Freethinking Business Consultants - Values Illustrations Concepts
Throughout the journey of reimagining the Freethinking brand on a visual level, geometric shapes have become the common thread that links everything together. As such, it felt natural that geometry be the focus of the visual representations of the new values.
Geometric shapes each have their own visual energy that we connect to certain qualities, be it strength, balance, growth, commitment etc., along with their cultural understandings. These qualities were linked to the values. Thus, each value is illustrated as a shape that best represents it.
Triangle | Mastery
The shape implies stability, power and energy. Almost any use of a triangle implies motion. The eye is drawn to the shape and follows it from the widest part of the shape to the pointed tip. Triangles give a feeling of action and strength. Motion and action both link to the continuous momentum needed to develop the self, skills and quality of work.
Power, progression, purpose and direction are all represented by the triangle. These are all qualities that contribute to reaching the level of Mastery. Having sight of our goals i.e. a sense of purpose and direction drives us towards our goals. We see triangles in pyramids (power/strength) and arrows (Direction). Triangles are great shapes to represent The Ruler, The Explorer or The Hero brand personalities.
Cultural: The triangle, when balanced , is the symbol for justice and science.
Square | Fairness
This common shape creates a sense of equality and conformity. The familiar shape is seen as stable and trusting. Trust is a result of fairness, whereby treating colleagues, clients and peers fairly, we show them that we have their best interests at heart and can be trusted to work/do business with.
As squares and rectangles have straight lines and right angles they have a very mathematical, balanced feel. This balance is what we seek with fairness. Balance between races, religions, genders, as well as balance in how we make decisions. These shapes scream rational and practical. As far as shapes go, these are neither flashy nor attention seekers
Cultural: The square is a trusted, familiar shape that represents honesty, solidity and stability.
Circle | Value Good
Because a circle does not have a distinct beginning or end, they imply movement (such as a wheel). The circle is often used to represent unity, commitment, or community. Circles also suggest infiniteness and harmony. Valuing good means valuing community, seeking harmony through our actions, applying ethics to our choices because we realize that they can negatively affect others in the greater scheme of things.
The circle along with the oval is readily found in nature with the sun, moon and earth. They give a sense of integrity, which is at the core of valuing and doing good. Circles have a free sense of movement – wheels, balls, merry go rounds. Their movement may also represent power and energy. Due to their curved lines, ovals and circle are graceful and complete.
Cultural: Circles have been used for generations to represent unity.
Cross | Solving real problems
In algebra, “X” represents the variable vs. the known constant. We may be asked to "solve for X” (i.e. solving a problem). It is literally a puzzle—or unknown—meant to be deciphered. Jonathon Green, a lexicographer writing on “X”, says that: “It torments students of mathematics at all levels, from the common multiplication symbol in arithmetic to the more complicated X of algebraic equations”.
In the aerospace field, “X” stands for “experimental”. Experimentation is a crucial part of the ideation and problem solving process. Experimentation leads to innovation across all fields.
Cultural: Crosses symbolize health, hope and balance. A cross shape can appear in the form of a “t” or “x” or a combination of intersecting lines and spaces.
Spiral | Thought leadership
A spiral is a creative and free-flowing shape. As a shape that appears in nature – think of the nautilus or a snail’s shell – the shape is associated with growth, evolution and transformation, all things that we aim to achieve through thought leadership. The flow of the spiral plays on the concept of the flow of thought. Something of which we can not determine the beginning or end, something that doesn’t stop and start, but rather continues endlessly.
The spiral is a shape that can go on for eternity. Spirals can take you on a journey. They are free flowing, boundless and open. These are attitudes that thought leaders adopt, letting their thoughts run freely, outside the prescribed bounds and status quo, always thinking about what’s next.
Cultural: Spirals have been closely linked with mystery, mainly due to the awe-inspiring spirals in the galaxy where people used to look to the stars and wonder what was beyond our horizon.
