Design Critique

[Abraxsis]

I removed the links, thanks for everyone replies.

So I work for a toy company as the Art Director. Currently I am attempting to rework our company logo, but I am finding serious resistance so Im looking to everyone here to let me know what you think of my modest overhaul.

Im not allowed to do much, so Im trying to just update it w/o making it unrecognizable. Holding to the blues and yellows. A little more edgy and 21st century. We call ourselves a "vault" and our website is draped in brushed metal and macho black ... and then we have a logo thats baby blue and yellow ... it is juxtaposition without trying to make a point.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Bevel and emboss is edgy and 21st century?
Truthfully, they're both fine and they both serve the same purpose. People outside the design world such as your clients will probably find the new design or updated design fun. I would see if you couldn't brighten the colors though as the shadows darkened them a bit.

 

[lofight]

I like the original much, much more than the redesigned one

 

[Abraxsis]

Bevel and emboss is edgy and 21st century?
Truthfully, they're both fine and they both serve the same purpose. People outside the design world such as your clients will probably find the new design or updated design fun. I would see if you couldn't brighten the colors though as the shadows darkened them a bit.

First of ... Bevel and Emboss? Not quite, thats all light shading and alpha channels. Bevel and Emboss would be much much more harsh and not as fluid.

Lightening the shadows is an idea I had too, thanks for reaffirming my thoughts.

 

[benpatient]

Um...why Bevel and Emboss properly used is just fine. It certainly doesn't have to be "harsh." That's why it has sliders.

Attached is what I did in 30 second using bevel/emboss on your original image.

not exactly harsh.

And honestly, your new logo idea is too dark and well...harshly lit. That super-intense blue will probably not display very well on uncalibrated monitors.

even for a black website.

 

[one3]

Overall I think it's a bad idea to try and re-design a logo to better match a site design. The longevity of the site design is never as long as that of the logo.
However..... I think just a simple color change can make the logo look a bit more modern ... maybe some soft shading. Click on examples below:

 

[Abraxsis]

Overall I think it's a bad idea to try and re-design a logo to better match a site design. The longevity of the site design is never as long as that of the logo.
However..... I think just a simple color change can make the logo look a bit more modern ... maybe some soft shading. Click on examples below:

I like that middle one, pushes a bit to the sea green IMO but I love the look.

And Im not trying to change the logo to match the site, im trying to match the logo to the "style" of the company. Everything we do graphically is metallic, blacks, rich colors, etc. The licenses we hold are always rich colors. A baby blue/yellow logo just doesnt seem to match, very bland in my opinion. I like the idea of perhaps just shading it some and keeping it the same color tho. I bet i could get that approved.

 

[ezekielrage_99]

I know what you're going through, the company that I work for is currently going through a re-brand.

I think both logos have a lot going for them from a design and branding pov, personally since you are in essence updating an image you might want to give the original an update. I like what you have done with the update but you should also try it with some different colours and may be a nice gloss/plastic/metal effect.

Whatever you deciede on make sure your target audience recieves it well, a logo that looks pretty and ultimately doesn't establish greater brand awareness is useless.

If your organisation already has an established look then it's probably a good idea to evolve rather than redesign. In my experience it's also a very good idea to do some research, get some ideas from people who buy your products because they will ultimately tell you what appeals to them colour design and typography wise.

A logo is a very simple thing but getting it right does take time and effort.

 

[dornoforpyros]

Alright I'm just gonna be honest, your redesign, as well as your website both look rather cheap. However the toys on your website are actually quite nice and the packaging featured for them is fansatic.

I just think your in over your head when it comes to logos/websites and I honestly think it would do your company a world of good to hire some one else (even a student with a decent portfolio) to handle the graphic design aspects of these things.

I'm not trying to be harsh, I'm just seeing a company with great products and art being cheapened by some bad graphic design choices.

I'm sure my work would look even cheaper if I were to attempt to make a plush kiss doll or tried to paint something like this.

 

[belovedmonster]

I was expecting your website to be totally different from the logo by the way you described it but really its full of comic book style graphics which is how I would describe the current logo as it is.

I see on the website however you have a more metallic coloured version of the logo, I thought that went well with the site. Why not make the official logo more metallic like that one?

What ever you do don't use the 3D redesign version. IMO its fugly.

 

[Abraxsis]

Alright I'm just gonna be honest, your redesign, as well as your website both look rather cheap. However the toys on your website are actually quite nice and the packaging featured for them is fansatic.

I just think your in over your head when it comes to logos/websites and I honestly think it would do your company a world of good to hire some one else (even a student with a decent portfolio) to handle the graphic design aspects of these things.

I'm not trying to be harsh, I'm just seeing a company with great products and art being cheapened by some bad graphic design choices.

I'm sure my work would look even cheaper if I were to attempt to make a plush kiss doll or tried to paint something like this.

Im going to reiterate that I didnt design any of those originally, Im just trying to somehow rework the logo. We are currently in the process of redesigning the website on a sandbox server, Ive hated it since the first day. Trust it looks much better now than it did 2 years ago. Secondly, we don't sell to end consumers, if we have all the flashy stuff on there the distributors/retailers complain. So its a 2 edged sword. Consumers want snaz, but our buyers want simple, to the point, with no extras and are willing to complain about it otherwise. You see, our company didnt think a website was important until only recently, so they never spent any money on it. Which I can say that was a mistake, but he wasnt far off seeing were still around 10 years later.

Thanks for the packaging comment, that is what my primary function is along with designing the toys. I design all the packaging. Which means I do have a decent portfolio, very decent and large in fact (200+ packagings currently in market, about 45 toys (~20 which are sold out and currently out of print), 2 entire toy lines (Nightmares/Posers, toys and packaging), and a game (Possession)), but I loath logos and webdesign and the like.

After reading everyones comments, Im just going to let sleeping dogs lie. I suppose it wont kill me to continue to use the current logo.

 

[ezekielrage_99]

However the toys on your website are actually quite nice and the packaging featured for them is fansatic.

After you pointed that out you're right, the packaging is brilliant.

And also it might be a very good idea to get input from a branding agency.