I saw it yesterday, and no matter how much I try to go in, only what I closed keeps coming up. I keep seeing what I watched continuously, over and over again. Hello, friends! This is designer Madi. Nice to meet you. Today, we are going to talk about how we should design through benchmarking. Before we start designing, we always conduct benchmarking in advance. We will discuss how to properly use benchmarking for design and where the incorrect application of benchmarking methods goes wrong. However, there is no definitive answer to this. My words are not the only truth, and others may have different opinions. This is based solely on my experiences.

This is my personal opinion, so you don't have to be 100% sure about the language. Now, let's move to the screen. First of all, we need to establish a common understanding, so let's look at Pinterest, which is a site we always benchmark. Let's proceed with Pinterest. For example, let's assume that I often benchmark logo designs, BI designs, or icons. I'm here, so what should I write first? You all probably search for something like logo design. From there, you will benchmark and proceed. The important thing is that you need to first identify what type of logo you are going to design before you start benchmarking. If you just search for logo, you will end up with a variety of logos without any specific purpose. Instead of random logos, for example, if I want to create an S logo...

I want to search for five logos. If you search for logos in the shape of an S, you will find various designs. However, the problem we encounter is that I have a specific S shape in mind. As I benchmark, I start to collect logos that are visually appealing, which may differ from what I initially intended. I might not have been looking for these attractive S logos, but as I search, I begin to scrap beautiful designs that catch my eye. For example, I might think, This one looks nice, and I copy it to save it. Then, as I explore more related designs, I find another one that I think is also appealing, and I copy that one too.

I started to find designs that were completely different from what I initially intended. Like this, I think this one is okay, and this one is also fine. As I look at various logos, I end up getting distracted. In the end, I start benchmarking things like this. The S shape I originally intended is heading in a completely different direction, and suddenly flower shapes start to appear. You really need to be careful about these things. Then I suddenly saw this, and for some reason, these lines started to look like numbers to me. I was initially looking for the S shape, but gradually, the lines started to resemble the number 2, and I began capturing images. I started to rationalize it to myself, thinking, This definitely looks like an S. I can convince myself that this is an S. Suddenly, I realized that it wasn't what I had originally thought.

As I go in a completely different direction, I feel like this person is also trying to write something. For some reason, I want to use this logo because it's so pretty, but there's no 'S' in it. So, I think I can persuade them to change it. I feel like I can convince them to go with an 'S' logo. As I do this, the design starts to drift further away from my original intention. I think this looks good, and that also looks good. In this way, the 'S' logo I initially intended starts to go in a completely different direction. While searching for an 'S' logo again, I can't find anything prettier, so I search for 'S' logos once more. As I do this, the things I saw before start to reappear. I definitely saw this earlier, and even though I saw this before, I capture it again. As I keep capturing, it continues to pile up.

Things are captured, and as they pile up, we need to consider the importance of focus. The issue is that without any criteria, people just capture whatever looks pretty to them. This is a problem because the quantity becomes overwhelming. So, they start capturing everything. For example, let's assume there are dozens or hundreds of captured images piled up. They have captured hundreds, and they keep searching with s or slo. However, after doing this for several hours, they might forget what they copied and end up copying it again. They might put it in a random place, but because there are so many, they can't find what they previously captured. As a result, a lot of duplicate captures can occur later on.

There are things that unintentionally catch my eye, and while capturing them can be a good method, it also increases the likelihood that the design will go off track. You all benchmark various things, like Paru and Ichi, and you keep benchmarking. Eventually, as you continue to benchmark, the things you've seen keep reappearing. You think, Oh, I saw this yesterday, and no matter how much you dig in, only the things you've closed keep coming up. You end up continuously seeing the same things over and over again. This leads to stagnation. Those who have tried benchmarking, even a little, will realize that they are stuck in place. So, you start with S-Log, but no matter how much you log, you only see the same things.

Later, I will just search for Bordeaux, and then I will look for something here, and eventually, I will search for my S. Right? After that, I might search for SM5 or something like that. Then I will also search for MOS or BI in a similar way. So, what is wrong here? What are the mistakes we are making? The mistake here is that we are unable to let go of S. We need to discard S, but we can't. Even if I do SRO, at first, searching for the S logo is correct. However, no matter how much I search for S, if unrelated S's come up or if things that don't satisfy my heart keep appearing, then it is right to let go of S. It is correct to discard the S framework. You all understand, right? So, if we let go of S, how should we search? Here, we need to establish a standard for the S shape.

Well, it would be something like the 3rd. First, you need to organize things individually, like the Jang Taeshin bot and then the line shapes. This is something that should be quite obvious, but surprisingly, before benchmarking, many people skip the documentation and organization process. They immediately open Pinterest and start searching for what’s in their heads. While this can lead to some discoveries, it doesn’t establish a solid standard. Of course, there are those who can find their criteria while searching for what’s in their minds, but most students tend to skip this documentation step and jump straight into benchmarking, which results in a lack of standards. Consequently, they keep looking for visually appealing things, but as we can see on the left, that’s not a very effective benchmarking method. So, we have organized two things: the S-shaped symbol and the line shapes.

When we design a logo, can we just use a simple S symbol? No, we need to give it meaning. It should represent something; for example, it could be an icon that conveys a certain grade or level. Let's say we want to create a logo that reflects a premium quality, like a luxurious crown or something similar. 

So, we need to establish a hierarchy. If we think about premium, what comes to mind? Things like a luxurious crown or other symbols of high quality. These are the elements we should consider. 

Now, I need to find a premium-looking S shaped symbol that has a refined line design. From now on, I will start benchmarking how others have approached this. I will search for terms like S logo premium or S crown logo to see what others have done.

People are looking for words or language choices that include the letter S in a more specific and detailed way. You can feel this as you search. For example, you might find that they have inserted an S crown in a certain way. This is how you can start benchmarking with the intended form. 

In this manner, you can find logos that match your benchmarking criteria, such as the S symbol in a line form with a crown. This is how you conduct your benchmarking. If you just search for S without any direction, the design will inevitably go off track. You need to consistently collect materials for benchmarking. As I showed you on the screen, gather a wide range of resources.

The next important point is to design based on the materials. However, while benchmarking like this, there is a common mistake that you all tend to make. Initially, you might be enthusiastic, but as time goes on, people tend to get fatigued. Right? Earlier, we searched for the SRO logo, right? Let's assume that we benchmarked everything here. If we assume that, suddenly, the perspective changes. If it changes for the better, that's fine, but if it starts to change for the worse, that's a problem. Suddenly, you see something and think, Oh, that's nice, and then you start copying it. Then, you begin to draw it, and it becomes a habit. While benchmarking, suddenly you see something and think, Oh, this looks good, and then you start keeping it.

This is completed as S with 1. Should we try benchmarking again? This is also fine, but let's write an S log after completing it. Suddenly, I start designing like this. How about you, everyone? Among you, there are those who suddenly start drawing when they discover something pretty while benchmarking. The reason I'm explaining this is that I want to add a bit more. It's good to copy and draw from what you see. After all, even if you copy and draw, it won't be confirmed. Everything is bound to change anyway. This is because there are many things that may look good to your eyes but actually don't. So, copying and drawing is fine, but even before finishing all the benchmarking, some people suddenly start drawing just because something pretty catches their eye.

Suddenly, it seems like there's something good again. Should I try this or draw that once more? The truth is, this is a very bad method. Surprisingly, there are many people like this. There are many who may not understand, but surprisingly, there are many who keep searching and searching. I wanted to share this with you today. I believe this is a flawed benchmarking method. Initially, as I mentioned earlier, gathering benchmarking data is fine. However, continuously searching and searching is one of the worst ways to use your time efficiently. Whether you follow or not is not important here; the problem lies in the constant searching.

You understand, right? And always, when you benchmark, don't trust your eyes too much. Even if you don't like the design at first, find a design that aligns with the original design concept you wanted to pursue. So, benchmark using the keywords and elements I initially set. Do you understand? Next, even if you find it unattractive, use benchmarking materials with a clear intention. Before starting the design, have a thorough conversation with your mentor. Once you've had enough discussion with your mentor, if you've reached a conclusion with two different directions, then you can benchmark further. You can either add more styles to your benchmarking or start designing in this form. This way, we talked about how we can apply design based on language benchmarking. What do you think? This is just my personal opinion, but it might be helpful to you all.

I hope the video you put in is very helpful. Thank you for the likes, subscriptions, and notifications.

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