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bermuDa · 11-02-2007, 01:13 AM

There's a nice concept there (Hammer as tree trunk) but it's being lost in the busyness surrounding it, which I really don't understand.

I don't want to give what seems like a negative crit amidst so much positive feedback, but as a professional designer I feel compelled to provide feedback that is only intended to improve the quality of the image. I do not mean to put anyone down, so if you are sensitive to criticism or worried that you might misconstrue this, please just skip to the next post.

Elements of the logo and their proportions:
What is the ball background? It reads like a globe but the map is unrecognizable, and far more complicated than necessary. If you shrank it down to 1/2", would it still be readable?

What is the shadow on the tree for, Is it a sundial? It seems to add nothing to the visual message, and actually flattens the icon because it runs counter to the apparent shadow of the circle. In fact, why does everything have a shadow or bevel effect??

What is the ratio of the tree to the circle? Is there any relationship between the tree and the shadow, the circle, or the text?

What are the wavy lines? Is there any proportional relationship between the thickness of the lines (and the white space between them) and the text, or any other element in the mark? Also, the bevel effect, shadowing, and placement all seem arbitrary, except to make it run through the tree trunk. Not to say that it's not something that couldn't be integrated into the concept, but I think its use here just seems like "another layer," without adding anything to the message.

Colors:
What is the color palette of the logo? What do the colors say? In other words, what do yellow and purple say about the client? Are they appropriate? There are too many colors in use here. A good logo can be reproduced in one color if need be, but this one all seems like a shade of grey. The only element that stands out in value is the tree.

On the tree, I see shaded green areas, but there isn't enough contrast between the colors. Same with the hammer. Colors that are too close together should be edited out, or given more contrast.

My advice
Take stock of what elements you have, and choose individual items. It's always possible to return to brainstorming and come up with other imagery, but there is plenty to work with in the current logo.
Text (3 words, 11, 5, and 9 letters. Much more analysis can be done)
Circle (sphere? globe?)
Map (?)
Wavy lines (3 lines, 3 peaks and troughs)
Tree
Hammer
Shadow

There are a lot of potential concepts and images What stands out to me is the concept I mentioned at the top of my post: the tree and the hammer. But it needs to be redrawn. A lot.

What I would do is brainstorm trees and decide which tree creates the right metaphor, then draw them a few dozen times to get shapes and silhouettes that are as simple as possible while still clearly communicating the tree. Then do the same for hammers, and then see how they can be combined. Remember that white space is an important part of your logo. Most of the really strong logos communicate something in the white space, and all of them are conscious of the use of negative space. At the same time, text must also be considered: what font best communicates the message? What weights are necessary? Most importantly, what proportional relationships can be made between the stroke width, x-height, or cap-height of the text, and the imagery you're using. The text needs to have this relationship in order to seem to be a part of the signature block.

This should have been boiled down before it got dressed up. Once these questions have been answered and the thumbnails refined, I think the logo could successfully solve the problem. There's a ton more to take into consideration when doing a logomark, such as audience, application, copyright (has this been done before?), but this is more of a mock-up edit, and just concentrating on the image itself.I'm sorry I now don't have the time to draw out what I mean, but I hope this proves helpful.

Granted, client satisfaction is also a factor. If they're happy with this then it's not necessary to go any further, but as a designer, there's always room for improvement.

11-02-2007, 01:13 AM	#7 (permalink)
bermuDa don't ignore this--> Location: CA	There's a nice concept there (Hammer as tree trunk) but it's being lost in the busyness surrounding it, which I really don't understand. I don't want to give what seems like a negative crit amidst so much positive feedback, but as a professional designer I feel compelled to provide feedback that is only intended to improve the quality of the image. I do not mean to put anyone down, so if you are sensitive to criticism or worried that you might misconstrue this, please just skip to the next post. Elements of the logo and their proportions: What is the ball background? It reads like a globe but the map is unrecognizable, and far more complicated than necessary. If you shrank it down to 1/2", would it still be readable? What is the shadow on the tree for, Is it a sundial? It seems to add nothing to the visual message, and actually flattens the icon because it runs counter to the apparent shadow of the circle. In fact, why does everything have a shadow or bevel effect?? What is the ratio of the tree to the circle? Is there any relationship between the tree and the shadow, the circle, or the text? What are the wavy lines? Is there any proportional relationship between the thickness of the lines (and the white space between them) and the text, or any other element in the mark? Also, the bevel effect, shadowing, and placement all seem arbitrary, except to make it run through the tree trunk. Not to say that it's not something that couldn't be integrated into the concept, but I think its use here just seems like "another layer," without adding anything to the message. Colors: What is the color palette of the logo? What do the colors say? In other words, what do yellow and purple say about the client? Are they appropriate? There are too many colors in use here. A good logo can be reproduced in one color if need be, but this one all seems like a shade of grey. The only element that stands out in value is the tree. On the tree, I see shaded green areas, but there isn't enough contrast between the colors. Same with the hammer. Colors that are too close together should be edited out, or given more contrast. My advice Take stock of what elements you have, and choose individual items. It's always possible to return to brainstorming and come up with other imagery, but there is plenty to work with in the current logo. Text (3 words, 11, 5, and 9 letters. Much more analysis can be done) Circle (sphere? globe?) Map (?) Wavy lines (3 lines, 3 peaks and troughs) Tree Hammer Shadow There are a lot of potential concepts and images What stands out to me is the concept I mentioned at the top of my post: the tree and the hammer. But it needs to be redrawn. A lot. What I would do is brainstorm trees and decide which tree creates the right metaphor, then draw them a few dozen times to get shapes and silhouettes that are as simple as possible while still clearly communicating the tree. Then do the same for hammers, and then see how they can be combined. Remember that white space is an important part of your logo. Most of the really strong logos communicate something in the white space, and all of them are conscious of the use of negative space. At the same time, text must also be considered: what font best communicates the message? What weights are necessary? Most importantly, what proportional relationships can be made between the stroke width, x-height, or cap-height of the text, and the imagery you're using. The text needs to have this relationship in order to seem to be a part of the signature block. This should have been boiled down before it got dressed up. Once these questions have been answered and the thumbnails refined, I think the logo could successfully solve the problem. There's a ton more to take into consideration when doing a logomark, such as audience, application, copyright (has this been done before?), but this is more of a mock-up edit, and just concentrating on the image itself.I'm sorry I now don't have the time to draw out what I mean, but I hope this proves helpful. Granted, client satisfaction is also a factor. If they're happy with this then it's not necessary to go any further, but as a designer, there's always room for improvement. __________________ I am the very model of a moderator gentleman. Last edited by bermuDa; 11-02-2007 at 01:21 AM..