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Logo Design Advice

gazfocus

gazfocus

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jan 3, 2008
1,650
0
Liverpool, UK
Hi
I am getting more and more requests at the moment to design websites for people/companies, so I thought I'd make a portfolio website to showcase all my hard work.

I have made this logo in photoshop but I'm aware it's a bit 'boring'. Does anyone have any advice on how I could improve it?

Thanks in advance
 

Attachments

  • citycm copy.jpg
    citycm copy.jpg
    35.3 KB · Views: 119
Just quick piece of advice. If you don't know it already. Learn Illustrator. All logos should be produced as proper vectors for best portability.
 
gazfocus said:
Can you be more specific? What would you do? Thanks
Click to expand...

Something more than black. Does your product have a color scheme? Perhaps do the cm thingy in a different color? It will visually separate what I assume will become your shorthand logo.

I'm no color theorist or designer for that matter, I just know most successful logos leverage color to some extent.
 
I feel the spacial relation between the circle and the content management is a little awkward. Try finessing it a little. I think maybe a little more space, but then you would need to tweak the depth of the "y" so you still have that eye line between the bottom of it and the bottom of "content management."

Similarly, the relationship (kerning) between the C and i is a little tight. But instead of moving the C away, try trimming its end so it stays in the same position, but there is more space between it and the i. I hope that makes sense.

I wouldn't add color yet. Color doesn't make a logo. It has to be successful in black and white first.
 
InLikeALion said:
I feel the spacial relation between the circle and the content management is a little awkward. Try finessing it a little. I think maybe a little more space, but then you would need to tweak the depth of the "y" so you still have that eye line between the bottom of it and the bottom of "content management."

Similarly, the relationship (kerning) between the C and i is a little tight. But instead of moving the C away, try trimming its end so it stays in the same position, but there is more space between it and the i. I hope that makes sense.

I wouldn't add color yet. Color doesn't make a logo. It has to be successful in black and white first.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your comments. I'm not great with terminology but I have added some space between the 'C' and 'i' and also between the circle and 'content management'.

I tried trimming the ends of the 'C' but I quite like the shape of the letter so decided to move it slightly instead
 

Attachments

  • citycm2 copy.jpg
    citycm2 copy.jpg
    35 KB · Views: 84
Hope you don't mind but I had a little play. The dodgy lines are from a lazy live trace.
I lined up the characters and wording a bit as per this image
Picture1-7.png


Logos, and infact a lot of design looks neater and nicer if stuff lines up.
I also made the city type lighter, I felt it was a bit too heavy for the CM and circle.

heres a non grid version
Picture2-2.png


Hope this helps you
Matt
 
My recommendation to you is to draw out as many ideas as you can think of for this logo, a good goal is usually 30-50. After you have done that decide which ones are working and try bringing them into the computer and developing them farther.

As far as the mark you have going now, I don't see it really working. You have two main lockups, the City and cm management and they are clashing. You need to choose what you want the focal point to be.

If you get really stuck go and check out some logo design books at barnes and noble or the library. DO NOT COPY, but they will help you get inspired.
 
gazfocus said:
Hey IgnatiusTheKing,
Thanks for your ideas...I like both logo's very much.
Click to expand...

You're welcome. Glad to help.

Jaffa Cake said:
While colour is good, don't forget that there are almost certainly going to be instances where the logo needs to be reproduced in black only – therefore, it's equally important that it works in mono.
Click to expand...

I agree. The corresponding (to red) shade of gray could work, or the straight black works pretty well, too.
 
Problems

The 'Content Management' in all the examples so far is hopelessly small, it just won't reproduce in business-card-logo size or in poor reproduction environments (like web graphics). You will need to work hard on placing that text to make it integrate with the rest.

I want to see EITHER more continuity between City and CM, OR more contrast between them. Right now they are similar but awkwardly different.
 
I'm not sure about the typography of the 'content management' - I'd focus your attention on this for a bit as it looks a bit awkward.

Certainly what Ignatius did improved this.

Good typography is KEY!!!

Best of luck.
 
bertpalmer said:
I'm not sure about the typography of the 'content management' - I'd focus your attention on this for a bit as it looks a bit awkward.

Certainly what Ignatius did improved this.

Good typography is KEY!!!

Best of luck.
Click to expand...

Hi bertpalmer...what do you have in mind?

I'm not great at logo design so appreciate all the help I can get :D
 
Now I know why my company pays you guys so much. It's not just a "here's what looks pretty" kind of thing.

Thanks for everyone's insight on the original poster's question. There's a pile of experience and technical skill on this board.

Makes me interested in learning Illustrator that I have but have never used.

:apple:
 
gazfocus said:
Hi bertpalmer...what do you have in mind?

I'm not great at logo design so appreciate all the help I can get :D
Click to expand...

Well I'm not 'the don' at logos either. Get back to basics and start sketching and then sketch some more.

Just try and think of different ideas and then go to work on them in illustrator and see what works and what doesn't.
 
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