Logo critique

[Craig Sjoquist]

I like your 1st post of logo it was simple and well readable, the arrow was the only thing did not make sense.
This last post looks good and clean and all even the arrow makes some sense, but the whole thing to me lacks, for some reason.

 

[SignManiac]

It's rather simple. Don't use script for a construction company and don't use impact for a beauty salon. Don't use comic sans for a financial institution and don't use times roman for a kindergarten sign.

 

[Malkin]

... don't use times roman for a kindergarten sign.

That would actually be a vast improvement ovet the majority of daycare sign type choices.

 

[grafixemporium]

My suggestion... re-read all of SignManiac's posts in this thread. He is 100% spot on and his logo offering is the best in the thread.

I wish there were some basic criteria to enter the sign/printing business. Seriously. I mean, you gotta pass some kind of test to be a journeyman electrician. You gotta pass CPR to be a lifeguard. Hell, you need to memorize the produce numbers to be a cashier at the grocery store. Yet, to open a sign shop you don't need squat. The very first thing you need a good grasp on -- before anything else -- before coming up with a name -- before opening your bank account -- before buying equipment -- before chasing down customers -- please, at least pick up a book or two on typography. This is what you plan to do for a living? You need to understand font selection, color theory, leading and kerning, etc. Seriously, please... stop what you are doing and go to the book store. If you are broke, just sit there in the store and read. Look at some logos. Look at TONS of logos. Find some stuff that suits the style you are going after and get inspired.

Good luck.

 

[Jillbeans]

In all honesty, it's a very weak looking logo.
It just looks like typed text with a gradient and an arrow, and a stretched script.
It has nothing to ground it and make it look strong.
The font you used for the name is really weak looking.
I don't like the upper/lower case and I don't care for the Z.
The kerning is wonky and the Z is not even the same font.
Why the arrow?
Not to be brutal sounding but I think it could look a lot nicer.
Love...Jill

 

[Signed Out]

My suggestion... re-read all of SignManiac's posts in this thread. He is 100% spot on and his logo offering is the best in the thread.

I wish there were some basic criteria to enter the sign/printing business. Seriously. I mean, you gotta pass some kind of test to be a journeyman electrician. You gotta pass CPR to be a lifeguard. Hell, you need to memorize the produce numbers to be a cashier at the grocery store. Yet, to open a sign shop you don't need squat. The very first thing you need a good grasp on -- before anything else -- before coming up with a name -- before opening your bank account -- before buying equipment -- before chasing down customers -- please, at least pick up a book or two on typography. This is what you plan to do for a living? You need to understand font selection, color theory, leading and kerning, etc. Seriously, please... stop what you are doing and go to the book store. If you are broke, just sit there in the store and read. Look at some logos. Look at TONS of logos. Find some stuff that suits the style you are going after and get inspired.

Good luck.

I agree signmaniac has given us some great advice.

before opening our sign shop my brother and I worked for our father, welding and fabrication, since 2002. talked him into getting a c+c plasma cutting table, set up and ran that for a few years. made some metal signs and decorative things for people. about a year and a half ago we decided to take the chance and open a sign shop. we are located next door to the welding shop in a very industrialized place with virtualy zero walkins and thats how we like it. Do we fufil your basic criteria? We have been doing well, getting busier every month. We aren't designers we are manufactures, when a customer doesnt have a design we sub it out. but we are trying to learn design.

 

[Jillbeans]

I just can't with that Z so I tried something different yet equally cheezy.

 

[grafixemporium]

I agree signmaniac has given us some great advice.

before opening our sign shop my brother and I worked for our father, welding and fabrication, since 2002. talked him into getting a c+c plasma cutting table, set up and ran that for a few years. made some metal signs and decorative things for people. about a year and a half ago we decided to take the chance and open a sign shop. we are located next door to the welding shop in a very industrialized place with virtualy zero walkins and thats how we like it. Do we fufil your basic criteria? We have been doing well, getting busier every month. We aren't designers we are manufactures, when a customer doesnt have a design we sub it out. but we are trying to learn design.

In all honesty and with all due respect, no... that doesn't meet my criteria. I know plenty of "manufacturers" as you call them. At the very fundamental level of any and every print shop is a designer. Whether you are one, hire one or sub one out doesn't make a difference. But it's absolutely a requirement to running a successful printing business or sign shop. If my advice to grab a book or two on design and typography was somehow offensive to you, then tell your pops I said he's wasting his money.

 

[Signed Out]

no not the case. It is just pretty obvious to buy a book, and research, kind of a given, kinda the reason im on this forum.

not offended at all, but its kindof funny how you keep assuming things. you know what they say when you assume something.

 

[Marlene]

Marlene, I don't think a person can just pick that up by studying labels at the grocery store or looking at movie house posters. They won't understand what they're really seeing and have nothing to relate to except their own un-knowingness. What you're describing is like walking through the forest and pointing out all the various leaves, flowers, scents and trying to put a name to it all. Unless you have a guide to steer you a little bit, it will just overwhelm the average person.

I don't think you are giving people enough credit as the average person can learn to understand what they are seeing or no advertising would ever work. we all are conditioned to respond to product advertising. all I am suggesting is to look at it and ask why. once you start looking and asking why, it all starts to make sense. when you start asking why, you give yourself a direction to start researching the whys as you have questions that need answers. just picking up a book and starting to read might work for some, but having a question and getting an answer just makes more sense to me. if you look at boxes of cereal, why is it that you can tell the difference from cereal packaged to appeal to kinds from the adult cereal? look at the fonts used on each and they are different and the colors are different. it works and we all respond to the visual cues given us, why? I suggest products and ads as they are put together by those who know how to say with a font what a product is and who they want to buy it.

 

[TGL]

back to basics

General heads up to those who haven't grasped the difference between/correct usage of "you're" vs. "your."
In the words of ol' Bill Engvall, "Here's your sign!"

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

Here is my offering...

(First time posting pics so hopefully it works.)