personal logo update

[SnowAngel]

So here it is:

^^snip^^

sorry gang...back to the drawing board! :D

[cjoe]

interesting idea

[cmont]

Weird, I know you posted something but for some reason the image doesnt show up on my laptop. I guess i'll have to check on my desktop.

[CamarotaDesign]

hmm, I could go either way on this. On one hand you got the whole royal crest thing going, and instead of the typical image the put in them its got computer signs, so thats cool, very interesting. On the otherhand, they kinda get lost in the design, so its not going to work well as a stand alone logo, but it probably can work very well in conjuction with other material. My main suggestion is to present it very dazzling. make it golden and shiny, give it shadings on the lions, really make it pop out. Or you could go with a line-art effect. Make it look like an old engraving or wood print like this. (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/%7Eplumleysofcentraltx/images/Newton%20Family%20Crest.gif)

Its definately a very unique idea worth pursuing till you've refined it to perfection. Also, this would be a great project to bust out some flourishes (http://www.youworkforthem.com/images/eps/E0098/E0098_05.gif)on.

[Samakimoto Graphics]

You've done a great job!

Let's see it in black and white to get a feeling of how the elements work.

[SurfPark]

I say strip this logo down. Not so many lines or colors. How well is this going to translate when you have the grayscale it or shrink it? Also, can you achieve a crest look without having all the details? To me your logo is actually inside the crest. I'd work on developing those interior logos and either ditch the crest or simplify it to bring out the center more.

[SnowAngel]

Thanks everyone, for your feedback. Perhaps this might help if I put the image in context - :)

[cj2a]

It's looking better in context, however I'm with the others in that I would recommend stripping away the fine line outline and reworking your images to work as flat color with no outline...it's the really fine detail combined with the bold blocks of color that's creating the problem, IMO.

[Broacher]

The concept could work-- I'm not nuts about the execution. Any Corel user recognizes the look from the tons of heraldic crests that come with their clipart collection--and that's, unfortunately, what I think of when I see what you've got here. Of course, the other potential problem could be that you might be offending some 'real' member of whatever heraldic group uses the particular eagle, lion, etc. that you've adopted.

I think Camarota is pointing you on the right track to take it to a much more personalized level and hand draw it in some kind of style that shows you know much more than simply gene-splicing clipart.

[SnowAngel]

It's not clipart. It was hand-drawn then rendered in Illustrator.

Thanks to all for the comments so far.

Okay, here's another: now, I've stripped off all the fancy stuff - I think that what's making it 'cliparty' - and that's the LAST thing I want it to look like. It was getting a little too complex. Besides, it was a good point made that I was losing my main components - those three circles in the middle of the crest. That was to be my focus, not the frills. Camerota, I like your suggestion of the old print look and the flourishes. :)

http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/7605/crestlogostripdownio1.th.jpg (http://img60.imageshack.us/my.php?image=crestlogostripdownio1.jpg)

[typographics]

the banner is too big. it dwarfs the crest. and whats that orange thingy behind it?

i would suggest loosing "creo semder" and replace it with "snowdon graphics". after all, this is a logo for your company, and right now there is no relationship between the mark and the type.

i think you are trying to be too literal with your three circles. for this crest idea to work, i think you need to come up with a single graphic to reside within the crest.

[Broacher]

Good suggestion. The three discrete symbols in their circles create another level of wheels within wheels. It almost looks like the pencil--mouse cord is connecting. The tough thing will be that camera iris, as it's not something inside something-- it is something. But it's another degree of separation. Something more weaving? A golden thread, as it were. Losing the lions and eagles was a good step.

Another direction might be to more actively play with the whole parameters of the form. Heraldry probably has more arcane and strict rules to it's design, than most other things. Is there something you can 'bend' or totally twist to help convey the message that you understand the rules, but are not shy at cleverly bending them? I don't know what that would be, but I'm talking about anything that introduces 'twist' into the concept. It's quite literal and... conservative right now. Banner wording? Perhaps, an interesting contrast of the crest itself with an unexpected background image or texture? Do you know what I'm trying to say? I mean, it could be something very simple-- like ditching the 'expected' designer symbols for something more 'inside'-- I don't know, swatch books, coffee cup, post-it notes? See, at least there you're playing the contrast of the 'official' form against the 'unofficial' toolage.

[SnowAngel]

Gads, broacher. You kinda lost me - but thanks! Maybe I'm having a 'duh' moment, being a blonde, :D but I'll try going through it again and see if I can get it.

edit: alright - so it's the predictability of the icons that you're critiquing? Am I correct? lol...if I change them to 'untradional' then the comments will be 'what do those things have to do with design?' That's the thing - with designing and presenting a logo for someone who designs - it's all pretty much been done. The only thing to make it unique is something that has absolutely nothing to do with design. Like a character, animal or abstract.

Here's another iteration - now, there's only so much I can do since the original file and software is at home. But I'm eager to have something simple, yet outstanding. I'm thinking the wheels were better conveyed without the colour.

http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/6349/crestlogostripdown2bf6.th.jpg (http://img66.imageshack.us/my.php?image=crestlogostripdown2bf6.jpg)

LOL...honestly, at this point, I'd be happy with just the 'snowdon graphics' header...simple. Unimaginative, yes, but simple.

[CamarotaDesign]

then maybe you oughtta do that. Im thinking the 3 design images in the middle put on the side of your header is not a bad idea.

I really did like the super fancy crest idea more though. However I think the technical ability level to pull that off would take someone who is very experienced with that type of artwork. And would more than likely need to be done first on an engraviging or print, and then scanned in and edited on the computer.... talking hours of work.

I really like the idea of giving off a sense of royalty and heritage in a graphic design brand, everything these days wants to look hip and new. A design that can succesfully merge old and new styles to give a sense of spanning across centuries is an extremely impacting design.



LOL...honestly, at this point, I'd be happy with just the 'snowdon graphics' header...simple. Unimaginative, yes, but simple.