Branding of Canvas –
TV Channel for Art, Culture and Design

My graduation project includes research, the invention of the name, the creation of a logotype, additional typographic language, choosing the brand colors and typography, stationery materials, social media, web banners and animation.

I researched some TV channels, platforms, and initiatives that are working with similar themes.

Some platforms with different business models, allowing creative individuals to acquire new skills, as well as to develop in different areas.

This is a chromatic map of the competition. The chosen brands are situated in the upper part of the circle which offers the opportunity Canvas to be positioned through color identification.

During my training in graphic design, both in Bulgaria and abroad, and thanks to the inspiring people I met along the way I have found many sources of inspiration. I will mention a few that guided my choices on color, fonts, values, guidelines and aesthetics for this project.

The Canvas TV Channel aims to present topics to viewers specializing in culture, design, and art. It will be positioned not only as a gathering point for styles and trends in the above but will become a carrier of information and educator of values, knowledge, and education in its viewers. Key values for the brand are innovation, authenticity, democracy, originality, sustainability, resistance to temporary trends. In the long run, Canvas will be positioned on the international stage, and shortly, it will start from Bulgaria. For this reason, there will be broadcasts in both English and Bulgarian.

The logo is based on a rectangular shape. In design, the rectangle is a familiar shape that speaks of stability and classicism. The channel's motivation is to be identified as stable, classic, at the same time modern and up-to-date.

The square dot becomes a graphic identifier of the brand. The missing squares in C and S break the logo and contribute to the repeatability of the elements. In the original versions of the logo, the spelling was done in the Bebas Neue font, but later on, I modified it.

The letters C and S were modified to be slightly more square in appearance, not as oval as the original. Accordingly, I introduced the square dot in the corners of the letters. In the letters N and V, the additional closing elements serve as a frame, forming the "canvas".

As the channel will be broadcasted in Bulgaria first, a similar version of the logotype was developed in Cyrillic. The positive thing is that the spelling in Cyrillic and Latin remains with 6 letters and this allows to keep the original idea that the letters are one above the other as a transfer. In the Cyrillic spelling, there is an attempt to preserve the spirit of the channel, respectively the square dot (the bite) is transferred to the letters B and C. However, the Cyrillic logo is not as convincing as that in Latin. I did not find a variant in which to transfer the frame from the Latin V i N.

The font for both computer screens and TV is recommended to be serif-free and contrast-free for better legibility. The main font on which the channel relies is Bebas Neue, which is condensed serif-free, modern, elegant, and contemporary and corresponds to the values of the brand and contributes to its image. The original font has Latin and Cyrillic, but not a Bulgarian form of Cyrillic. For this project, I further developed the Bulgarian glyphs D and L. You can download Bebas here.

For corporate and stationery materials and long content, I picked Montserrat. Also, it combines well with Bebas Neue. Download Montserrat here.

I developed additional typographic language for the department sections of the brand. That way Culture, Art, Design, Education (both in Latin and Cyrillic) continue the identity and the brand. The base font was Bebas Neue modified like the logo.
The words can be used both for print media, posters as well as digitally for TV screen, social
media, web, etc.

Work T-shirts designed for the 3 department sections into which the company is divided⁠—art, culture, design—in blue, white, black. In Cyrillic and Latin.

If you start designing for a TV, whether it be a branding project or interface design it is good to have in mind what are limits of a TV display.
The TV screen is more specific than the screen of computers and phones.
The colors we see on the computer screen are not the same as those on the TV. Cool colors (blue, purple, gray) work better than warmer colors (red, orange) because they bleed less on the screen.
Also, colors can look more saturated, bright and alive. That's why is recommended to test how they look on the TV. It is good to avoid the use of pure white as the bright light is harsh on the eyes. Also, be careful with gradients and deep blurs.

Finally, you can see the Branding Reel Animation I did for the channel. It includes:
* Logo animation
* Spot
* You're Watching
* Leaving the show: We'll be back soon
* Advertisement
* What's next
* Return to transmission
* Sponsored by
* Continued
* Closing program credits
* End

For starters, if we use a standard HDTV size of 1920x1080 pixels, a good safe area would be 60px indentation at the top and bottom, and 90px left and right.

On screen and during broadcasts, the TV logo is always present to identify the channel. The upper left or right corner is best for positioning the logo so that there is no accumulation and collision with the displayed content.