After compiling the researched images, I divided them into distinct sections and arranged them along two intersecting scales: one ranging from "girly" to "goth," and the other from "stable" to "unhinged." Each image was accompanied by detailed notes describing its elements. By meticulously analyzing the common themes within each section and across the entire collection, I was able to identify recurring motifs and refine them further.
After compiling all of the motifs from every image, I found these eight elements throughout all of the categories.
Once the visual tones were determined, I turned to typography and worked to find typefaces that aligned with girly, punk, and gothic tones. Immediately I was leaning towards blackletter typefaces but enjoyed the delicate, fine lines of the cursive typefaces. After collecting several options, I became stuck - none of the fonts I had seen felt right.
AHA!
After a few days, I finally found the right typeface! After searching through Google fonts, I found this typeface by chance in a thumbnail image in their resources tab. After doing some font identifier searching, I found it: Koch Fette Deutsche Schrift, a genuine german blackletter typeface. And even better: it was free for personal and commercial use! I loved the long, sloping and yet sharp lines of the letterforms. I liked the classic line weight and flow of the angular, broad edged pen strokes that made up the letters. I also saw opportunities for fine weight connector lines between letterforms to add a blend of cursive-esque style to it. I was excited and could see the vision!
When I typed out the company name with the typeface, it was good, but it needed more edge. After much experimentation, these were the changes I decided were the best. First, I scaled up the G, moving into the descender space, adding more contrast to it's counter, defining its terminals with more swooping lines, and adding a swash tail based on the lower case f of the original typeface. Replaced the tittle in the i with a heart to add that objectively girly element. I decided the leg of the original l was a little underwhelming and would not connect to the y very well, so I extended and stylized it to make it more edgy and have an opportunity to connect with the y in an organic way. Moving forward, I extended and slimmed the stem of the P, stylized it's top terminal, and added additional contrast to its counter. Finally, the k was quite the custom project. I did not feel the original k communicated the letterform properly (perhaps a language difference between English and German lettering), so I sought out to make it more recognizable. I adapted the swash from the capital Q letterform and used it as the right swash leg. I also spiked out the stem, bottom terminal, top terminal, hook, and arm, adding swooping lines, and lots of contrast. I kept the crossbar from the original letterform because I thought it added some interest and did not interfere with interpreting the letter as a k. On top of these individual changes, I also decreased the tracking between and added hairline connector lines to mimic a cursive style.
Recognizing I needed a logo to go with my wordmark, I began a rather quick exploration process. In order to maintain visual consistency with the wordmark, I decided to play with the letterforms. My first inclination was to see if anything could be done using the initials of the company, g & p. When I paired them together, I saw a bow shape, and immediately I saw the potential. Recognizing that the like the letter d and b, the only real difference in orientation, I decided to make both g and p have long swash tails like the capitol Q and placed them back to back. The empty space between the two letter forms was nearly a heart shape, so in keeping with that much needed girly element, I decided to top off the bow imagery with a heart in the center white space. With it's bold, sharp edges paired with the bow imagery and the heart center, this logo became the perfect combination of girly and punk aesthetics!
