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Wait a minute.. here's my latest logo attempt (or, Don't laugh at my truck sketch)

iSign

New Member
ok, couldn't help copycat the train wreck thread title... just because...

That train wreck helped inspire this job in a way... bashing people can be a guilty pleasure I have to tear myself away from, and the $500 price tag for a bit of design fun was just the low hanging fruit I needed to tear myself away at or around midnight last night...

Anyway, instead of writing a whole story, I'll add stuff if the post survives...

anyway I always start with thumbnail sketches. I knew I wanted a "panel" to tie it together, because the client saw & liked other trucking company logos I've done with panels.. and i also knew if there was going to be one version with a truck graphic, I would find one, rather then draw my own... so as noted above... DON'T LAUGH if you spot the sorta truck shaped blobs... they existed only to remind me to try using a truck.

..by the way, i was just about to run an errand when the client came in... I trained my employee how to sell a $500 logo, and heard from the other room that he was successful... so this sketch was done in a conversation with my employee, not the client... the client hasn't seen anything yet, unless he got the email i sent 10 minutes ago...

I usually would solicit some "round 2" design feedback, before getting any one of my opinions this far along.. but I had 30 teenagers coming in this morning on a field trip from their high school graphics class, and I decided to use camtasia to record screen captures of the design process, to assist me in entertaining the kids for an hour... I'll get that up on youtube one of these days...

anyway, here's the sketch:



...and here's the 3 variations I worked on instead of battling it out by the woodshed (the upper left is a layered version of the lower left, after some layer style effects were added in PS)



...and here's what I just sent the client, superimposed over the champaign gold truck door photo I still had in my archives from when I did the logo for the guy he bought the truck from... (ya gotta love small islands)


 

iSign

New Member
oh yeah.. also uploaded a closeup i emailed the client, since he mentioned he would be looking at it on his phone. The diagonal caution tape look was subtle, so wanted that to show, and the bevel & shading;



My first choice for a truck was to look into my old tramp Warner CD... the upper of the two slightly truckish blobs on my sketch was trying to show my employee what I remembered from years ago, the last time I looked at that CD... anyway, sure enough... one of tramps trucks was just what I wanted for this first draft... hope the client likes it!

hmm, I wonder where that book went... sure is harder to use clip art collections with only .eps files w/ no thumbnails or books)
 

JR's

New Member
cool, and good job on your employees behalf. (I trained my employee how to sell a $500 logo) neat when it all comes together.

JR
 

SignManiac

New Member
Doug it seems to me, to be too much. I see a lot of potential but it needs some simplification IMO... You have many good design elements, but all together, they're competing with each other.
 

ova

New Member
Looks good from way over here. The only thing I see is the outline in Santos covering up some of the N in COSTRUCTION. Don't know if you could bump up the J2 and Santos a smidge to separte these. Or maybe you wanted it this way.

Just my observation.

Dave
 

GypsyGraphics

New Member
Looks good from way over here. The only thing I see is the outline in Santos covering up some of the N in COSTRUCTION. Don't know if you could bump up the J2 and Santos a smidge to separte these. Or maybe you wanted it this way.

Just my observation.

Dave

i like that "Santos" breaks out and even that it cover part of the N... especially a font style like that... that looks like it doesn't want to be contained.

that was a good idea to send him a close up of the caution tape, it's subtle but i like it.

anxious to hear if your cleint liked it.
 

iSign

New Member
I like the top left. I hope Robby Gordon doesn't sue you for using that S.


hmm.... someone joked about that S here just last week... maybe that was from you too...

Just a capital S from our merchant friend Steve C's Xtreme Script in the "SignFonts" collection.. bought and paid for...

Well, client loves it, with one change... he would like an excavator, instead of a truck...

so, that should be an easy swap...

West ol boy West!! can't you read!
wherever you're trying to go... and wherever it looks like you're headed... it's a long strange trip, so enjoy the ride brutha!! That's all i gotta say 'bout that!

Bob, I'd love to hear (or see) specifics if you have any in mind... I have been guilty of really busy logos for a while, and feel like I'm trying to work on that... so, for me... 2 fonts, 2 panels, primary & secondary copy... and a pictorial... and only subtle texture in the panels, easy on the 3D effects... ok... only only only... i guess there is a lot there...

...well, if the client only needs an excavator swapped in, that's all I'll do for him, but I'd love to hear any & all suggestions from any & everyone!

..meanwhile he'll be here any minute, so gotta go find an excavator graphic or two...
 

SignManiac

New Member
Doug, if your client is happy then not to worry. I'm not on my design box now, but when I get back on it, I'll try to show how I'd approach it, just for educational purposes. Most likely on Monday.

Like I said earlier, all the makings of a strong design!
 

S'N'S

New Member
Doug, did the client want a pic of a truck in the design, I just don't think you need a pic of a truck on a truck.

Cheers Gary
 

SqueeGee

New Member
Doug, did the client want a pic of a truck in the design, I just don't think you need a pic of a truck on a truck.

Agree but I've been guilty of the same. In my case, the client wanted it to "look his business card". Even after pointing out that we had a picture of a dump truck ON a dump truck, we was not swayed.
 

iSign

New Member
Doug, did the client want a pic of a truck in the design, I just don't think you need a pic of a truck on a truck.

Cheers Gary

I didn't even get to talk to the guy, but it was just a first draft.. and you're right ...he doesn't want the truck... but he wants an excavator, and Fred has a nice one on express-clip-art... and i just about finished tweaking the proof... the guy should be here any minute!
 

Tiki

Font Sage
I usually like to stagger type a tad
Maybe do (J2) in a solid dark color Maybe try dark browns instead of black and grey
 

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iSign

New Member
Nice Tiki! Those colors go with your avatar too...

well, it's a done deal... all paid for now... $1100 + tax, & I owe him 4 big stickers, installed this Sunday so he can put the trucks to work!

In a better economy I used to charge more... but I'm happy to get 11... with under $100 in material cost.. that more then covers my shop rate times my hours!

the Excavator looked a little plain, so sold him on a dump truck and excavator:

 
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