Need critique on some logo drafts

[cambookpro]

Hi.
I am 13 (don't be too harsh ) and can do some simple things in Photoshop. I was asked to do a logo for a school company selling keyrings. The company name is 'Anykey' (cheesy I know). Anyway, after 15 minutes I've come up with these:

So, yeah. I basically want constructive criticism, and tweaks I can make and which one(s) are best.
Thanks!

 

[MattSepeta]

I know

I know its going to be said, so I might as well say it: I sure wish I had a MBP, a brand new iPad and brand new iPhone when I was 13. Heck, I didn't have any cell phone until I was 17.

Anyways, none of those are really logos. I would advise starting with a simple wordmark (think Fedex logo, Hp logo, etc) and if you MUST incorporate a key image, incorporate it between two letters or turn a letter into a skeleton key maybe.

or "Hire a professional" lol

 

[cambookpro]

I know its going to be said, so I might as well say it: I sure wish I had a MBP, a brand new iPad and brand new iPhone when I was 13. Heck, I didn't have any cell phone until I was 17.

Anyways, none of those are really logos. I would advise starting with a simple wordmark (think Fedex logo, Hp logo, etc) and if you MUST incorporate a key image, incorporate it between two letters or turn a letter into a skeleton key maybe.

or "Hire a professional" lol

Lol, only the iPhones actually mine. All the rest is shared with 3+ people!
Thanks for the hints.

 

[citizenzen]

Anyway, after 15 minutes I've come up with these...

It usually takes more than 15 minutes to come up with a good logo.

Here's a couple of directions i'd look...

• Zoom way in on the connection between the ring and the key. There's some arcing and circular shapes that might be interesting.

• As much as I hate the concept, perhaps multiple keys radiating around the ring in a star burst. Hate it... but would have to look at it.​

You always have to ask, what makes this key ring unique? How does the logo reflect that?

 

[THX1139]

Too literal, you need more abstraction. By the way... are you getting paid or is this for a fictional business?

One more thing... those are too finished for drafts. You should be doing everything by hand with quick sketches until you find the best concept. After multiple refinements, you take the best of the best into the computer. Otherwise, you're wasting time. I could probably quickly sketch 100 ideas in the same time it takes you to come up with one original "draft" in the computer.

 

[Consultant]

Most of it look like clip art and random fonts.

First one has promise.

 

[Designer Dale]

Too literal, you need more abstraction. By the way... are you getting paid or is this for a fictional business?

One more thing... those are too finished for drafts. You should be doing everything by hand with quick sketches until you find the best concept. After multiple refinements, you take the best of the best into the computer. Otherwise, you're wasting time. I could probably quickly sketch 100 ideas in the same time it takes you to come up with one original "draft" in the computer.

^^^ This is absolutely where you must start to get a good design idea. What you put on paper doesn't need to be quality art, just a flow of ideas that are not interrupted by the computer. Being an artist isn't as important as being artistic. refining in the computer will make up for most anything you are missing as an artist. A lot of the young folks I know go straight to the computer. Older ones who have a gasp of the visual idea from roughs on paper create higher quality work.

Take the time to make as many sketches as you can. Take the top 5 or 10 and lay them out on paper with more attention to detail. Take the top 2 from that phase and draw them out in about the same detail as you want in the final. Then go to the computer. The final hand-drawn part of this is what we used to call a mechanical. It can be skipped if you want.

Creating by hand makes use of different parts of the brain. Ones in which the creative process works best. This goes for writing as well.

Dale

 

[usclaneyj]

Ok... *if* you want to treat this like a serious project and really delve into it, take the advice of THX and Designer Dale, because they are right.

But, if this is just something you were asked to do and it isn't really any big deal.... I think the key & keyring that is solid black is good enough.

Seriously though, THX and DD speak the truth. If design is something you enjoy doing, that's the way to do it.

 

[cambookpro]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm not getting paid and, TBH, i'm the only one who can do logo designs that aren't scribbled in MS Paint

Anyway, yeah. Thanks to everyone.

 

[manueld]

Not sure if you're still looking for some advise, but why not utilize the natural angles of ANYKEY to simulate the look of the grooves found in a key then just anchor it with a shape that makes it look like a key.

 

[THX1139]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm not getting paid and, TBH, i'm the only one who can do logo designs that aren't scribbled in MS Paint

Anyway, yeah. Thanks to everyone.

If this is NOT for a school project and you are being asked to work for free, tell them to go bite the big one. Asking a kid to develop a complex logo for an actual business is exploitative and cheap. Tell them that they at least need to buy you a new iPad BEFORE doing any more work for them.

But in truth.. you shouldn't be doing professional work at your age and level of experience. Having good computer skills doesn't make you a good designer. If it's for a class, ask your instructor why they they aren't requiring thumbnails.

Don't get discouraged. I spent 4 years in design school and that only gave me the foundation to do decent design. It also takes years of experience to get really good. Only a handful of designers go on to become famous for original work. You have talent, you just need formal training to learn the basic foundations of what it takes to create good design. Pickup a sketch book and turn off the computer.

 

[citizenzen]

Not sure if you're still looking for some advise, but why not utilize the natural angles of ANYKEY to simulate the look of the grooves found in a key then just anchor it with a shape that makes it look like a key.

I thought about using the ridges of the key too.

But it seemed like the real issue was the key ring and not the key itself.

If that's true, then I'd try to find something that reinforces that aspect.

 

[cambookpro]

If this is NOT for a school project and you are being asked to work for free, tell them to go bite the big one. Asking a kid to develop a complex logo for an actual business is exploitative and cheap. Tell them that they at least need to buy you a new iPad BEFORE doing any more work for them.

But in truth.. you shouldn't be doing professional work at your age and level of experience. Having good computer skills doesn't make you a good designer. If it's for a class, ask your instructor why they they aren't requiring thumbnails.

Don't get discouraged. I spent 4 years in design school and that only gave me the foundation to do decent design. It also takes years of experience to get really good. Only a handful of designers go on to become famous for original work. You have talent, you just need formal training to learn the basic foundations of what it takes to create good design. Pickup a sketch book and turn off the computer.

Thanks. It's for a school competition, where each year we create a company to sell things/provide a service. The company at the end of the year wins. So I volunteered to do the logo, nobody asked.

I may buy some books on design as I actually quite enjoy it once I start.

 

[lucasgladding]

First, you're definitely not too young to be doing this. I've been working in Photoshop and Illustrator since their earliest versions (I was 7 or 8 at the time), and learning the technical aspects of the software now lets you focus on being creative when the these opportunities arise.

citizenzen is right that you should be asking what makes the company unique. Logos don't always need to be based on that statement, but it can be a good starting point. Logos do, however, serve as a launching point for the brand, so you need something strong that can be repeated elsewhere. It could be the font, a colour scheme, or many other things. I've worked on many designs for companies with weak logos (which cannot be changed), and that always makes my job much, much more difficult.

Currently, the only thing the key tells you is that the company has something to do with keys. If "Anykey" is a sort of universal key, you could use a globe as a keychain...

dribbble.com is a great source for ideas, and you'll find some references for keys and other logos there. There are also plenty of design magazines on the market that can provide some inspiration.

Finally, if you decide to use a generic key design, your wordmark is much more important. If that is the case, the text should probably be larger.

PS: Most designers will agree with the others here: you should be using a sketchpad before you touch Photoshop or Illustrator.

 

[cambookpro]

First, you're definitely not too young to be doing this. I've been working in Photoshop and Illustrator since their earliest versions (I was 7 or 8 at the time), and learning the technical aspects of the software now lets you focus on being creative when the these opportunities arise.

citizenzen is right that you should be asking what makes the company unique. Logos don't always need to be based on that statement, but it can be a good starting point. Logos do, however, serve as a launching point for the brand, so you need something strong that can be repeated elsewhere. It could be the font, a colour scheme, or many other things. I've worked on many designs for companies with weak logos (which cannot be changed), and that always makes my job much, much more difficult.

Currently, the only thing the key tells you is that the company has something to do with keys. If "Anykey" is a sort of universal key, you could use a globe as a keychain...

dribbble.com is a great source for ideas, and you'll find some references for keys and other logos there. There are also plenty of design magazines on the market that can provide some inspiration.

Finally, if you decide to use a generic key design, your wordmark is much more important. If that is the case, the text should probably be larger.

PS: Most designers will agree with the others here: you should be using a sketchpad before you touch Photoshop or Illustrator.

Thanks for the advice.
But I was using Photoshop at age 4 lol…

I even remember when CS2 came out! I was like whoah, it has a new icon
But yeah, I'll take the paper and pencil out next time I design anything. Thanks.

 

[ezekielrage_99]

Your doing a think called "tooling", diving into the depths of Photoshop BEFORE you've even got a concept together or understanding the principals of design. I've been in design for nearly ten years now, out of experience when I'm creating a logo 20% is done on computer.

You need to:
1) Research, look what is out there creativewise
2) Get a some ideas together from the research. You should be able to put together 3 solid ideas for logo direction.
3) Sketch out the ideas.
4) Refine the ideas.
5) Do a little more research.
6) Refine the ideas more.
7) THEN start the mock ups in Illustrator NOT Photoshop. Trust me on this it's easier to edit.
8) Show them to the client, they will have ideas
9) Refine logo and repeat 8 about 20 times (min).

I would also suggest taking a look at the following.
10 Common Mistakes
What Makes a Good Logo
Logopond

Seriously read and love the links they WILL help you.

 

[cambookpro]

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Logo aside, here's what our company's doing: