Olympic History

OLYMPIC HISTORY

An Olympic medal from the 1896 Games in Athens, the first Games of the modern era. Things were done a bit different then, the winners received a silver medal and the second place finisher received a bronze medal. Things were even more different in 1900, most winners received cups or trophies instead of medals.

Comparing the more modern medals to this, the first real difference is the graphics, this medal is beautifully finishes and delicate. The newest medals can be seen as a tad tacky compared but this is down to personal opinion. 

Secondly this one on the left has no cut outs the Sochi medal given in Russia in 2014 had half cut out which did look good.

Who designed the London 2012 medals?

The London 2012 Olympic medals have been designed by artist David Watkins come through a six-way Locog tender with his design which casts the Wolff Olins Olympics logo with a set of other symbols.

http://www.designweek.co.uk/analysis/london-2012-design-icons-the-olympic-medals/3034981.article
The medals, are the prize and the glory, the tangible memento, and as such, the ultimate Olympic design icon.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2009/oct/09/golf-rugby-sevens-olympics-2016

Logos through time

http://worksdesigngroup.com/tag/olympics/

From the first modern Games in Athens in 1896, which sought to recapture the spirit of the Ancient Greek Olympics, to the 2008

Beijing Games, which announced China’s transition to a superpower, the Olympics have always been steeped in symbolism.


Nowadays, a host city’s logo is one of the first things to be revealed, long before the venues are finalized and the stray dogs murdered. That only became a trend in the 1920s and the Olympic rings have featured in most of the logos since then.


Those famous five interlaced rings, by the way, were not always part of the Olympic package. According to the IOC, the Olympic rings were first used in 1913 when Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympics, used them at the top of a letter. A year later, Coubertin presented the rings and the Olympic flag to the Olympic Congress in Paris, and the symbols made their official debyt at the 1920 Games in Antwerp, Belgium.
The five rings symbolize the five continents (Antarctica is excluded while North and South America were combined into one American continent) and the six colours of the flag combined the colours of all the flags of the world.

London, U.K. – Summer 1948

Helsinki, Finland – Summer 1952

St. Moritz, Switzerland – Winter 1928.

Los Angeles, California, USA – Winter 1932

London 2012

Sochi Games 2014

Youtube Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9sQJc4w6r4




Views on the London 2012 Logo/ Analysis




The jagged emblem, based on the date 2012, comes in a series of shades of pink, blue, green and orange and will evolve in the run-up to the Games.

The word London and the Olympic rings are included in the first two digits of the new logo.

"This is the vision at the very heart of our brand," said London 2012 organising committee chairman Seb Coe.


what's not so good about the London logo?
To me its great but if i had to change a few things the shape is a tad harsh may be round the edges.

My first Solidworks Designs/ Initial ideas 

Medal Design is all about encompassing the countries historical roots and heritage. Brazil and Rio are famous for its long sandy beaches and tropical conditions, but historically hundreds of years ago Amazonian s founded the country. The country is fairly new compared to the UK lets say.

authors own- development of Olympic Medal done on solid works

These designs are ones I created in around 10 to 15 minutes, these are no  way the finished product but are the starting blocks to what colours and materials I aim to use in my medal.

Authors own- Olympic medal development done on solid works

Solid-works is the main software I'm using to create these, I could be modelling them out of paper but this wouldn't show the scale needed, plus the software comes with great rendering techniques.

Things to improve?
Make the medal different from past medals this one looks like Sochis medal because of the use of cut outs.

Authors own - More Development 

The second set of medals created are ones inspired by Rios ever growing population. The soil is fertile which is good for crops in parts of Brazil and in any city people come for work. This medal is fine art based as it gives a statement. To me its obvious but to many it will not be. The message depicts that the over populated society in which people live is a continuous spiral upwards.  The medal is a symbolic for the past and future, the left is their present and past and the right is the future with hope growing and getting more powerful.

I got advice on these designs and the main attractive quality was the Olympic rings, they were simple to do on Solid-works so it wouldn't  be a problem making them again.

Authors own - development / olympic medal

It was suggested to me just have the rings saying RIO
out of the rings but keep it black and white for the best overall effect.
I did colour them this time and it suits the colourful display.

RIOS FAVELAS 

http://www.theguardian.com/travel/gallery/2013/nov/04/favelas-rio-de-janeiro-in-pictures
Rios Favelas

Rocinha (Little Farm), Rio’s largest favela, first sprouted in the 1940s, and is now a swarming anthill of narrow alleys, built on the side of a steep hill. Up to 250,000 people live in Rocinha, most of them in shacks.

In many ways, the favela is the heartbeat of Brazil’s cities, a hotbed of musical talent, and the home of many of its most creative residents. The cultural input of the favela is rarely acknowledged. In fact, theCarnival would not exist if it were not for these communities as many of the main samba schools come from or are named after Rio’s favelas.

http://unionjackcreative.com/blog/2010/06/24/favela-painting/
Rio art Favelas

Life in Rio's favelas

Around 70 percent of the people who live in Rocinha are from the impoverished northeast of Brazil. Often a family of six will live in one or two rooms with one bed for the adults and the children sleeping on the floor. Life expectancy is low – just 48 years, compared with to the national average of 68 years. Illnesses such as bronchitis are common, and although medical care is available at no cost.

Making week.

Viewing Orbit / olympic plattform\

Authors own- Favelas in Rio/ abstract view

favela tower - Authors own

Favelas are often made out of natural materials found and sourced locally, however they are not enough to protect those most vulnerable. I made the top shelter during the making week, it was an instinct make meaning I just stuck things together. Sometimes this is the best way forward as it allows freedom and creativity. The second picture is my second instillation, I made several favela like structures.


The colourful page was another instinct draw and make, what it visibly noticeable is the amount of art and design drawn on to the shelters, they are also very colourful and from a distance make the sight of thousands of these living sites spectacular.

abstract version of Rio's Favela's 

RED YELLOW AND GREEN

Brazil's colours very much are the peoples pride and joy, playing around with colours is the best way to experiment and I did this tile effect twice. Making things out of red, yellow and green paper let me explore the qualities of paper folding.

Rio's carnivals are places where these vibrant colours come in to play and some fans are seen on a manikin doll.

I hoped by doing this experimentation it would give me ideas about the colours and textures used in some of my final ideas.

Authors own

Carnival Theme colours/ clothing

Evaluation


What I could of done better on during making week?


Making week was a great time for me to experiment more and really just let go and make things totally out of the blue, I needed to take risks during that week and I feel I dint use that time. May be design something more related to my project. However the viewing platform is something London Olympics have as the Orbit is designed by Anish Kapoor.

Standing 114.5m tall, this extraordinary attraction is the result of a creative collaboration between world-renowned artist Sir Anish Kapoor, designer Cecil Balmond and ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel and mining company. With two observation floors, at 76m and 80m, the ArcelorMittal Orbit provides visitors with stunning views over the Park and across London’s famous skyline. It is both a work of art and a thrilling experience.


What I liked?

Having that freedom to just make and see what happens is rare in the industry, and it helped me having the week to freely explore materials concepts and textures.

What I didn't like?

Being told to just make or draw to some people is easy as its complete freedom but to me its not its more restricting. Apart from this the experience of just purely making was a really good challenge and an enjoyable one in that.

Once Geoff said draw something to do with your project, I freaked out because before I hadn't completed any initial ideas. He then stated whatever you draw make it from the materials in front of you. This is quite a scary thing to process because I had a rough image in my mind but not those materials.

Polar Bear - Sochi 2014 Mascot Video

Olympic Mascots

http://russiatrek.org/sochi2014

Olympic mascots and Designs


There were many incredible sights and sounds during the 2014 opening ceremony in Sochi. Some of the biggest and most talked about spectacles were the olympic mascots.

Organisers of Sochi's opening ceremony decided to use three giant, stuffed animal like mascots, featuring a polar bear; a leopard and a hare. Some mascots in years past were a little too over the top; the ones used in Sochi looked rather inviting.

http://www.archilovers.com/s1214/a-little-history-of-olympic-mascots

The Olympic mascots are fictional characters usually an animal native to the area or human figures, who represent the cultural heritage of the place where the Olympic and Paralympic games are taking place. The mascots are often used to help market the Olympic Games to a younger audience, in particular children.

Since the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France the Olympic Games have had a mascot. The first major mascot in the Summer Olympic Games was Misha in the 1980 summer Olympics in Moscow.

Alice and Wonderland Mascot Inspiration 

Authors own
the cat 

Authors own
Macaw Initial ideas

Alice in Wonderland the film and book is a great story just because of its recognisable characters such as:

• The mad hatter
• the white rabbit
• the queen of hearts
• chesire cat
• the caterpillar
• Jabberwocky

Authors own random character design 

Authors own
character Design 

Character Design
Authors own

• What mascots need to be in order to be successful ?
• 
  
• 
  
• fun
• attractive
• bright
• engaging
• iconic
• can be made into a toy
• cute
• smiley
• nice size and shape etc
• Designing mascots isn't an easy process as there are loads of things to take into consideration but I plan on linking all three elements, the torch, flame and mascot. 

Evaluation 

What went well?

The research stage for me went well just because I was able to use my previous knowledge and experience with mascots to help me. The research to what mascots are comes with many different types of media i.e. blogs, youtube, google, books and journals. Therefore I was able to see what exits and what gap I need to aim for to make my  design successful. 

Authors own
Berlin stadium 

Berlin

Berlin I feel was a tipping point of the course, going opened up my eyes to the art and culture Germany has to offer. During the stay visiting the olympic stadium was something i wanted to do, as my project involves sport and the history of where sport came from. The berlin games in  1936 still has a dark cloud hanging over it due to the dominance of the gestapo and party in charge.

Authors own  Berlin Bear 

The stadium held 100,000 spectators, 75 new olympic buildings including the Olympic pool. The games had been handed to Berlin before the Nazis came to power but it was now a perfect opportunity for Hitler to demonstrate to the world how efficient Nazi Germany had become.


Buddy Bear this was the Olympic Mascot what was striking was the amount of different patterns as seen on the left picture. I can imagine the bears being good commercially, and that they relate to many people.


Olympic Stadium 

Authors own
stadium 

Authors own
Berlin stadium this seemed haunted because of the lettering.

An Olympic medal is awarded to successful competitors at the Olympic Games. There are three classes of medal: gold awarded to the winner; silver awarded to the 1st runner-up; and bronze awarded to the 2nd runner-up. The granting of awards is laid out in detail in the Olympic protocolsMedal designs have varied considerably since the first Olympic Games in 1896, particularly in size and weight. The Sochi medals are a good example of how much Olympic designs have changed nowadays they are much heavier, 3d as well as 2d, have cut out sections and are again much larger.

Authors own - initial ideas

Initial Ideas- Authors own 

Initial Ideas:
These are my initial ideas for medal designs, obviously they are similar to the medals given out at Sochi but medal designs are all increasing in size and have more detail than before.  The medals represent Brazil and their culture the statue of God is an icon in Rio, the Olympic rings representing togetherness of a nation and all the countries taking part.

• During my initial ideas I started thinking about the consequences of the Olympics in Rio , the games provide money and a boost in tourism but there are many bad things the games will bring to a community. 
• Guards and police clashes
• keeping the structures used after the games/expenses
• getting people into sport and funding
• Riots
• terrorism 

For some, the Games are a huge waste of public money. Originally estimated at a cost of £2.4bn, the budget had by 2007 ballooned to £9.3bn. Now that it looks likely to come in at just over £9.2b. 

Authors own - Initial Ideas

Initial Ideas Initial Ideas

Initial Ideas - Authors own 

Authors own 

 Research into Olympic Logos

The Olympics is a 4 year event with summer and winter games, both games are scheduled slightly apart to give audiences and participants time between the events.  By selecting a few iconic logos it gave me the chance to analyse them and compare them against one another.

Albertiville 1992
The official emblem consists of an Olympic flame in the colours of the savoie region, and is an element of the visual identity of the Albertville games, which had to meet the three main objectives, highlight the mountain site, modernity and sports.

London 2012 Logo Authors own 

London 2012 Summer Games

The jagged emblem, based on the date 2012, comes in a series of shades of pink, blue, green and orange and will evolve in the run-up to the Games.
The word London and the Olympic rings are included in the first two digits of the new logo.

Each edition of the Olympic Games brings its own flavour and touch to what is now well over a century of modern Olympic history; the brand launched today by London 2012 is, I believe, an early indication of the dynamism, modernity and inclusiveness with which London 2012 will leave its Olympic mark."

Logo - Vancouver - Authors own 

Vancouver 2012 Winter Games

The new Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics logo, named Ilanaaq, and designed by a Vancouver graphic artist Elena Rivera MacGregor, was unveiled in Vancouver April 23, 2005, in this image released by the Vancouver Olympic Committee.


The emblem of the Olympic Winter Games is a colorful humanoid with arms spread wide, a contemporary interpretation of a stone landmark called an inukshuk with a history stretching back more than 3,000 years in Inuit culture. Sitting atop the Olympic Rings, the symbol looms large on licensed merchandise and is sure to generate curiosity once the Games are under way.

Timeline - Authors own 

Timeline For the Games

 The games evolved back in Ancient Greece and looking back this far can be daunting, but actually was interesting looking at how the games have changed. I wanted to create a list or timeline of all the games but that would mean hours sitting and writing down the names.  So I took the most iconic games either winter or summer and jotted them down.
What is noticeable is how much interest the games have nowadays compared to ancient Greece 777.b.c. Media coverage is widely used and this was evident in Sochi. The BBC took over commentary for the 2 weeks of events.

Authors own - London 2012

 Behind the Olympic Flame 

The story behind it goes back to Prometheus who stole fire to give to man, as a punishment he was chained to a rock by Zeus, the God of fire. Basically Prometheus defied him.
In the sanctuary of Olympia the flame burned permanently on the alter of the goddess Hestia.

The flame must never go out on its journey, and it must withstand the difficult conditions. Back in the day the relays were carried on foot, this is the same as today for example for the London games the torch was carried by foot.

The flame represents the positive values that man has always associated fire with. Fire has many symbols the divine origin of fire made it a secret element.
In the early days the torches didn't change much in design shape and size, its only in the modern games the hosting country has taken pride in redesigning a torch to symbolism their country.

Authors own 

Rio and its history, Etymology of Brazil

Brazil is a fairly new state compared to some other countries, historians and scientists have discovered that communities of indigenous people around 8000 years ago. These first people were nomadic beings, believed to have come from parts of Asia in search of abundant hunting grounds.

Why did I research into Brazil and their history?

Authors own 

I wanted to look at my research from a different angle as im designing for Rio 2016 looking into their past and iconic natural and historical figures was a good place to start.

Authors own 

Pau Brazil caesalpinia echinata is the national tree of Brazil, the country to which it gave its name.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesalpinia_echinata

I have had some thoughts about this tree, on the medals engraving could be used to create an outline of this famous tree which would identity Brazil to those medals. Its also a nice historical thing and plus it would look beautiful.  The Sydney games had the same sort of thing but it was an olive tree look alike as the logo. 

What im looking for is a designing that shouts Brazil as the host country it needs to be special and really relate to their history.

Comparing Barcelona to London 2012 Mascots

Authors own - Cobi Bear 

Barcelona was back in 1922 the mascot is named Cobi, who is a captain sheepdog, which was inspired by interpretations of Picasso.

• The name was chosen because it was easy to pronounce and was easy to write in all languages.

Its very bear like to stuck to tradition.

Designed by Javier Mariscal

What I like about it ?
its very easy to remember its distinctive, but also fun as lots of young children are going to want to buy one and play with it, and to then inspire generations.

What I dislike? I think the colour choices should of been bolder but I like the idea of him stretching out holding the world in his palms.

London 2012

Authors own - London 2012 Mascot 

This is Wenlock the Olympic design for London 2012 Olympics, he also had a twin mascot as they come in  a pair.

The main difference between the two is the colour use, Wenlock is significant as its made from colours of the GREAT BRITAIN flag colours, Cobi is not its just random colours.

This to me also shows how much design for Olympic events have changed. Now any design must feature or relate to the host nation.The actual shape is far more modern and futuristic, and honestly im exited to see Rio because London's is hard to near, me being a tad bias as im a Londoner.

Authors own - Brazilian designers 

Brazil's Graphic Designers 













 Looking at some Brazilian Graphics would also help me think  about style and colour use, I was hoping they used the colours of the flag or historical influence but this was not the case.  The thing that caught me was the middle blue design which was bright and interesting , almost octopus like with its tentacles.

Authors own

Olympic Font Analysis 

The first picture is of the London 2012 typeface and this is successful because it was clear, precise and bold whilst not being overly confident. To me the font reminds me of London's skyline. 2012Headline by Gareth Hague, the official typeface of the 2012 Olympic Games.

What is also memorable is Gareth Hague’s typeface for the London Olympics, 2012 Headline. Besides being fervently discussed – and ridiculed – in typographic circles, it was also featured in the mainstream media, both at home and abroad. Unlike the logo however 2012Headline is quite difficult to wrap one’s head around.











BERLIN DEUTSCHLAND

Authors own- Berlin

Authors own- Foster and Partners government building

Authors own - Berlin wall 

Outside the Olympic Stadium Authors own 

Authors own - Fascist Olympic Stadium 

The trip to Berlin really linked in well with my project and taking a visit to the fascist stadium was a real eye opener to the history that occurred here that changed the way the Olympics were viewed, not just for organisers but for people worldwide.

Youtube - 1936 opening ceremony

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s_K3-FEwQA

 

FMP WEEK 1

Authors own
Olympic Torch

Final Project Brief 
In the Final Project the intention is to design and manufacture a new 2D/3D icon to be an emblem to symbolize a world sporting event. The icon should embody the spirit and togetherness found at the Olympics or perhaps the World Cup.  These virtues might include athleticism group spirit, endeavour and excellence. It is anticipated that the icon should be adaptable and attractive and could be awarded as a special recognition of athletes who embody most completely the Olympic ideals first proposed by Pierre De Coubertin (1896–1925).

The research will focus on the history of logos and iconic emblems we see today and how they embody important virtues athletes seek while competing, and what these symbols represent to people. Time has also meant the emblems have changed over the years with the more recent games meaning more up to date graphics and technology. Further research will look at who actually designed them, and what aesthetics and thinking lies behind the ideas.  The task is to be able to make something aesthetically pleasing that can be manufactured many times. It also needs to stand out and successfully represent the era in which it is to be used.  It also needs to be different from previous designs that have gone before and must work in its own right in design terms.  Through the use of practical methods for example Solidworks and building up thumbnail sketches the best ideas will be pushed forward. 

Olympic Torch at the Design Museum 

Authors own -the torch designed by Jay Osbergy

Authors own- the Olympic Torch for 2012

 "For the Olympic Torch we created a curvilinear form aluminum sheets making the most of the materials strong and light weight properties. Paused as a flat sheet, the outline and perforated pattern make its final from inconstantly recognizable". Edward and Jay

Olympic Logo's Handbook 

Authors own - Olympic Handbook 

 Colours: For any Olympic Games colour is important as it cant be politically eye catching. The primary colour selected for the London 2012 games is magenta. This is the only colour that does not prominently exist on signs within the UK transport or street environment.
Its bight, provides good contrast with white texture and stands out in a bust environment.

Colour Palette - Authors own 

The colour swatches are used for the logo as seen on the left, the colours actually looked great, but initially I thought they looked childish. 

Authors own
this is the Olympic Manual of all the graphics used 

Authors own
olympic park sign post 

Day out to Victoria Park London - Olympic pool, velodrome and stadium. Most of the architect is there to stay but some was only temparary, for example the aquatic centre held at he venue, which hosted all of the aquatic disciplines at the London Games apart from water polo, cost more than £250m to build and had its capacity reduced from 18,000 to around 2,500 before it was re-opened to the public in February.

Authors own - the olympic pool

The venue looks amazing and we can't wait to get diving

”Rebecca Gallantree

Authors own the Orbit

Authors own 

Authors own Victoria Park

The 2012 Summer Olympics, formally the Games of the XXX Olympiad and commonly known as London 2012, was a major international multi-sport event celebrated in the tradition of the Olympic Games, as governed by the International Olympic Committee.

London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has been fully opened to the public for the first time since the conclusion of the London 2012 Olympic Games, following the redevelopment of the south section of the park.

Figure 1 http://www.olympic.org/news/london-s-olympic-park-opens-to-the-public/229283

Figure 1 www.olympic.org.co.uk