Feedback on Website Logo

[THX1139]

No, why?

...So, how have you helped?

Well, you have to actually have something to start with. In your case, I think you actually made it worse! So, if you put lipstick on a pig... guess what? It's still a pig.

And by the way... why do you think I have an obligation to help? Is that a requirement to participate in MacRumors?

But, I'll be nice and offer my advice. Start over.

Edit: but hats off to Bluetooth for helping the poor kid out.

 

[snberk103]

I think you missed my point, I wasn't saying that it's a production level concept thus use it. Rather push the person to the appropriate resources so they can learn themselves.

Letting a newbie learn about design from a design forum (as with Smashing, LogoLounge or even Logopond) would be more of a benefit than putting together a poor concept for them to copy.

I don't want to get into argument... the OP is 13, and is trying to create some sort of business and do some cool stuff. They have lots of time learn to learn lots of stuff.... I didn't try to give them a professional level logo. I was just trying to show them that just 2 letters combined could be a better choice than the direction their logos were going. I suspect when the OP rolls out their website it will be heavily modified. I also believe that sometimes doing someone a favour can also teach important lessons. The OP was not asking anyone to build the website for them - they had done that work themselves. They just needed help in one specific area, and I gave what I thought was appropriate for the need and the abilities.

Well, you have to actually have something to start with. In your case, I think you actually made it worse! So, if you put lipstick on a pig... guess what? It's still a pig.

Thanks for the encouraging words! It is always so nice to hang out with positive people who have taken the time to read the posts and to offer positive constructive comments.

And by the way... why do you think I have an obligation to help? Is that a requirement to participate in MacRumors?

Funny you should ask that. "... and for giving help to fellow users. "

But, I'll be nice and offer my advice. Start over.

Edit: but hats off to Bluetooth for helping the poor kid out.

Positive comments!!!

 

[tod]

"Would you hire a lawyer who drives an bashed up Toyota and wears a 15 year old suit? I think not".

Hey... that's MY lawyer! (Except he has an ancient Honda).

I'm a graphic designer as well as an iOS developer. I don't want to criticize your logo. You have to start from somewhere, and if you enjoy drawing and coming up with ideas, keep doing it.

Other posters have given some good advice. Too many objects in there, refine it, get it down to essentials. I hope you're going to really take your time rendering the final logo (I'm assuming what was presented is just a sketch).

I think if you just look at a lot of design and study it, you'll learn what "refined" means. Look at a lot of logos and think about them.

If you're curious, you can see some of my work here: http://tod.fm/design/logos. I'm not promoting it or claiming it's the paragon of excellent design. But you can see where I'm coming from.

 

[MacBoobsPro]

To the OP. There's a lot of people playing with you in this thread. This forum has changed quite a bit as it used to be full of helpful people now they have moved on all the 'newbies' just want to tear each other apart. As you are 13 and probably have no idea where to start (like anyone else starting out) here's a few pointers.

Take it from me as a pro designer:

Think about what you want to say with your logo and simplify.

Bamboo Design?

Use words linked to bamboo to help create an image to ultimately create a symbol/logo.

Pandas
Bamboo
Strength
Flexibility
Green

If nothing stands out link these words with something else.

Pandas = Black and White
Strength = Triangles
Flexibility = Curves
Green (self explanatory)

Just from these few words You already have a few shapes and colours to begin with.

Also use a simple font and avoid using 'quirky' fonts like Papyrus, Comic Sans etc.

Start with a pen and paper, come up with a few ideas. Refine them and only then take them to a computer to produce them.

Always create symbols/logos in black and white to begin with only add colour when you have cracked the layout.

If you intend to use the logo small at some point think about what the logo will look like when produce very small. Avoid thin lines and elements set close to each other as these will disappear and merge respectively.

Go here and click on LogoBox in bottom right for some ideas.

 

[MacBoobsPro]

It's not an exhaustive or exact list. It's to show how related words can help create a symbol, shape or colour for a logo.

I could of used an entirely different company name for example but that may have confused the issue so I kept it simple.

Also I'm not sure where the OP is based but the US and Europe have quite different styles when it comes to design. Europe seems to be very much abstract and minimal whereas the US seems to like creating entire images for a logo. A Panda sat eating Bamboo on a mountain in the rain forest for example. Where as in Europe you might just get a few dotted lines to represent Bamboo.

 

[yoyo5280]

I only read the first page (tl;dr to the maximus), but I actually know a brilliant 13 year old designer.

https://twitter.com/Zyber17

Check him out. Learn from him.

And yes, Pandas. the way to go myfriends.

Omi

 

[SilentPanda]

Did somebody say Bamboo?!

Let's all try to behave. The kids trying to get some feedback. If I showed you guys some of the things I designed at his age.... thank goodness geocities shut down because I forgot my password. That blemish has been purged from the Internet.

Nobody has to help, but nobody has to gang up on the new guy either.

 

[THX1139]

Did somebody say Bamboo?!

Let's all try to behave. The kids trying to get some feedback. If I showed you guys some of the things I designed at his age.... thank goodness geocities shut down because I forgot my password. That blemish has been purged from the Internet.

Nobody has to help, but nobody has to gang up on the new guy either.

Okay Mom, but I'm pretty certain that most posters weren't ganging up on him. They were calling out the people who were trying to help him, but making it worse. The rest of us were just having a good laugh. I loved this thread!

 

[opeter]

Pandas refuse to have sex with each other. We're back to penis!

Haha ... it seems it is a kind of coitus - a penis inside someone's ass
The triangle could also symbolize a vagina.

...

Anyway, so I will not be completely off-topic, could you show us some of your drawings? You do draw, don't you?
Maybe you could make something out of your drawings/sketches, whatever.

Post some things you did in the past and you will get (hopefully) usable feedbacks.

 

[kingthias]

^
What kind of drawings?
I draw but none of it would relate to a logo.

 

[kingthias]

Better?
It's in 2 colors.
It doesn't look suggestive.
It wasn't made in paint.
So it's better in at least a few ways right?

 

[citizenzen]

So it's better in at least a few ways right?

Wellll... not really.

Remember that one of the key points we've been trying to stress is simplicity.

You've given us an illustration.

You need to boil that puppy waaay down to create something simple, yet beautiful.

 

[kingthias]

Revision 4:

 

[citizenzen]

Revision 4:

Better.

Got any type to go with that bamboo?

 

[niuniu]

B made out of bamboo and D made out of green leaf might be nice

 

[THX1139]

Revision 4:

You have the right idea... but a long way to go because you are skipping over the actual design process. As you have it now, all you need to do is add some flames and it's a candle centerpiece. There is nothing original in what you have. Actually, it looks like a kitschy clip art graphic you might find in one of those ten dollar "1000 clip art" CD's

You are in too big a hurry to get it into the computer. Stay with the drawing but keep modifying it by tracing over the top of it with tracing paper. Come up with a few dozen ideas and try refining them.

You are also in too big of a hurry to find a solution. There is no shortcut if you want to have a well done logo! You need to do more research to find the meaning of what you are going to say. Take the advice of MacBoobsPro and do a keyword matrix and find associations. Then take those meanings and quickly sketch-out some concepts. So, for example, if you're going to use Bamboo... what does that mean? You should quickly sketch out a bunch of different (at least a 100) different ways to show bamboo. Long and thin, swaying in the wind, close-up, bunches, single stalks... you get the idea (but be careful of cliché). You should use photos for reference. Then, if you're going to use leaves... (by the way, why are you using mint leaves?) research bamboo leaves and draw a hundred of those (use photo references). Once you have elements you want to use... start combining them. Simplify, simplify, simplify. Once you have that... start looking at type faces... what can you find that communicates your message? How does the typography visually relate to your symbol? Play with setting the type in different ways. Eventually, you will start combining everything (still drawing) until you are able to find a direction you want to go in. Then you do multiple refinements of that. Once you get close, you scan that into the computer and vectorize it in Illustrator.... making further refinements. When you get that far... post what you have and get some crit. Once the symbol design is locked down, you can start looking at color palettes and finalize setting the type you have selected. Then you refine that until you're satisfied.

Or, you could skip all of the above and hire someone.

 

[macjram]

Is that a penis?

I LOLd

 

[ezekielrage_99]

Your new design are an improvement but I would still nail a solid concept before jumping into Photoshop or Illustrator. But you are still confusing design process with application, I would take a really good look at Logolounge it will give you a very good insight to the creative process (infact I've have 4 logo appear in Logolounge's publications over the years) so I would recommend reading some of the articles it will give you the information you will find very useful.

Another very good resource is Brand New this concentrates on before and after with some rather good commentary on logo rebrands.

Again good logos take time, the last company logo I design (this was for a web site in the top 10 sites in Australia) took 8 months with 100s of revisions.

 

[stainlessliquid]

If you cant draw or design then just use text. Get a good looking PLAIN font like Helvetica or Myriad and type out your logo in all caps or all lowercase, done, a logo that isnt ugly. Dont add a drop shadow to it, dont bevel it, DONT DO ANYTHING TO THE TEXT, just leave it alone because youll screw it up if you dont have any design sense.

For color go to a color scheme website and pick a scheme and use ONLY those colors in the scheme.

Its better to have a plain text logo that an ugly logo with a bad drawing or some other crap on it. Part of being professional is knowing your limitations and working around them rather than putting out subpar work.

 

[JoshBoy]

Please god no more use of photoshop for logo designs..

Go use illustrator and keep it basic and to the point but please for the love of pandas please don't use lens flair and please don't use an image that is not a vector for a logo.

What does your little business or whatever it is do? My advise is go find someone starting out in design, someone young and new to it and do a swap, your service for theirs.