On dynamic identities [closed]

Question

One thing that i'm noticing is the temporal aspect of identities (and other design sub-fields as well: from digital design, installations to all types of motion based graphics) are becoming more prominent. Which is understandable since we are living in a "digital mindset" age. Which is something i'm sure most of us designers have noticed.

One thing i would like to ask is, have someone done some research on this topic?

There's this book: http://www.amazon.com/Dynamic-Identities-Create-Living-Brand/dp/9063692854 which i had the chance to look inside, and it nicely outlines some methods of understanding and creating dynamic identities.

1. First of all i'm interested in what other people's opinions are(?).
2. Did you find/have some resources for learning more?
3. What are the differences between a static/fixed and dynamic identity? ...besides the obvious of course... For example and for me at least, dynamic ones usually have a very informal and youthful character and i could never imagine for example Apple having a dynamic logo that would stick (other than for some company event, announcement)

The other thing these dynamic graphics "flow into" is another field which is algorithmic graphic design (that is, art from code). Basically the idea is that the real art piece is the algorithm, not the final product. For example: https://www.google.com/search?q=Sol+Lewitt&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=LxEoVYyLDcrZU6fHgeAE&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1920&bih=947#q=Sol+Lewitt&tbm=isch&pws=0

1. Can or will these these systems change the role of designers into a more designer-engineer type role?
2. Again, do you have a more theory-based resource to learn more about this?

Thanks :)

Answer 1

This looks suspiciously like the branding form of the dreaded marquee and blink tags. The human eye is naturally drawn to movement so in that sense it seems like it would be desirable for capturing attention.

However, as evidenced by the near-universal hatred of blink tags, people may react negatively.

On a slightly more serious side, many people will find it nearly impossible to actually read any printed matter provided beside such dynamic logos. My wife describes situations where she needs to read dense text in the presence of animations as causing her eyes to vibrate and giving headaches: migraine inducing.

Answer 2

I have never heard of "Dynamic Identities" until now but I did want to point out some thoughts on a dynamic vs static.

1) At this point in age I don't see dynamic identities being utilized in the real world outside of creative mockups. The purpose of branding your company is giving a visual representation of your company. It is impossible to get away from the fact that a company will need a static logo for all printing material and I don't see that changing. With the rapid pace of the evolving web, it is interesting to see animated svg logos on the web, but these are nothing compared to the example MIT MEDIA LAB.

2) It will be hard to find material related to the author of that book. It looks like the subject matter lives through his book and his Facebook Group.

3) You would have more knowledge since you have dove into the book but I don't see how a dynamic identity plays only into a informal and youthful character. I took the idea as a way a identity transforms and just how the graphic looks.

Other thoughts

My first thought when bringing up an dynamic identity was a responsive logo. This idea is a lot more practical. You can see some examples at http://www.responsivelogos.co.uk/. This is a similar subject matter but the purpose was to keep the core idea of your brand recognizable at any given size.