New logo

[Flame]

This is why you should put someone else in charge of your company's image.

Agreed. Also scary to see what goes on in some peoples heads. I'm sticking to my guns in believing that less than 5% of businesses have any clue on marketing or branding, and should not have a hand in either.

I just like mine is all. Is that bad?

"liking" your logo honestly should NOT be your main concern. Whether your logo will get you business... is what matters. Let's say you're a hardcore, UFC kind of guy, tatted up, hit the gym 8 times a week, drive a lifted F350 with 20's and covered in diamond plate. You happen to own a flower shop. Bet you'd LOVE to cover that shop in diamond plate, put a big lit sign out front, and have a hot college girl behind the counter... and make it the manly flower shop. But guess what? You wouldn't sell many flowers....so you get a logo with a tulip in it, make the inside all victorian and full of fancy flower baskets, with a friendly middle aged woman running the counter. You HATE it, looks pathetic to you....but guess what? A lot of ladies shop there and you make money.

And your ideas for why the other logos wouldn't work is sheer absurdity at it's best. Seriously man. lol

 

[signcrafters london]

OP = original poster or original post

 

[stoneandtle]

FOR ANYONE ELSE READING THIS THREAD WHO HASN'T COMMENTED...PLEASE DON'T TAKE THE COMMENTS I MADE AS OFFENSIVE.

When you give a customer a choice of logos I assume you give them a choice of a half dozen to dozen different flavors/variations, etc. I hope you're not offended when they only pick one of them? And most certainly if that customer goes to a different artist/graphic designer they'll got a completely different set of variations of the same thing. All I'm saying is please do not take offense if I didn't "pick" yours; I thought all of the logo suggestions were GREAT! Something to aspire to. Even the very last one that was suggested has been thinking again...although I'm not sure if I'm going to change it. I'll have a couple weeks to ponder it though, and when I get back I may start the ball rolling again, who knows.

I won't be on here for about 3 weeks starting Wed...you know you're gonna miss me! ...or not...

 

[stoneandtle]

Agreed. Also scary to see what goes on in some peoples heads. I'm sticking to my guns in believing that less than 5% of businesses have any clue on marketing or branding, and should not have a hand in either.



"liking" your logo honestly should NOT be your main concern. Whether your logo will get you business... is what matters. Let's say you're a hardcore, UFC kind of guy, tatted up, hit the gym 8 times a week, drive a lifted F350 with 20's and covered in diamond plate. You happen to own a flower shop. Bet you'd LOVE to cover that shop in diamond plate, put a big lit sign out front, and have a hot college girl behind the counter... and make it the manly flower shop. But guess what? You wouldn't sell many flowers....so you get a logo with a tulip in it, make the inside all victorian and full of fancy flower baskets, with a friendly middle aged woman running the counter. You HATE it, looks pathetic to you....but guess what? A lot of ladies shop there and you make money.

And your ideas for why the other logos wouldn't work is sheer absurdity at it's best. Seriously man. lol

I completely agree.

 

[Flame]

PLEASE DON'T TAKE THE COMMENTS I MADE AS OFFENSIVE.

I doubt anyone's offended, just scratching their heads at your "logic" bro.

 

[phototec]

Right-on 1000%

Agreed. Also scary to see what goes on in some peoples heads. I'm sticking to my guns in believing that less than 5% of businesses have any clue on marketing or branding, and should not have a hand in either.

"liking" your logo honestly should NOT be your main concern. Whether your logo will get you business... is what matters. Let's say you're a hardcore, UFC kind of guy, tatted up, hit the gym 8 times a week, drive a lifted F350 with 20's and covered in diamond plate. You happen to own a flower shop. Bet you'd LOVE to cover that shop in diamond plate, put a big lit sign out front, and have a hot college girl behind the counter... and make it the manly flower shop. But guess what? You wouldn't sell many flowers....so you get a logo with a tulip in it, make the inside all victorian and full of fancy flower baskets, with a friendly middle aged woman running the counter. You HATE it, looks pathetic to you....but guess what? A lot of ladies shop there and you make money.

And your ideas for why the other logos wouldn't work is sheer absurdity at it's best. Seriously man. lol

FLAME, you are right-on 1000%, this is one case he should have "hired a professional", for sure.

 

[stoneandtle]

I don't know, I think it's the opposite, it should be THICK SKIN, like thick skull. Hard-headed is what he is, he just doesn't get it, kind of like, if it's raining outside and you tell him don't go outside or you'll get wet, he says, NOT if you stand between the rain drops!

The are many aspects of a good logo design, and his final version doesn't meet them, simplicity is the soul of an effective visual identity.

Versatility and simplicity are hallmarks of an outstanding logo. Your logo design should be scalable to any size without losing any image quality or visual impact. Here your version fails, your font's legibility must be of primary concern, if you reduce you version to business card size, you can't read the tag line.

Consider how your logo design will look when it is rendered in only black and white. Your vendors and advertising outlets may require your logo to be in black and white only. Much other company material such as faxes and company checks for instance may only print in black and white. Make sure your logo design works well in black and white as well as color.

Gosh, all of you who tried to help this guy and gave up you time creating some great designs, seems to have fallen on deaf ears!

Hey I'm not trying to bash anyone, I think all those logo ideas are GREAT.

Yes, I can see scaling being an issue with anything. Hence, I like to make sure that everything is vector. However, not all of the suggested logos would meet your criteria either. Take for example, the center right one, if you were to scale that logo down the bottom tag line is completely absorbed into the white/red stripes. But I like that logo too.

I can take almost any logo and shrink it to the point where you can't read something on it. And some of the logos are so tall that you really need to shrink them to get them on a business card - depending on how you put it on the card, or you're forced with a specific orientation because of it. A wider logo is better than a taller logo in my opinion when it comes to a business card.

I really thought about adding the bottom of the shield, but, I don't know, I think it looks good even without the bottom of the shield; I think it's still recognizable as a shield even though you're not seeing the whole thing. Dare I say I should start a poll?? (the crowd goes ooooohhhhh....ahhhhhh......)

 

[phototec]

artist/graphic designer

When you give a customer a choice of logos I assume you give them a choice of a half dozen to dozen different flavors/variations, etc. I hope you're not offended when they only pick one of them? And most certainly if that customer goes to a different artist/graphic designer they'll got a completely different set of variations of the same thing.

The point is, you didn't go to any artist/graphic designer (one who has studied and knows the basic concepts of graphic design), you tried to create something yourself without knowing the basics of what works and what doesn't.

Kind of like one of your customers, putting on his own THIN SKIN armor using a roll of 12'" wide clear packaging tape on the front of his 2011 Camero and then trying to use an Xacto knife to cut around the front contour, ouch!

 

[stoneandtle]

I found the critiques offensive. just say you didn't want to use them... that would be fine because they weren't yours to use anyway, they were for inspiration... which they obviously got you from near-zero to 50%... so they did their job.. why make up stupid excuses for each ones shortcomings? That's just a knee jerk bunch of contrived justifications, thinly veiled as design critiques.... so inappropriate..

Yes, I agree, they were very inspirational, it was great to see everyone's suggestions. That being said though, if I had gone to a graphic artist and was presented those logos, I would have said go back and try again. THAT'S NOT TO SAY THEY ARE BAD OR ANYTHING, they just didn't get the mojo going for me, but they did get me thinking in a different direction and I thank everyone for that.

I'm not saying that what I came up with is great, good, etc., but I like it, and maybe it is 50% of what it could be, but 50% from 0% is still pretty good...that gives me another 50% to work on some more down the road. In light of the immediate uprising...perhaps I'll give it some more thought over the next couple weeks. Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind when I get back.

 

[signmeup]

if I had gone to a graphic artist and was presented those logos, I would have said go back and try again.

 

[stoneandtle]

Ohh C'MON now....you've got me in stitches LOL

 

[iSign]

we (or your friendly local artist-for-hire) are not here to get your mojo going...
if your mojo had the design sense required for this task, you wouldn't need professional help.. like phototec said, the objective is not tripping the needle on David's mojo gauges...
it's to speak to your market...

if you said "go back & try again",
...you'd be told (with a smile) "cough up the next stack of cash buddy"!

...with the emphasis on NEXT!!

 

[signmeup]

Something that should also be mentioned; the logo suggestions that were presented were just that... suggestions. They were not polished designs that were finished. They are just rough ideas to hopefully gently steer you away from non-legible, nasty colour combos and no contrast and get you headed in the right direction. For instance, I spent all of 10 minutes tweaking your "final" design and while my offering is very rough and nothing is centred etc., it is far more legible than yours. You can tweak your design yourself and make it legible. You've been shown how right here by a dozen friendly folks... for free. Just sayin'.

 

[sghobbies]

 

[stoneandtle]

You guys (and ladies) are all great...I'm going to have to find an internet cafe or something and login once in a while over the next couple weeks just to see what's happening at 101.

If any of you will be in Vegas for the ISA show April 28-30, I'd like to meet you! We can get some beers at Gordon Biersch (close to the convention center, but not walking distance unless you're an avid walker).

 

[stoneandtle]

I think I may be a masochist for showing this version of the logo, but given the latest smack down I figured I should give this one last go before taking off on my trip.

I've received mixed reviews so far about it.

I'm ready for the MMA all-out beating...let me have it

P.S. And regarding the color I used, no I don't like it being colored at all, but it's the only way I could figure to represent it as a tangible item; the product is clear. So, I put some gradient transparency to help with the effect.

 

[iSign]

John,
I don't like it

One thought... I don't believe your logo needs to have ANY graphic reference to a film, or a laminate, or a roll, or peeling, or clear... if someone asks you who you are & what you do, tell then.. if you need a logo on a truck a card or a sign.. make a nice logo & then, at least make sure they can read your name...

...then keep using it & it becomes like a signature..

...a signature identifies you.. it doesn't have to describe you.. same with a logo.

Sure, it is nice when it can.. but what about a consultant, or a shrink? not every logo has to 'describe' and you product is odd enough, I think you should forget about describing it, because any subtle reference you force in there will most likely NOT be recognized, and therefor serves only to limit you in the design development process...

...Anyway, I should be working on my own stuff & went out for late coffee to keep me up for.. but I needed a break & drew another variation of your work;

also, look at my second "R" ...you fixed your "A", but i think your R needs thinning up...

 

[stoneandtle]

John,
I don't like it

One thought... I don't believe your logo needs to have ANY graphic reference to a film, or a laminate, or a roll, or peeling, or clear... if someone asks you who you are & what you do, tell then.. if you need a logo on a truck a card or a sign.. make a nice logo & then, at least make sure they can read your name...

...then keep using it & it becomes like a signature..

...a signature identifies you.. it doesn't have to describe you.. same with a logo.

Sure, it is nice when it can.. but what about a consultant, or a shrink? not every logo has to 'describe' and you product is odd enough, I think you should forget about describing it, because any subtle reference you force in there will most likely NOT be recognized, and therefor serves only to limit you in the design development process...

...Anyway, I should be working on my own stuff & went out for late coffee to keep me up for.. but I needed a break & drew another variation of your work;

also, look at my second "R" ...you fixed your "A", but i think your R needs thinning up...

You have a pretty solid point there about the signature and not focusing so much on a graphic to represent it. That'll give me something to think about when I'm away...

 

[iSign]

I'm mad that he didn't critique mine!
I feel left out.

I know how ya feel Jill!

 

[GAC05]

Sometimes you just need an interesting background element to get your main copy to "pop"

wayne k
guam usa