Blue skies and bright sunshine
Mitsuo Katsui's 1972 logo for Kawasaki Shinkin Bank.
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Kawasaki Shinkin Bank (KSB) has a long history. It was founded on the 18th July 1923 and continues to serve it’s Japanese customers today. In 1972, ahead of its 50th anniversary, the bank commissioned Mitsuo Katsui to develop a new corporate identity. The intention was to rejuvenate its image and reflect, in an approachable way, the modernisation of banking that was underway. This new image would also be symbolic of the continued growth of the bank and the wealth of its customers, and serve to motivate staff under a strong image.
Working with KSB, Katsui put forward the following requirements for the design of a new logo; that it be simple, strong and distinctive; it accurately represent the content and character of the bank; directly connect with customers, and be easy for them to get used to. And finally, it should be deployable and effective in all media types, from large format signage to smaller items such as forms and stationery.
The logo was the starting point and formed the basis for enhancing and refreshing the bank’s overall corporate identity (CI). This would go on to include would include colour, type and basic guidelines. As the new CI would be based around this new logo it was felt that it, not only serve as an eye-catcher, clearly distinguishing the company from others amongst a ‘flood of advertisements’ and ‘propaganda materials’, but also be ‘beautiful’.
Prior to starting the design work research was conducted, with the people of Kawasaki City being asked about their daily lives and their expectations for the city. Their responses suggested that they wanted to live in a place with a rich natural environment with blue skies, bright sunshine and a refreshing breeze. And from a bank? Safe, friendly and easy to trade with.
Reflecting later on the project, and in an introduction to the bank’s corporate guidelines, Katsui presents his thoughts on logo design saying that, a company can be symbolised in a variety of ways, such as a company’s initials or using a ‘picture of the image of the company name’. However, in order for a logo to last a long time and be active in society, it must be a design that symbolises a philosophy, leaves a strong impression and conveys a sense of trust.
With both the research and the above belief in mind, Katsui devised a new logo that brought together a number of different notions into a simple form and as a visual representation of the company's philosophy and management policy. At first, it takes on the qualities of a tree that ‘takes root in the earth and grows toward the sky’ symbolising the prosperity of customers and the wealth being placed in reliable hands. This was then given the brilliance of the sun, as a radiating form. The outstretched branches became beams of light. The sun shining in all directions was also said to resemble the shape of an open hand and alluded to the ‘hand-in-hand’ relationship between a bank and customer, as well a a desire to present a welcoming attitude.
These ideas were processed by Katsui in an extremely abstract way (his words). The stable shape with the ‘symmetry centred on the trunk’ was ‘calculated for flexibility’, with the weight of the trunk and branches being capable of adapting to extreme scaling, from large format signage to small instances of corporate stationery.
Colour was also used to further the ideas that gave shape to the logo, with a warm ‘orange’ connecting it to the sun, a symbol of vitality that supports the development of all people and companies. Further, this colour was selected as a way to expresses health, vitality and give a warm sense of intimacy. This was paired with blue, of the sky and water. It was thought that applying just a two colour approach would afford the bank a fresh and modern appeal.
The abbreviation “Kawashin” was applied using a gothic typeface. Katsui described these letterforms as having a ‘very gentle’ and ‘approachable atmosphere’ in line with the bank’s philosophy of inclusivity. This offered contrast to the official and formal presentation of the company name in the orthodox ‘Ming Dynasty’ typeface, which added a sense of ‘reliability’ and ‘dignity’.
Finally, alongside side the logo, typeface and colour palette, a number of patterns were introduced to further the various philosophical themes such as growth, reliability and security. While these are no longer in use, the logo, logotype and bright orange remain, and can be seen on the bank’s website today.
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