An exclusive look at the 2014 Commonwealth Games pictorgrams designs by Tangent Graphic, with insight provided by Gordon Arthur, communications director for the games.

What was the brief for the design of the pictograms?

We wanted to produce images of all sports that are immediately recognisable by athletes, officials and spectators.

We wanted them to be engaging, memorable and effective across a wide range of media and merchandise. They also had to stay true to our vision for the Games.

What will these pictograms represent for the Games?

Pictograms are an integral part of the Games identity, enabling efficient wayfinding by athletes, officials and spectators.

They are a major part of the look of the city at Games-time, showcasing the 17 sports in the programme.

Why choose this direction?

Having built the Games brand identity on the themes of time, data and measurement, we wanted to extend that approach into the pictogram design. We have achieved this through capturing the ‘defining moment’ for each sport ie. the instant that these values are recorded and success is achieved. The emphasis is also on the winning athlete which lends itself well to our commitment to being athlete centred in our preparations for the Games.

Another innovative element sees all 17 pictograms contained within a circular frame, or bearer, for the first time in the history of modern Commonwealth and Olympic Games pictogram design.

How long was the design process and how many differing ideas were looked at?

The design process took approximately ten months from concept to launch.

During this time we went through an extensive consultation and approval process with some of Scotland’s leading athletes to ensure the pictograms truly represent the defining moment of each of the 17 sports that will be showcased at the Games in three years’ time.

Four different agencies pitched at least one creative concept to us and our final selection was from Glasgow-based creative design agency Tangent.

What other ideas were considered?

We challenged the creative agencies to show us how they would differentiate between similar sports such as racket sports (badminton, squash and table tennis).

The agencies brought forward a range of different concepts and we chose Tangent’s ‘defining moment’ idea which encapsulated the instant victory is achieved by the athlete.

As with the Glasgow 2014 identity, we worked with our creative design agency to develop a series of animations to bring the pictograms to life.

How will they be used?

The primary purpose of the pictograms is to aid wayfinding during Games-time, so in three years’ time, you will see them on places such as venues, waymarkers, literature and signage.

They will also be an intrinsic part of our build-up to the Games. They will be utilised in our merchandising strategy and will be available to the world’s media for use in different broadcast, online and print publications.

How do you see these as being consistent with the logo?

Our pictogram designs are completely in line with the geometric, concentric rings that have become synonymous with the existing Glasgow 2014 brand identity – bringing a new, fresh approach to pictogram design when compared to previous Games.

The pictograms have continued the theme of the overall brand by using rings to construct the athlete represented in the design. The lines have also been tapered to ensure we accurately portray muscle definition and introduce a sense of movement.

Linking pictograms to the brand logo is yet another unique approach and something which will distinguish Glasgow 2014 to previous Games.

How closely are you following the Olympics marketing communications strategy and have you taken any ideas or learned anything from that?

We, of course, follow their marcomms strategy with interest – and we are very lucky to be in regular contact with our counterparts in LOCOG and able to benefit from their experience.

Our main focus, however, is on creating a public engagement campaign unique to Glasgow 2014, which fully embraces and engages Glasgow and Scotland.

The ticketing for the Olympics has been a huge issue – how do you plan on avoiding such problems when the time comes for Commonwealth Games tickets to open to the public?

With so many tickets sold far in advance, London 2012 will undoubtedly be a massive success. The demand for tickets has been incredible, far outstripping supply, which inevitably creates some disappointment for those that miss out.

The fact that people have been so desperate for tickets for London 2012 only points to the success of their engagement and marketing campaigns, and is something all multi-sport events dream of!

In terms of our own ticketing strategy, three years out from the Games, we are in the early stages of development. As part of our Memorandum of Understanding with London 2012, we will learn from their experience before putting tickets on sale for our own event.

Will you use a similar or different system?

We will be launching our ticketing programme in 2013 which will outline how we propose to deliver the ticketing process. This will include the pricing strategy for our tickets.

What else will we see coming out of the Games organising committee in the coming months?

Our marketing team is beginning to expand to develop and oversee increased activity in this area as we get closer to the Games.

The next twelve months are an essential and exciting time, as we ramp up our public engagement, put in place our advertising agency needs, create our mascot, begin to plan our media and look programmes and expand our content and digital offer.

First up is a high profile public event, bringing sport to the streets of Glasgow as part of the Merchant City Festival to celebrate the landmark of Three Years to Go.

In the meantime, the construction and preparation of our Games venues and infrastructure will continue to progress on time and on budget.

The National Indoor Sports Arena (NISA) and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and the Scottish National Arena at the SECC are progressing well and the finishing touches are being made to the Kelvingrove Lawns Bowls Centre where the turf is already being laid – real tangible reminders that the Games are not too far away.

The Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee will also be moving into a new home on Albion Street in the Merchant City in October so there is a major amount of work being done three years out from the Opening Ceremony.

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