For this assignment we’re analyzing the 7-Eleven logo and redesigning it with a few specific Gestalt Principles in mind.
Both of 7-Eleven’s logos are square shapes, one more rectangle than the other. Both uses the same colour palette, green, red, orange and white. The warm tones really makes the «7» pop out from the rest, even when it’s interrupted with «eleven» the shape still stand strong and is recognizable. Also I think the orange add smoothness to the red and green contrast, that can come off as a bit sharp sometimes. As for the white shape within the logo, I think it looks like a cup or beverage and it also flows nicely with the «7» with the slightly broader top. 7-Eleven’s legal name is «7-Eleven» not 7-11 or Seven-Eleven, that’s why it’s formulated as it is, If anyone wondered. Maybe you’ve noticed it before, «eleven» is written in all capital except from the «n». From my 5-min research there isn’t any clear statement why, a theory is that a capital «n» seemed too harsh. I never thought about it till now, the lower case «n» is definitely smoother and a bit more airy, maybe a capital «N» made the whole a bit cramped, who knows.
These are the principles I found within the logo.
Closure = The “7” is broken up to three parts and “eleven” breaks through “7”, still we can clearly see the «7».
Figure/ground and Grouping/similarity/proximity = Different colours separates each element from each other and from the background. Colors connects elements of the logo. E.g «7» is reds and «eleven» is green. Red and green are complementary colours and harmonize well while standing out. The orange adds a soft extra dimension.
Continuity = The number seven/7 goes through the whole logo. «Eleven» adds a line across the logo.
My chosen principles
I chose figure/ground, symmetry and simplicity. These are my sketches.
I went with my figure/ground idea and this is what I ended up with. It is not much of a change, I tried to morph every element together and threw out all the whites (basically editing out the closure principle). One thing I definitely learned is how important the white is, working close up with these colors together made my eyes hurt a bit.
Sources
Designers Tea Party 