New User/Looking for feedback

[Zendada]

Hey all. Just found this board today and am very happy I did. I’ve only just skimmed through but already I can tell I will be spending a good deal of time here. Lately all I want to talk about is art/design and this seems like a great outlet/inlet of graphic design information/discussion.

So I’m about to launch my freelance identity and wanted to get some feedback from a large sample of people.

My freelance identity will be Zendada Design. Zendada is a word I came up with after having a realization that, to me anyway, there is some strange parallel between zen philosophy and dada art. I used it as my first screen name way back on AOL and held on to it ever since.

Feedback would be great on two things... the logo itself and the business card design (enlarged due to light weight font.) This will set the tone for the rest of the identity system. I am not japanese for anyone curious.

Thanks in advance!

http://www.zendada.com/images/Untitled-1.gif

[mac.FINN]

Hey Zendada, welcome to the forum. You're right it's a great outlet and inlet.

I really like the design of your card. It's simple and very clean. The only thing is... simple and clean don't really describe Dada. The card is very minimalistic.
I suggest if your company name is going to be ZenDada... then you're stationery should tie into that... and the easiest way to do that would be to go Dada.

Plus, I don't think I've seen many Dada Business cards. A move in this direction could very possibly land you a unique and stunning identity.

Good start - keep it up :D

[chalsema]

The card itself looks nice and clean, but I'm not sure about the logo part of it. When I first saw it I read "dada design." Maybe there's another way to show "dada" without using the word in the logo? Then integrate the Chinese character and the visual representation of dada together? It seems too literal right now. I think there's a better way to pull it all together.

[Logo-Mechanix]

I agree with chalsema I also did not get zendada out of it. If that is the name do not leave anything to the imagination so it will be recognizable at first glance, I also think the whole chinese character thing has been overdone (I bet the chinese don't think that). I think you could use the word zen and incorporate some kind of symbol in another way. I do like the cleanliness of the card though. Most business cards are far too cluttered and this one is open and clean.

[Zendada]

Thanks for the feedback.

The logo issue: I get the “dada design” thing quite a bit so now I am rethinking it. The japanese character means “zen” and I thought having the company name on the card would help make the connection. After looking at it for so long and knowing what it means it comes across clearly to me so this is good feedback. The dada aspect of the logo is simply the word dada slightly tilted, colored red and uses a similar sans-serif font style the dadaists used in their literature.

The card: Seems like this part is successful. The address is not on there because I work from home and don’t want to hand it out to just anyone. There is plenty of contact information on there to reach me. Also, the simplicity of the structure seems zen, and running the type vertically down the left side seems dada-esque, at least to me.


Back to the logo, here are some of the other concepts I was playing with.

http://www.zendada.com/images/z-1.jpg

http://www.zendada.com/images/z-2.jpg

http://www.zendada.com/images/z-3.jpg

cont. next post

[Zendada]

http://www.zendada.com/images/z-4.jpg

http://www.zendada.com/images/z-5.gif

http://www.zendada.com/images/z-6.gif

[Prince Of Pixels]

I like 4 and 5

[chalsema]

I like number 5 also. The circle makes me feel zen, the roughness of the circle reminds me of chinese calligraphy, and having dada upside down makes me think of the randomness of dada. I think this version of the logo is a lot stronger than the first one you posted. Just one thing with this version is the texture of the circle. It might need some tweaking. The little tiny dots that are disconnected from the main circle will most likely get lost when it's scaled down. Just something to think about.

[Rehab]

I like the font usage in 5 it conveys the name much better than any of the others - but I would lose the circle

[PrintDriver]

Brush strokes in a logo.
Well, if that's what you want on your sign, I'll do it. But you better expand it first and get rid of anything under 1/8" square at sign size... and don't ask for 3D parts!

edit: I'm not saying it can't be done. I'm saying you need to keep signage in mind when designing a logo. And how signage is made.

[Zendada]

The Grande Format Digital Print Dude hath spoken!

Thats a really good point to take into consideration. I recently did a nightclub logo design and the sineage (is that how its spelled?) was in the forefront of my mind when developing it.

As logo design goes, you always want something that works in solid K or KO, at any size. But thinking ahead to how it will look 20' high is something I will have to add to my considerations when working on my next logo.

And I am not into the brush stroke stuff for a few more reasons. I mean they are nice and everything, but just not doing it for me.

[1ooScreamingTrees]

#5 reminds me a lot of lucent technologies...it just happens to use a bright red too, so I think that's part of my immediate association.
http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/share/lucent_logo.300x110.gif

I agree with what Rehab has said. Lose the circle in #5 and it's a winner.

[PrintDriver]

^That logo is exactly why I posted. It was a nightmare to cut in vinyl. I've done it a few times. Not all those little bits made it. LOL!

[captain spanky]

i love #5...

simplify the brush stroke slightly to stop the printers moaning (;)) and you're on a winner.. :D

[Prince Of Pixels]

yeah, just simplify it, don't get rid of it.

[mac.FINN]

I suppose #5 is my favourite too - but it still doesn't really say Dada to me. The upside down text helps... but when I think of Dada I think

http://www.betaland.net/images/0505/Schwitters.Dada.jpg

These cards are too organized and structured. Perhaps ZENDADA (upside down) is you're logo - which works. Then make the card DADA art - they're still too minimalistic.

[PrintDriver]

Dada wasn't all about clutter.
There is something extremely minimilistic about DuChamps "Fountain". LOL!

[mac.FINN]

lol ^ true enough. Maybe she could encorporate something similar on the card.

[Zendada]

First, thanks everyone for actually taking the time to give me feedback. Its really great to have GDF for this purpose alone not to mention all the other great discussions and resources. Hopefully I can return the favor with constructive advice.

Second, after all that, I’m going with the original! Being the customer in this case I decided to go with what is the most visually pleasing to my eye. Its a risk, I know, and one I am going to take. At this stage its only me doing freelance so in the future if things change the identity can too depending on its success or failure.

Third, I’m a dude, dude.

[mac.FINN]

Third, I’m a dude, dude.

That's the spirit!

j/k - sorry man.