Wings of Tatev
In May 2014, we started to work on a branding for the Wings of Tatev ropeway. It is the longest reversible aerial tramway that leads to the ancient Tatev Monastery built in 9th century.
The legend tells of an event that is tied to the construction of the main church, where an apprentice secretly climbs to the top of its steeple intending to place a cross of his own design. However, the apprentice is spotted by his master during his descent. Shocked by his discovery, the apprentice loses his foothold and falls into the abyss as he calls upon God to grant him wings, which, in Armenian is: “Ta Tev”.
The logo had to be fresh, remarkable, had to give feeling of airiness, flight and, at the same time, feeling of comfort and safety. That is why we choose a blue color.
There were lots of ideas – from associating the T-letter with the legend personage who ascended to heaven to combining the monastery silhouette with wings-stairs. However, eventually it was decided to work on an abstract version of the wing, and we have had plenty of these versions ☺. Finally, a version with a dynamic wing that symbolizes the movement to the holly monastery was chosen.
Everything starts with a sketch in a notebook, on a piece of paper or even a napkin. Eventfully it is not that important which software to use in order to make a vector file of your idea, but personally I use Ai.
Initially, at the brainstorming stage it is crucial to make an associative mind map, find metaphors, and draw sketches. This process enables to think out of the box and quickly modify and edit the initial ideas. This is the most important phase during which the final idea sows seed in your mind and you are starting to visualize the contours of the result. After that, you can easily transform one sketched version into another just changing a line or adding a stroke, thus changing the initial idea beyond recognition and finding exactly what you feel is the best.
The project was published at Behance, and it earned multiple positive reviews. The logo was appreciated by the customer, and both international and domestic tourists find it attractive.
Each project gives new knowledge, new experience. The Wings of Tatev project was not an exception. It was very interesting to deep into the history of the Tatev Monastery and review this architectural complex from various perspectives, as it is essential to deep into details finding unnoticeable peculiarities that are actually making the object very special and unique. This approach influences the whole work process and contributes to the achievement of the best results.
The colors are really nice!
Miya, Thanks! ;)