Stamps - Splitting the Atom Concept II

Revised designs for the 'Splitting the Atom' stamp concept. Building on the previous designs I made a set of three coloured stamps (a pair of each colour). The left hand pairs use a small nucleus and negative space to represent the minute scale of the atom but once the pair are separated it could lose this effect and look extremely plain. The middle set get around this by enlarging the nucleus but again once separated would become ineffective. The third design helps to retain the small nucleus and add more detail/interest through the addition of the archetypal proton/neutron orbit paths. The instantly recognisable shape helps the stamps operate independently of one another. The simplicity of the diagram and the bold colour use work to create clarity within the design, something I found very important when looking at stamps as contextual research.

I also thought the three diagrams would work well as a set of three pairs, but as discussed above the top two lack in detail and have too much space (good on a poster, not on a tiny stamp scale). Best to play on the recognisable shape of the proton/neutron orbits.

Having found a successful diagram I tested its application across the set of six stamps (brief requires a set of six). The left diagram works with the diagram across the set of four, but you are left with two odd stamps which gives the set an uneven feel. Also, once the bottom four have been separated there will be too little of the diagram left on each to accurately convey the message. The pairs of stamps in the middle are much better because they look good as a set of six and retain the message once separated. The set on the right don't hold true to the concept at all but work well as stand alone stamps. For the reason they lack the original concept they are crap compared to the middle ones though :)

I attempted to place the diagram across the set of six which certainly creates a great image all together but once dissected the individual stamps would be lacking in message compared to the pairs of stamps. Nevertheless, I like the set when joined together.  

Happy with the successfulness of the pair design I decided to make a poster of them. Would be good to be able to purchase a poster made of stamps which you slowly destroy over time as and when you need them. Just a thought :)

Using the pair of atom stamps I decided to design some currency-esque patterns to help the background look less flat: 

The addition of these lines really helps to make the designs sing and gives them a professional appearance. My personal favourites are the wave patterns which reference the ionic bonds between atoms. 
Below I have added type to the two wave patterns to explain the stamp design. The top one has the information on both stamps but I can't help feel that the information is only necessary on one of the pair (bottom). Once split the receiver wont get the full extent of the concept, so in this respect the type is more  for the benefit of the sender. This is type placement issue is debatable so I'll gather some opinions on it.  

Regardless of the type placement, I discussed the design with a few people around the studio and they suggested that the colour of each pair in the set of six change to add diversity. I thought this a good idea and also decided to add three patterns to the background. Essentially the same pair of stamps but the addition of colour and pattern makes the set more interesting. The extra two patterns are designed to represent the (a) atoms joined together to form a molecule and (b) the grid found in scientific notebooks.

Although these stamps look and feel pretty well finished, I am going to stop with the concept now and develop some alternatives. This is for a competition (which I would very much like to win! haha) so I want to really explore concepts and designs before I submit my entry. Much more to come!