A family crest is used to represent the core beliefs & values of a family. However, This was not always the case. Roman soldiers used crest, or coat of arms, on their shields to designate their military unit. Then, crests were used by knights during the feudal ages before settling into their role to represent family in higher social classes. Typically a family crest is viewed as an old idea, but they can still be created today. For this project, our client wanted to create a crest for his family. This crest would then be passed down from generation to generation.
Salt Foundry provided design & illustration services.
Back Story
For this project, the heavy lifting was done before we were even brought in. A family crest relies on imagery, coloring, and positioning that all have deeply rooted meaning. In order to create a crest for the Lanphar family, our client did quite a bit of research into what a crest means, and what various elements represent. He also dug deep into what his family represents & what they want to be know for over the generations to come. At one point crests were found on Knights going into battle, and were often used on their shields. A crest, or coat of arms, was used to represent a family or country. Even though they’re not used as often today, a crest can still hold meaning for a family and remind them what they stand for.
Goals
A family crest is based on representing the values of a family. Our main goal for this project was to take the values of the Lanphar family and turn them into a crest. We also set out to create this crest in a very modern and clean style. Our client hoped for an end product that would be easy to use in a variety of settings, and most of all, easy to recognise.
Process
At the start of this project, we did a bit of research of our own. We wanted to better understand what a family crest is. Our research led us to the various elements that are typically used in crests, colors, animals, words, and tools. Of course we also looked at the typical art style of crests. Discovering what the normal crest looks like would allow us to explore how we can shake it up. From there, we took the notes and research from our client and got to work. We settled in on a bold line style to keep the design clean and modern. Bold lines helped us move away from the classic look of crests, which typically used fine lines and more ornate art styles. Since we were working off of fairly detailed notes and research, everything fell into place quickly once the overall look & feel was established.
