Digital Nature

Emblem

ktran87 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:20:23 +0000

I knew that I wanted to try and integrate the existing symbol in the book into my own logo. I wanted it to somehow fit in with the principle of eight. Then I realized that as the loop of the horn shape reminded me of an eight, I could actually form an eight with the two.

In the novel, the multiplicity involves many different parts “fitting together”, so I wanted to try and show that that literally. The different directions that the horns face in also represents the different directions that the reader is led in while trying to unravel the mystery of the plot.

Analogy

ktran87 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:16:22 +0000

For my analogy for multiplicity, I chose the logo for the fictional Dunder Mifflin Infinity on the NBC show ‘The Office’. This design is a very obvious usage of the number eight principle. It incorporates an infinity symbol which, as Macnab points out, is a sideways eight. This design uses the principles of the number eight and its connotations of infinity to represent the company.

On the show, this logo is that of a new website that has been launched in order to incorporate technology into the office and bring together the various goals of the company. This bringing together represents multiplicty in a company. Even though this is a fictional logo, it still uses sound design principles in order to effectively communicate.

Emblem

ktran87 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:56:16 +0000

My symbol for quickness is mail delivery as depicted in the novel, but that’s a rather conceptual emblem to put into design. I considered using a horse to symbolize mail delivery and hence quickness (also Calvino’s emblem for quickness), but it seemed inderect. I came upon the idea of adding an arrow to the design to demonstrate the mobility of the piece of mail depicted.

In the text, quickness is related to delivering information with efficiency. I chose to inscribe the entire design within a hexogon, the shape symbolic of those very qualities. The white on black contrast was used in order to make the design more dynamic.

Emblem

ktran87 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:47:44 +0000

This rather abstract emblem is my symbol for visibility. My inspiration was the number 3: the design is of a triangle, and there are three triangles total. Shapewise, it reminds me of the top of a tower. My inspiration for color was the painting that becomes the tower symbol in the novel; I liked the yellow and gold tones and wanted them in the design.

I feel that yellow is an illuminating color, which is why I put it in front of the black background. The symbols and allegories in the book work to illuminate the deeper meaning in the novel, and I wanted to try to capture that in an abstract yet significant symbol.

Emblem

ktran87 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:22:21 +0000

My first inspiration for this design was in fact the Yin Yang symbol that I discussed, as Macnab used it as a prime example of the concept of two. My usage of this concept was twofold. For one, I used black and white in order to represent duality. Secondly, I used the idea of one half of a binary opposistion being unable to exist without the other one. I allowed the black and white to crossover onto each other. In the novel, ambiguity and exactitude exist side by side.

I chose the stamp symbol due to the fact that it represents the central ambiguity of the novel. I felt that making it black and white showed how it represented certainty and ambiguity; truth and fiction.

Emblem

ktran87 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:46:03 +0000

This logo for lightness is intended to be a logo for the band in the novel, The Paranoids. I tried to go for a somewhat typical band logo, one that is anything will conjure up, for example, The Beatles, but is general enough to apply to many bands out there (much like the original satire intended in the novel).

The simplicity and the use of white space are both attempts at conjuring lightness. As my design principle is one, I knew the design needed to involve a circle in some way. So I went for a pair of eyes that are each composed simply of circles themselves. These eyes are a play on the band’s name, while their cartoony look is intended to be somewhat humourous in reflection of how lightness functions in the book.

Finally, this logo looks like a cartoonish car. Driving and travel are important in the novel, as it is how Oedipa meets the mix of characters that make the book so interesting- and amusing.

Analogy

ktran87 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:29:19 +0000

The pizza hut logo may not seem to have anything to do with this design principle at first, but when one considers what it is trying to convey, the possible meaning behind it emerges. One thing that a pizza delivery restaurant would want to advertise is their quickness, so it makes sense that the logo would follow the design principle of six. While it is not a hexagon, the roof shape at the top does have six sides, suggesting efficiency. The slanted line at the bottom looks like it was hastily drawn, implying speed.

It may seem odd to draw a parallel between a work of literature and restraunt. However, this logo is communicating exactly what should be communicated about the text: doing something in the quickest and most effective way possible.

Analogy

ktran87 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:19:24 +0000

The design on the back of the US one dollar bill is one that Macnab actually references. This triangle or pyramid shape is related to the principle of three, the one that represents symbolism and deeper meaning (through its transitional and directional nature) in the novel.

Interestingly, while its meaning is officialy Masonic symbolism, many conspiracy theories surrond the symbol. Various ideas about shadow governments and secret powers surrond it. This notion relates well to The Crying of Lot 49 because the deeper meaning of the symbols in the novel generally relate to the conspiracy, or only serve to raise further questions and deepen the mystery for the reader.

Analogy

ktran87 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:09:14 +0000

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a popular series, and with good reason. These books, too, have an ironic and witty sense of humor. When a movie was released based on the first book, this logo was the one used in the advertising for the film. Although this logo was designed for the movie, its design can still be representative of its source material.

This design is based around a circle. This reflects the design principle of one; the principle that best represents the quality of lightness in Pynchon’s novel. Hence, this is an example of the design principle best suited to The Crying of Lot 49 representing the same form of textual lightness.

Analogy

ktran87 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:56:29 +0000

This book cover for another one of Pynchon’s novels, V, is an example of the design principles based on the number 2. For one, this cover is a stark white with a contrasting dark pattern below it. This visual division clearly symbolizes a duality, much like with the Yin Yang symbol that Macnab uses as a design example.

Also similar to the Yin Yang is the circle that is featured prominently in the design. While it is not divided circle, it still represents the potential to divide, as 2 is made from one and the the design principles of both numbers are closely related to each other.

Of course, as this is also a Pynchon novel, it is an appropriate example for the qualities I was thinking about in The Crying of Lot 49. His writing style is similar across novels, so this is also a good example of the lightness of language that he employs.