41 symbols Dev Kabir Malik could have been

Created by Sargam Gupta

IDENTITY CRISIS
 ?

© October 2010

These symbols have been

created by Sargam Gupta
for Dev Kabir Malik Design
Studio, New Delhi, and
cannot be reproduced or
imitated in any form.

www.devkabirmalik.com
46 (GF), Hauz Khas Village,
New Delhi
It is an enormous that in all hundreds of
responsibility to probability will thousands, if not
design something be reproduced millions, times,

& has a lifetime of 20 years or more.

Anna Wheeler
1.
Baskerville Cyrillic LT Std
Bold & Italics

A basic type integration,

the last D, which stands
for design, differentiates
itself from the initials
DKM simply by the use
of italics.

05
2.
Calvert MT Std
Bold

Keeping lowercase
in order to render a
less austere feel, the
slab serif type implies
a bolder and younger
outlook to DKM.

07
3.
Calvert MT Std
Semibold

A similar idea, trying

uppercase and playing
with the negative space
created by K and the M.

09
4.
Adobe Jenson Pro
Semibold

Working with negative

spacing, and removing
details of the letters,
without them losing their
meaning.

11
5.
Adobe Jenson Pro
Semibold

Working with negative

spacing, playing with
spacing and positioning
of the letters.

13
 6.
Gotham Rounded
Light

The typeface is
chosen because of the
smoothness with which
the letters flow into one
another. This is a rare
case of the lower stroke
of the K being almost
parallel with the upper
stroke of the M.

who am I?

15
7.
Helvetica Neue
75 Bold

Using a bolder typeface,

and going a step further
in the minimalisation
of the letters. Here the
lower stroke of the K
and the upper stroke
of the M create an odd
negative space, which
draws the eye.

17
8.
Didot
Bold

An attempt in trying
to make the serifs
disappear in order to
make the form more
interesting.

19
9.
Poster Bodoni
Bold

The typeface is chosen

on the pretext of using
contrast as the main
element in the logotype.

21
10.
Futura
Bold

Playing with the K,

and interchanging the
strokes with the symbol
< on the keyboard.

23
11.
Calvert MT
Bold

Choosing a slab serif

typeface in order to
make the logo less
austere, yet elegant.

25
12.
Illustrator Pen Tool
& Hand Written K

Moving away from type

integrations, this logo
combines a roughly
cut out D and M with
the ‘starry’ K derived
from Dev Kabir Malik’s
signature. The star
is reused to replace
the previous identity’s
memorable asterisk.

27
13.
Ziggurat Bold (edited)
& Hand Written K

Juxtaposing the starry

K with more structured
letters, however, using
a bold slab serif to
maintain a certain look
and feel.

Is that me?

29
14.
Champion HTF Middleweight
Adobe Jenson Italic
& Ziggurat Bold
Variety and flexibility
were the keywords that
formed the basis of this.

31
15.
Bauer Bodoni
Bold

A subtle integration, the

lowercase D interacted
with the upper stroke of
the lowercase K.

33
16.
Univers LT Std
Multiple Weights

Based on variety, this

was an attempt to create
some basic movement in
the typography.

35
17.
ITC Officina Serif Std
Bold

Playing with type

integration again,
minimizing the K.

37
18.
Hand Lettered
Bodoni

Personalising the
typeface Bodoni.
However, this misleads
the viewer into thinking
that DKM Design is a
horror film studio.

39
19.
Akzidenz-Grotesk BQ
Bold

Using visual typographic

glyphs to accentuate the
logo, and form the basis
for further application.

41
 20.
ITC Officina Serif Std
Book

“The Graphic Designer’s

Toolkit” is about adding
a visual element to the
identity using icons
which allude to graphic
design. This could be
taken forward in the
identity in various ways.

How do I want people to respond?

43
21.
ITC Officina Serif Std
Book

This concept is based

on creating multiple
equations revolving
around DKM, Design,
Strategy and Outcome.


45
22.
ITC Officina Serif Std
Book

What if DKM were a

seal. A brand in itself
which stamped what it
designed?

47
23.
Icons
(Related to the Studio)

What if DKM were a

seal. A brand in itself
which stamped what it
designed?

Icons of this nature

could be used to take
the identity forward.

49
24.
Dinpro
Bold

Playing with the

characteristics of
the lowercase d and
uppercase K and M.

51
25.
Pen Tool (Illustrator)

What happens if there

was no typeface, but
just form?

53
26.
Baskerville
Bold, Book & Italic

Did the letters have to

follow the order DKM?
Or could it just be
treated as a form,
supported by the name?

55
27.
Birch Std
Bold

The idea of having

clusters of DKM seemed
to be a fun prospect.

What is the point?

57
28.
Serifa Std
56 Bold

Working with spacing

and overlapping.

59
29.
Akzidenz-Grotesk BQ
Medium, Bold

This logo can be read in

multiple ways, and has
a subjective system of
hierarchy.

61
30.
ITC Officina Serif Std Italic (Edited)
Myriad Pro Book

Everything is contained
in the D, which

km
incidentally also stands
for design.

63
31.
Akzidenz-Grotesk BQ Bold
ITC Officina Serif Std Bold

A more austere take on

having DKM as a seal, or
a stamp.

65
32.
Brush Tool
(Illustrator)

Something more fluid

and casual.

67
33.
Univers LT Std
49 Light Ultra Condensed

A vague idea of using

different planes
operated here.

69
34.
Bauhaus 93
Regular

The roundness of the

typeface is used to
integrate D and K.

71
35.
Unidentified

This is a pure act of

desperation.

73
36.
Birch Std
Bold

DKM phonetically spelt

out. Again, this does not
go with the image of
DKM at all.

75
37.
Akzidenz Grotest BQ
Bold (Edited)

DKM being treated in a

grunge style.

77
38.
Dev Kabir’s Handwriting

The signature idea that

had been kept at bay for
way too long.

79
39.
Dev Kabir’s Handwriting

Another version using

the same idea. The
irregular box was an
attempt to keep the
identity contained and
not floating.

81
40.
Gotham Medium
Dev Kabir’s Handwriting

The experiment with

the handwriting and a
few previous versions,
led to the discovery
of the starry K, which
was juxtaposed with
clean type in order
to emphasise on the
contrast aspect of DKM.

83
41.
Typeface Six Point Five
Dev Kabir’s Handwriting

Refining the identity.

Am I
getting
closer?
85
The identity was refined On a surface level, it
into something that has has the elements of the
elements of everything signature, juxtaposed
that the firm was looking with clean and sharp
for. for. It is not just a type. At a deeper level, it
play of typography but it reflects contrast which
is also memorable and is eveident in almost
has multiple leveles of everything that the firm
meaning. does and came out as
one of the main key
words after research.

finally.
 A logo is a point of
entry to the brand.

Milton Glaser

89
It is not over yet.