a positive role.

4, the influence of traditional Chinese philosophical thinking on the logo design

As early as in the ancient times of cave dwelling and fishing and hunting for a living, our forefathers "looked up to observe astronomy, down to observe geography", "far from the object, close to the body", the universe and the consciousness of life in the dimming. Our forefathers "looked up and observed astronomy, looked down and observed geography" and "looked at all things from afar and took them close to their own bodies", and pondered over the universe and the consciousness of life. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods, Confucianism, Taoism, and other schools of thought had to explain their insights into the world, life, and ethics and law, which formed the cornerstone of Chinese philosophical thought through the elution and accumulation of time. The most representative "Taiji Diagram", its form and concept are often borrowed by designers, such as the main park in Shenzhen, "Water Park" logo is based on the "Taiji Diagram" design, and the "Taiji Diagram" in the "Water Park" is the basis for the design of the "Taiji Diagram", and the "Taiji Diagram" in the "Taiji Diagram". Designed, and in the "Tai Chi diagram" frame to join the up and down roll, endless water pattern modeling, reflecting the "water park" in the theme of "water" in the shape of the ever-changing characteristics. While emphasizing the beauty of dynamic and harmonious forms, it contains the philosophical concepts of unity of change and freedom of retraction, conveying the Taoist concepts of "motion and static" and "time and space".

The logo of the Bank of China is simple but far-reaching, integrating the cosmic concept of "heaven, earth and circle" in the traditional Chinese philosophical system, and borrowing the compositional techniques of the evolution of Chinese characters and the shapes of ancient coins, with the square hole in the center running through the central line to symbolize the circulation and connection, and the outer circle representing the internationalization posture of the Bank of China. The outer circle represents the internationalization of the Bank of China. This symbolizes the characteristics of the bank's industry and its deep cultural sentiment.

The application of these traditional cultural elements in logo design is often diversified and coexist. Such as the Bank of China, the 2008 Olympic Games, China Post and other logos are calligraphy and seal cutting, figurative and imagery, form and concept of the organic combination. This diversified and complementary design concept not only enhances the sense of cultural gravity, but also helps to extend the design concept and enhance the visual impact.

Second, the Chinese culture into the modern logo design of the significance

Logo is a symbol of the brand image of the symbol, concentrated in the enterprise and the group's characteristics, reputation and culture. It represents the value of the brand. Excellent logo is not only the intangible assets of the enterprise, but also, due to the irreplaceable position in the minds of consumers, itself also has a high value.

For example, the logo of Phoenix Satellite Television is valued at 22.832 billion yuan by professional organizations. Nike, most of its products are produced by other manufacturers labeled production, but can earn several times the manufacturer's money, exactly what it sells is Nike's trademark. Not all of the logo can be priced at 10,000 gold, after all, the value of the logo with the enterprise's decision-making, operation of many factors are closely related. And no personality, creativity and deep cultural content of the logo is ignored and obliteration will be the inevitable fate. Therefore, the competition of economic power in the world, in fact, is also the competition between brands.

A new round of economic rise and cultural renaissance will be in the East, many insightful thinkers and design masters have said so. 5000 years of cultural heritage, so that the "China" this big brand has a timeless, wisdom, mystery, craftsmanship and unparalleled creativity. This set of seductive values has tended to erode in the development of "modern" China. This is a wake-up call for us, who talk about internationalization, to re-examine our own cultural lineage.

How to re-examine traditional culture from a new perspective of modern aesthetics, as Mr. KAN Tai-keung said, "We don't necessarily have to wear a Peking Opera face or a dragon robe to be recognized as Chinese. To fully understand the traditional culture on the basis of its "meaning" and its "spirit", so that traditional culture in modern logo design to be updated and expanded. The logo itself can be used to promote the dialogue and interaction between Eastern and Western cultures through its unique durability and extensive influence.