Can you draw a bear? | Tolleson
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Can You Draw A Bear?
02—23
2024
On creating a meaningful symbol
For Lucid Motors
When asked to design a bear for Lucid’s symbol, the first thing we had to figure out was: what kind? With our mind on Lucid’s origins, its entrepreneurial culture, and commitment to sustainability, our exploration eventually led us to the California grizzly. But not without some fun twists and turns in bear territory.
For a peek into the process—and just how many bears we drew before landing on Lucid’s—keep reading.
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“We knew we had to tap into the iconic recognition of the California Bear, but transform it into something distinctly Lucid—more minimal, sophisticated and dynamic.”
Satomi Nagata, Senior Designer, Tolleson
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MAKING BEAR
HISTORY
Understanding the past
Our research process
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Deepening our understanding of this historical context was essential to our design process. Naturally, we looked to the California state flag, where the bear stands mid-walk, with direction, momentum, and firm footing. Since the Bear Flag Revolt in 1846, the bear has stood an iconic symbol for the untamed beauty of California’s landscape.
For our team, this rendition of the California grizzly bear provided a solid foundation for further refinement—to convey Lucid’s own purpose, stability, and progress with a direct connection to California.
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Walk
This Way
How it moves
Studying bear behavior
It turns out that even the simplest shifts can make the difference between a grizzly bear, a polar bear, and a black bear. Before putting pen to paper, we started by studying these subtleties: the different species, the different postures, and all the different ways they’ve been depicted throughout history.
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Four Elements
To distinguish between the three, we closely examined each bear’s silhouette, ultimately focusing on the defining characteristics of the grizzly bear.
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“Fast bears, slow bears, abstract bears. We really uncovered the whole spectrum, from realistic to geometric.”
Anna Östling Hairston, Designer, Tolleson
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Exploring the bear in movement allowed us to discover new ways to express speed and effortless agility. A curve here, a point there—these shifts were simple, but required a process that was far from simple.
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The Last Mile
Process makes practice
And there are too many rounds to count
Once a clear direction is identified, the process of refinement takes on a life of its own.
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Finding the right balance
To honor the heritage of the California Bear while modernizing its narrative to harmonize within the Lucid brand ecosystem.
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