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Recommend a typeface...

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anim8or

anim8or

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 16, 2006
1,362
9
Scotland, UK
Hello all,

I am currently designing a logo for a night club promoter and am stuck on what typeface to use.

The name of the company is 'loki' as in the greek god of mischief.

Can anyone recommend a typeface that may suit such a name for such a company.

Nothing 'cartoony' please
 
anim8or said:
Hello all,

I am currently designing a logo for a night club promoter and am stuck on what typeface to use.

The name of the company is 'loki' as in the greek god of mischief.

Can anyone recommend a typeface that may suit such a name for such a company.

Nothing 'cartoony' please
Click to expand...

Would you like me to design the logo as well? Letterheads? Business cards? A few A5 flyers as well, perhaps?

No, no, don't worry. No charge.

Cheers

Jim
 
Helpful, real helpful.....

I thought this was supposed to be a sharing community, all i am asking for is a little advice!

Typography is not my strong point, so i am asking for a helping hand.

Next time keep your sarcasm to yourself!
 
Not sure how 'greek' you mean...research fraternity/sorority stuff (sometimes they play off of the greek gods/goddesses when they do event t-shirts)

Have fun with it.
 
I'd just do something like this:

Λοκι

lambda, omicron, kappa, iota!

post #2 - you're the sort of person that give designers such a bad reputation for being smug
 
Personally, I'd recommend Comic Sans. It's a typeface that conveys a very classical sense of whimsy. Another option might be to use Times New Roman (but NOT Times! Stay far away from plain Times. It can often appear amatuerish.) Times New Roman features some strong callbacks to Greek typography — especially with the serifs.

(*ahem*)

See what I did there? I took two of the crappiest and most overused fonts and completely justified their use in your project.

My point is this: sometimes a good skill to have is retroactive justification. Especially when you're faced with font indecision.

Make up a reason for using a particular font. Then go with it!
 
Wee Beastie said:
Loki is a Norse god I believe....
Click to expand...

You know what i know, you are correct i dunno why i wrote GREEK!

:eek:

My mind was elsewhere last night when i posted.... hence why greek seemed so obvious at the time! I hadn't considered it because it was not greek gods i was looking at!

Thanks for the kick in the ass (honestly)

:eek:
 
wow designers can be real ass holes sometimes. You know what you lot are obviously "above" all this so just go back to designing your newsletters eh?
 
anim8or said:
You know what i know, you are correct i dunno why i wrote GREEK!

:eek:

My mind was elsewhere last night when i posted.... hence why greek seemed so obvious at the time! I hadn't considered it because it was not greek gods i was looking at!

Thanks for the kick in the ass (honestly)

:eek:
Click to expand...

First thing I'd do is ignore the people who have their panties in a bunch over your first post. While I generally agree with the folks who take exception to being asked to design for free, this simply isn't one of those cases.

Secondly, I would pick a sans serif font and go all lowercase. Just because the name is derived from Norse mythology doesn't mean you have to have a really old-looking font. After all, you're creating a logo that will be used in conjunction with ads for nightclubs.
 
Why don't you post what you've done so far, or the direction you're heading in? It would mean that people have something to start from, and get a feel for the kind of work you do, which might get you a few more specific suggestions.
 
fluidedge said:
I'd just do something like this:

Λοκι

lambda, omicron, kappa, iota!

post #2 - you're the sort of person that give designers such a bad reputation for being smug
Click to expand...

No, it's not about that at all. We work hard as designers to try and make a decent living without being insulted daily for our hard work.

Have you ever been to the site: http://www.no-spec.com/ ?

Guess what, this is the crap we have to endure daily. So when someone comes on here, who is obviously an amateur but wants to try and design their own logo without any experience, and ask us designers to do it for them, yes, we get a little angry and defensive.

Would you go into an architectural forum and ask an architect what type of windows should they use for their design? When in fact they used some lame amateur program to begin with.

No, you wouldn't. Because they worked very hard to get where they're at and guess what? They actually want to be compensated for it. Just like graphic designers. I am sick & tired of seeing jobs on craigslist for spec work. It's insulting and sickening.

It doesn't mean we're a@@holes, it just means we want to be paid for our hard work and our talent. Sorry, but just because you know Photoshop, it does NOT make you a graphic designer.

And by the way, if you want to post a legitimate critique, then post your work in progress. I as well as other designers on here, are more than happy to give the OP a proper critique. Don't ask us the most basic question that ANY professional designer should automatically know, about what font to use.
 
No one has asked for a design. They have simply asked for advice on a font. Designers seem to think their work is of national importance or something they way they take it so seriously. Why do you take offence at someone asking advice on a free forum, if you don't want to give advice then dont, but please don't start with the "stick a broom handle up my bum and i'll sweep the floor too" attitude.
 
There's something to be said about constructive criticism as well...
(which people can build from and learn)...as opposed to cynicism which is rather hard to take when first starting in one's career.

Growing up, I would ask my dad for help with homework.
...His response was always, "Look it up."

I always wished he would at least help point me in the right direction...which is what I try to do when someone needs help.

I don't think the OP was trying to get something for nothing...he just needed a direction to help get started. If I read the post correctly he wasn't looking for someone to design it for him...just some advice. :D
 
fluidedge said:
No one has asked for a design. They have simply asked for advice on a font. Designers seem to think their work is of national importance or something they way they take it so seriously. Why do you take offence at someone asking advice on a free forum, if you don't want to give advice then dont, but please don't start with the "stick a broom handle up my bum and i'll sweep the floor too" attitude.
Click to expand...

Not sure where you got that from, but me myself being a mature person was simply stating the facts. That everyday in our professional careers, we deal with this sort of attitude—and I guess you can't understand this since you're obviously not a professional designer. That's fine, it's evident.

What I do, however, take offense at is how people were continuously remarking at how designers are a@@holes and think their work is above and beyond what everybody else's is. And when you demean it with
"designers seem to think their work is of national importance," then yes, if it's so insignificant, then why do so many people come on here and ask for our advice? Hmmm? No, we're not designing rockets, we're not saving the world one logo at a time, but we are experts in our field, therefore people come here for critiques, advice, troubleshooting, etc. So if YOU think it's so minimal and of no importance, then YOU should not be on here giving advice to something you obviously know so little about.

Grow up.
 
fluidedge said:
No one has asked for a design. They have simply asked for advice on a font. Designers seem to think their work is of national importance or something they way they take it so seriously. Why do you take offence at someone asking advice on a free forum, if you don't want to give advice then dont, but please don't start with the "stick a broom handle up my bum and i'll sweep the floor too" attitude.
Click to expand...

A huge part of being a designer is one's ability to think. If someone is asking for something as basic and as important as typeface selection, it shows a lack of a willingness to conceptualize. And that strikes me as being kind of...well...lazy. And frankly, I'm not about to pimp out my brain to anyone for free.

OP - I strongly encourage to play around with a bunch of different fonts and concepts until you find something that works. There's really no correct answer for a font to use. There are numerous resources on the web for different font styles, as well as for inspiration.

Once you find something, go with it. Another part of being a designer is having some confidence in your work and your abilities. In fact, I encourage you to post your concept here. No one here has any problem with helping out designers by critiquing his or her concepts. The objections come when we're asked to do the conceptual work for designers.
 
SwiftLives said:
A huge part of being a designer is one's ability to think. If someone is asking for something as basic and as important as typeface selection, it shows a lack of a willingness to conceptualize. And that strikes me as being kind of...well...lazy. And frankly, I'm not about to pimp out my brain to anyone for free.

OP - I strongly encourage to play around with a bunch of different fonts and concepts until you find something that works. There's really no correct answer for a font to use. There are numerous resources on the web for different font styles, as well as for inspiration.

Once you find something, go with it. Another part of being a designer is having some confidence in your work and your abilities. In fact, I encourage you to post your concept here. No one here has any problem with helping out designers by critiquing his or her concepts. The objections come when we're asked to do the conceptual work for designers.
Click to expand...

I couldn't have said it better myself!!! :D
 
onegirlcreative said:
Not sure where you got that from, but me myself being a mature person was simply stating the facts. That everyday in our professional careers, we deal with this sort of attitude—and I guess you can't understand this since you're obviously not a professional designer. That's fine, it's evident.

What I do, however, take offense at is how people were continuously remarking at how designers are a@@holes and think their work is above and beyond what everybody else's is. And when you demean it with
"designers seem to think their work is of national importance," then yes, if it's so insignificant, then why do so many people come on here and ask for our advice? Hmmm? No, we're not designing rockets, we're not saving the world one logo at a time, but we are experts in our field, therefore people come here for critiques, advice, troubleshooting, etc. So if YOU think it's so minimal and of no importance, then YOU should not be on here giving advice to something you obviously know so little about.

Grow up.
Click to expand...

Yet when ever someone comes for advice we get 10 replies saying "would you like me to design the logo for you too? - Don't worry no charge"
 
I don't know why half the designers on here bother to post since they're so loathed to give ANY advice to non designers.
 
In all honesty - and I do hate to be so cynical - but it's the non-designers who are taking the food off of the tables of the real designers. So yeah, we can be a little bitter sometimes. And I apologize if it sometimes sounds like we're being elitist. But our profession is one we constantly have to defend and justify. And that gets very tiresome.

We don't mind critiquing others' work - in fact, I rather enjoy it and find it somewhat inspirational. We do mind being asked to actually do work for someone. That crosses the line.

If the OP wants to post an image and ask if we think the font or design is appropriate, we'll be happy to do that. But we - at least I - will not make design choices for him.
 
onegirlcreative said:
No, it's not about that at all. We work hard as designers to try and make a decent living without being insulted daily for our hard work.

Have you ever been to the site: http://www.no-spec.com/ ?

Guess what, this is the crap we have to endure daily. So when someone comes on here, who is obviously an amateur but wants to try and design their own logo without any experience, and ask us designers to do it for them, yes, we get a little angry and defensive.

Would you go into an architectural forum and ask an architect what type of windows should they use for their design? When in fact they used some lame amateur program to begin with.

No, you wouldn't. Because they worked very hard to get where they're at and guess what? They actually want to be compensated for it. Just like graphic designers. I am sick & tired of seeing jobs on craigslist for spec work. It's insulting and sickening.

It doesn't mean we're a@@holes, it just means we want to be paid for our hard work and our talent. Sorry, but just because you know Photoshop, it does NOT make you a graphic designer.

And by the way, if you want to post a legitimate critique, then post your work in progress. I as well as other designers on here, are more than happy to give the OP a proper critique. Don't ask us the most basic question that ANY professional designer should automatically know, about what font to use.
Click to expand...

You need to get off your high horse!

As the thread starter let me explain to you exactly why i posted here!

I trained as an animator for 4 years and graduated with a BA in Visual Communication with Honours a year or so ago.

At no point have i said i am a professional designer!

Since then i have really regretted the decision i made to choose animation over graphic design, i was young and naive and thought 'hey cartoons are fun'!

I wish i could go back and study graphics, now i am starting off trying to find my way and have been lucky enough to be given the chance of some freelance work in graphic design, pays very little but i am just trying to develop myself.

I have no mentor, no person to advise me on anything so i am doing this myself by my own choice with no help....

...now that is where this all comes in.

I simply asked for a recommendation, some advice on typefaces as i am spending alot of time on this project so i can try and win more commissions and i don't want the typeface to let down the rest of the design, which i am really proud of.

Maybe in a few years or more i will be able to 'know' which typeface suits what but right now i am simply asking advice, if you are offended by that then you are obviously a stuck up *******, just like people are saying on this thread.

Would you turn away a junior who works for you because he/she asks for a recommendation, no, i didn't think so, even worse giving them a roasting for asking.

Its people like you who think they are above everyone else that stops those who are in need of some guidance from succeeding and possibly realising their dream, all because of your selfish perspective on a simple matter such as this.
 
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