A class project/assignment logo

[Navian]

The class is: Art Direction for Advertising.

This is the last design class I have left. I have this term, which is 10 weeks, and one other term left. Then I am done with school. (It will be my 2nd Associates)

The project is to do another "business identity" which is cool for portfolio work.

The business (all fake) type was chosen by brainstorming session, it is a coffee shop (I didnt want to do a coffee shop, and tried to plead my case, since coffee shops have been "done" do death.) and the name chosen was "Rendezbrew".

The teacher, will be the: Client, and Art director. Grade is based off of overall end package.

The following logo (different colors), is after the sketching stage, it still needs fine tuning (i know it needs kerning ect..). The "fake" location would be on a corner of a building in a populated downtown city (actual location, doesnt matter).

I want to know if it says/feels "coffee shop" from you coffee drinkers, since I don't drink coffee (think the stuff stinks, and tastes awful, so I dont buy it nor go into the shops that sell it).

Here it is:
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/6255/rendebrewhb9.png

Just remember its still in the concept stage.

I know rendez (second e) does not have the accent mark, but I wanted it to feel some what French, and felt that with out it, it didnt feel like it had a French feel, so I put it in.

[popejoydesign]

While I applaud you for your goals and work you put into this...it just looks like an oval with some words in it. The colors say coffee shop but I think you can be much "trendier" or abstract. Try using an icon to incorporate into the name...a coffee cup/mug something even more abstract that connects the type with the icon with the coffee shop.

It's a great name but you are relying on just the name to make the impact that a logo makes, most great logo's, ones that get recognized, have some kind of symbol or icon that people can identify with.

While I know type only logos can and do work, but I think they have to be well thought out and designed. The "the" and the "coffee shop" text looks skewed and too thin to read anyway, remember when reducing the logo to small enough to put on business card you want to keep the legibility. I just don't feel that there has been enough work or research done for this logo...just my opinion as a designer/director.

[Navian]

While I applaud you for your goals and work you put into this...it just looks like an oval with some words in it. The colors say coffee shop but I think you can be much "trendier" or abstract. Try using an icon to incorporate into the name...a coffee cup/mug something even more abstract that connects the type with the icon with the coffee shop.

The coffe mug/cup has been done IMO, I wanted to stay simple yet clean. I'm plum out of ideas.. my wife (usualy helps me with good ideas), couldnt think of one either.. we brainstormed for a few hours. :(

It's a great name but you are relying on just the name to make the impact that a logo makes, most great logo's, ones that get recognized, have some kind of symbol or icon that people can identify with.

While I know type only logos can and do work, but I think they have to be well thought out and designed. The "the" and the "coffee shop" text looks skewed and too thin to read anyway, remember when reducing the logo to small enough to put on business card you want to keep the legibility. I just don't feel that there has been enough work or research done for this logo...just my opinion as a designer/director.

There is alot to work from but everything has been done for "coffee shops" its really hard to figure out something that "sticks out" and has a "french" feel.

There is one other concept I was going to use, a coffee cup stain (the left overs on a coffe table), I hate coffee, so you see my delema? lol

I have till Thursday to have something. lol. I'm racking my brain to come up with something.

Edit* Why does a logo always have to have to be an icon/symbol?

I told them the coffee shop idea was stupid. no one listens to me. lol

[Logo-Mechanix]

It's just an opinion but I'm not liking the font too plain for my taste and also far too light, you want the name to jump at you. I think the font for "the coffee shop" is fine but the name needs to be more noticable. I like the colors chosen they definitely say coffee but the font needs som more thought.

[steve-o]

If you want to stay with the oval, why not widen it up to look more like a coffee bean, perhaps?

[Danger_Mouse]

Google Tim Hortons, they have an oval shaped logo that is recognized by any Canadian as it is the dominant coffee shop in Canada. They have a few variations of it.

Your logo kinda reminded me of it as it would look good on a coffee cup. Maybe what you have already done just needs a little glamor.(embossed text, highlights, etc.) to make it a little more punchy. Less flat. See where I'm getting at?

If its french look you want, why not use a french font (scripty style).

Just suggestions.

[Exodus]

I agree with LM. I really do not like the font used for the name. Maybe try a coffee bean in the background. Keep it slightly transparent and have the copy line on top. To get the "french feel" try playing with more elegant serif fonts. Also, the other copy lines ("the" and "coffee shop") try making them a little bolder but not too thick. You want it to stand out more than what you have currently without being overpowering and conflicting with the actual name.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

[Danger_Mouse]

There is one other concept I was going to use, a coffee cup stain (the left overs on a coffe table), I hate coffee, so you see my delema? lol

I did that exact thing for a coffee shop logo once. I had my own coffee on some papers and it leaked and left and dirty circle on the paper. I scanned it and used in logo. Looked great and was easily recognizable.

[Navian]

It's just an opinion but I'm not liking the font too plain for my taste and also far too light, you want the name to jump at you. I think the font for "the coffee shop" is fine but the name needs to be more noticable. I like the colors chosen they definitely say coffee but the font needs som more thought.

My second font choice is a serif/typewriter font.

I dont need "the" or "Coffee shop" just felt that they would help.

[patkennedy78]

I skimmed through the thread and 2 thoughts come to mind.

1. The name Rendezbrew is a hybrid of Rendezvous and brew. Rendezvous is about people coming together to meet, and obviously meet for coffee. I don't see that angle explored at all. What do people do when they meet for coffee, do they sit, stand, who are theses people(hipsters, business people, neighborhood people, where do they sit, under an umbrella, a bench on the street, is the building they meet at brick, there are so many questions i'd ask that would pose a lot of visual answers. I think the coffee aspect of coffee shops has been done to death(Use Your Bean, Common Grounds, The Daily Grind, etc) but the activity at coffee shops is less explored. WHAT are people doing there and WHY are they there is important.

2. Check under the GDF articles for the article by Paul Rand. It's such a GREAT article. He explians how a logo is a unique identifier of the business. Think about that for a while, unique identifier, soooo very important. As it stands I wouldn't remember this coffee shop logo, but I would remember it's name. I think the name is unique, and I'd play on that more.

Keep exploring these ideas.

Oh, and stick with black and white until your design is finalized. You can really get lost in color picking / theroy. Color adds to the design, so design first.

Hope it helps.

[Navian]

So work the name into a logo?

I understand the black and white simplicity stuff, I've started with that. I have about 15 quick thumb nail sketches or so I also have to do a stylized sheet at the end (ie kind of like a college logo, reproduction info, and legal uses.) I needed to pick my color scheme, I have to carry it from not only the logo, but to a letterhead, business card, envelope, but I also have to do a advertisement.

I guess I'm going to start from scratch on the concepts. doesnt seem like this ones work'n. ;)

[Danger_Mouse]

I have to carry it from not only the logo, but to a letterhead, business card, envelope, but I also have to do a advertisement.

If this were a real job, you also more than likely be doing it for their coffee cups, napkins etc etc as well. I immediately thought the logo would be for a Sign, coffee cups, or napkins since this would be where your logo would be seen the most in this type of business. More like packaging design.

[Navian]

thats the other uses we would have to use it for, but for now it is just have to have the business package.

[Deef]

Hi Navian. I can see you have had a lot of feedback so far so I'll just comment on the original conecpts you posted.
The font for "The Coffee Shop" is nice but I really don't like the font for "Rendezbrew". It doesn't say coffee or french to me. The colours on the top work best for me. The dark oval is a nice frame.
I wonder if you would straightened, pulled together the "coffee shop" text and move closer to "Rendezbrew". I can see why you've done it but I think it loses at bit of punch as it is. I honestly can't say why but it just does.
I hope this is of some help. Good luck.

Cheers.

[Navian]

Okay since I wanted to stay simple with this logo, I flooded my brain with images of different coffee shop logos, different coffee cup styles, french lates/capacinos (for french style cups), coffee bean(s), coffee plants and sprigs (small branch with few leaves and a few beans), I went to a few stock photography sites looking at images of mugs/cups.

I even took one out here at home. Staring at the thing.. I even looked at images of inside coffee shops. Again flooded my brain with "coffee" images.

Then I started to sketch again, for another concept. I think I have it.. Not sure. This is just the icon. (glad I took those Industrial Design classes.)

SO first set: (1/2/3)
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/6255/rendebrewhb9.png

And here is the second set: (Left-1/2/3 | Right-1/2/3)
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/2149/rendebrewgi5.png

I need some advice on a font, I'm not having any luck matching a font style with the logo style.

Just as a reminder, the words "The" & "Coffee" and/or "Shop" are optional.
Should I use: The Rendezbrew / The Rendezbrew Coffee / Rendezbrew Coffee / Rendezbrew Coffee Shop / The Rendezbrew Coffee Shop / or just: Rendezbrew ?

*edit* lol go ahead laugh, there swooshes. :eek: not! I still have my french curve from my drafting classes that I used to simplify and smooth the curves. Curves rule. :p

[Deef]

Slight change of direction huh.

Nice.
I hope you don't think this too cheeky but I tweeked (very roughly) one of the new ideas.
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/494/rendezbrewcp7.jpg
The font is Harrington. And I guess You noticed the dark brown stroke around the logo. It kinda finishes it of better for me.

I really am struggling with the font. I think it's because I really don't like the name. Which isn't very helpful I know.
I did have an idea that may give you some food for thought. When I think coffee shop I think newpapers and reading a good book particularly over here Scotland/Europe.

Cheers.

[Samakimoto Graphics]

I like the ideas ideas that bring "home" the coffee shop- newpaper and/or books. Let's see some ideas in that direction.

Personally I'm against this concept of a coffee/tea cup- over done.

[Deef]

Samakimoto. Good idea.


Cheers.

[PrintDriver]

Navian-

Looking at your first examples, the text that follows the track of the oval looks "stressed" like it's been made to fit the arc where it doesn't really want to go.

Also rethink using lower case letters. The p in Shop is the only descender and it's throwing off the border spacing.

Brown, cream, and other variations of 'coffee-color' are seriously overdone. The pastel nature of the colors is a current trend that is also getting seriously overdone. Think about how this will look as a sign along a city street. Will it stand out? Or blend into the stonework around it. Coffee shops don't have to be brown. DunkinDonuts and Starbucks come to mind immediately.

On your other attempts with the coffee cup, unless you have a 'gimmick' it's just another coffee cup. Try not to think so literally perhaps.

[capezio]

Just as a reminder, the words "The" & "Coffee" and/or "Shop" are optional.
Should I use: The Rendezbrew / The Rendezbrew Coffee / Rendezbrew Coffee / Rendezbrew Coffee Shop / The Rendezbrew Coffee Shop / or just: Rendezbrew ?


Are you aloud "Café Rendezbrew" with or without the accent. Just a thought


"Café Rendezbrew
Just filter through"

Sorry being silly now I'll stop :D

[Navian]

Lol, I was all against the idea of doing a coffee shop, I put forth a good fight and argument against it, there is not alot 1 person can do when 8 other people in the class want to do a coffee shop. Shoot I was going to do my own thing, but majority vote killed it for me. I know the whole coffee shop is done to death. I also know there is not really a whole lot of variations/directions I can go. How many different ways can you make a coffee shop logo? its tough as hell.

Do a google image search on Coffee Shop Logo and Coffee Shop Logos, aswell as other images.. even the images of Inside coffee shops. remember I personally hate coffee, so this is though for me as it already is.

I never got to the end of the list, I went as far as page 53 last night. Everyone of those other shops/businesses had some sort of coffee cup/tea cup/coffee bean in the logo.

Thats funny Deef. Lol I origionally went with that harrington font (love the style of it), then I decided to see what everyone else thought.



Edit* More comments would be great, I'll present them (the sugestions) to the class to night, and explain, yet again, why the coffee shop idea was stupid. The other options where not looking to good when the voting went out, it was skating shop, tatoo & piercing, and coffee shop. 3 things I dont do, I mean what a choice, Grundge, goth, and coffee.

Was also going to mention that, I chose not to use a coffee bean, because when you simplify the looks of one to simple lines, it looks like butt cheaks. The coffee beans is an ugly shape IMO.

[PrintDriver]

watch your kerning.

Don't just look at 'Coffee Shops'. Think Bistro or Cafe as well. Those aren't all stuck in the brown yuck coffee bean rut.

[Navian]

I guess my biggest issue, is how do you express/represent coffee with out using the things that are associated with it, the cup, the bean, the brown colors?

I was going to use a brewing pot, but it looked kinda dumb.

Since everything has been done, I mean what other options are out there that represent, gets you to feel coffee? I know starbucks doesnt, but they have a reputation to back up there identity.

Guess I'm stressing to much about it.

[budafist]

The cup image is much better, but pretty boring as far as coffee shops go. Think of a new concept and then go from there.

[Navian]

The cup image is much better, but pretty boring as far as coffee shops go. Think of a new concept and then go from there.

I do something with it, I dont know what...

We have a pretique (wierd word) before a critique on the logo decision, tonight.

[biosensor]

i was looking at this and i was thinking about what someone said about it being a place where people meet together, what if you did a logo with people sitting around talking like 2 people sitting around a table drinking coffee...
i dont know im the new guy here just throwing around ideas...

[Navian]

i was looking at this and i was thinking about what someone said about it being a place where people meet together, what if you did a logo with people sitting around talking like 2 people sitting around a table drinking coffee...
i dont know im the new guy here just throwing around ideas...

Ideas are good. My only concern with 2 people sitting at a table drinking coffee, would you get the idea if it was oh.... printed on a pen? How do you simplify that to an image (logo sizes should be started at about 2" x 2" - an instructor told me that base measurment as a guide.)

[Deef]

Nivian. Following on from what biosensor suggested. (I'm sorry in advance if this is NOT what you ment biosensor).

This might be a direction you could take that.

This by the way, it took as long to draw as it looks. Just a concept. I can produce better. Not much better mind. but a little.

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/1715/renderzbrew2fx4.jpg

[Craig B]

The only bit of advice I have is that Starbucks logo uses none of the "standard" coffee icons (cup, beans, etc.) ...

What does coffeee represent to the people that drink it? Does it represent independence? solace? energy? connections? socializing? waking up in the morning? reading a great book? kicking back? nature?

Really go out on a limb and try to think of a way of expressing what it's all about to knock back a cup of coffee. It's no guarantee, but push that boundary ... I guarantee you it'll help.

[Navian]

The only bit of advice I have is that Starbucks logo uses none of the "standard" coffee icons (cup, beans, etc.) ...

What does coffeee represent to the people that drink it? Does it represent independence? solace? energy? connections? socializing? waking up in the morning? reading a great book? kicking back? nature?

Really go out on a limb and try to think of a way of expressing what it's all about to knock back a cup of coffee. It's no guarantee, but push that boundary ... I guarantee you it'll help.

See, I dont know what coffee represents. Thats what I've been saying, I dont drink it. I dont go to these places even if I wanted to.

Its not my thing. Everyone else in my class does.

See my delema?

I dont even like the hot cocoa (or prices) at coffee shops, they usually have dark chocolate, and I think dark chocolate is way to bitter.

Yes I've tasted coffee, so the first thing I did when I taste it, is spit it out. I dont know what its like to sit in a coffee shop and sip on a cup of coffee. Nor do I wish to.

I'm just having a hard time with the whole "coffee shop" idea, and how to design an image/logo for it, that I dont even relate to.

As everyone has said, its been done, I know that. Again I wish I could change it or have convinced the rest.

I dont want to sound irritated or pissy I'm thankfull and appriciate that you guys/gals took time to give some advice/information. I feel like I just spent hours looking at a Where's Waldo book, found him in every one of the pages, except the last one, going through each face (thought), looking to spot him, thinking "is that him?", or "I swear I saw it, no? damn".

I'm just having a hard time dealing with this stupid project, because no one would listen to me in the class. We where kind of backed into it, the teacher said we had a choice, do it ourselves individually, or a group but not both.

Once I noticed people where voting on the coffee shop.

I've been at this school almost 5 terms (10 weeks each) everyone else in the class are in there 3rd terms (they do wierd things with the class schedules), I have an upper hand, advice from you awsome-experienced folks.

We'll find out to night what everyone says. I'll let you know the results, or if I come up with a different version.

Now off to general psychology with my wife (yes she goes to the same school, and we ended up in the same class, yay! pyschology with your wife http://www.luclin.info/forum/images/smiles/help.gif ) and we are grouped with 2 other dumbasses, we where givin a group project (present a chapter of a section), and those other two basically told us, "you guys get to present it". BS I'll make sure they don't get a grade for it.

Don't do the work, don't get paid.

Thanks guys. /sigh http://www.luclin.info/forum/images/smiles/tooheavy.gif

[morea]

sounds like you could use some tips from coffee drinkers:

coffee = comfort, an excuse to socialize, relaxing (yeah, I know it contains caffeine, but still), soothing, warm, familiar/routine, artistic (little cafes are so artsy, lol), simple

anybody else?

[silky]

I was an ex-coffee drinker but I switched to tea because of caffeine content. Whenever I see good packaging for these kind of drinks, it compells me to buy it. I think coffee or tea branding is most successful if based on atmosphere and mood. Like what morea describes. I think if you use some old-fashion yet modern elements into your design it would be very pleasing to the coffee drinker's eye and makes them sigh for a cup.

I'm not drawn to modern looking branding because somehow the loss of detail says there is not enough attention and time in making their coffee, unless you are Dunkin Donuts aiming at people in a hurry looking for a morning jolt. If this is a gourmet kind of coffee, detail and atmosphere is extremely important.

This is the logo designer of Starbucks. They make good drink product logos IMO. It's modern yet it captures the atmosphere. Check out the Terravida one (click WORK then IDENTITY) This company has good concepts.

http://www.hadw.com/

I can't offer much advice on logos because I pretty much suck at that.

[PrintDriver]

Dunkin donuts is orange an purple. They only just recently started using a styrofoam cup icon.

You are thinking too hard.

[budafist]

This would be a fun project if only you thought outside coffee clipart.

[PrintDriver]

Don't think about how much you don't like coffee.
And consider it practice for the real world where you don't get to like all your projects. Just be happy you have the creative freedom NOT to have to make it brown with a coffee cup. If this was for a real client that's probably exactly what they'd want.

[Samakimoto Graphics]

I'll narrow it down some for you.

I like the direction you have taken with the last concept there- the two people with the cup between them. Don't totally discount the traditional elements that represent coffee - coffee beans, cups, steam, costers, cup stains, teaspoons, etc. Pick two elements - say the coffee bean and the steaming cup, the raw form of coffee and the final product - combine these into an abstract to get a unified concept.

Sketch, sketch...don't worry about fine details at this point, just sketch.

Remember to work all in Black and white so you are not distracted by the colours, leave the colors for last.

[capezio]

You say you don't like coffee never tasted it etc...

So how about if you desgin to entice yourself, what would get you interested and maybe other young people 18 - 24 yrs say.

Think about fairtrade, the carribean the bright vibrant colours.... go abstract, Orange yellow green. (brown is so boring I know its the new black but....)

Look at the information on the cafe direct website about fairtrade and ethical coffee, make your shop young vibrant, ethical and whatever else pushes YOUR buttons.

[silky]

color is not the most important thing. Don't forget about concept. Next comes the color. It must look good in b/w too.

[Navian]

We didnt do a critique or a pretique (teachers made up word), so I have all weekend to do something with this.

Now I didnt say I never tasted coffee, I did say that I did taste it and Hated it.

You have to keep in mind the setting (this whole project is fictional) is in a downtown (busy) business environment, so the image/style/logo has to work basically for the morning crowd, because you know that is where they are going to make most of their money.

I started looking into the words:

(going back the thought processes of industrial design)..

The name: Rendezbrew

Breaking it down to the root words (for me later on to think about) by meaning and relationship with not only the words, but about the coffee.

www.dictionary.com says that 'rendezvous' means:
(French origin)
–noun
1. an agreement between two or more persons to meet at a certain time and place.
2. the meeting itself.
3. a place designated for a meeting or assembling, esp. of troops or ships.
4. a meeting of two or more spacecraft in outer space.
5. a favorite or popular gathering place.

–verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
6. to assemble at an agreed time and place.

--------------------

Now for 'brew':
(from middle english- brewen, old english- breowan, and indo-european-bhreu, origins)
–verb with object
1. to make (beer, ale, etc.) by steeping, boiling, and fermenting malt and hops.
2. to make or prepare (a beverage, as tea) by mixing, steeping, soaking, or boiling a solid in water.
3. to concoct, mix, or cook (a beverage or food, esp. one containing unmeasured or unusual ingredients): She brewed a pot of soup from the leftovers.
4. to contrive, plan, or bring about: to brew mischief.

–verb (used without object) 5. to make a fermented alcoholic malt beverage, as beer or ale.
6. to boil, steep, soak, or cook: Wait until the tea brews.

–noun 7. a quantity brewed in a single process.
8. a particular brewing or variety of malt liquor.
9. a hot beverage made by cooking a solid in water, esp. tea or coffee.
10. any concoction, esp. a liquid produced by a mixture of unusual ingredients: a witches' brew.
11. Informal. a. beer or ale.
b. an individual serving of beer or ale: Let's have a few brews after the game.

–Idiom
12. be brewing, to be forming or gathering; be in preparation: Trouble was brewing.

---

It seems from what I've been told, is rendezvous is a two part word, like 'can not', so I decided to research the root of the word.. It is French. So I took the rendzevous to two different translation sites. Technically rendezvou is two seperate words, rendez and vous (right? was told by coworker whom spent 2 years in france, LDS mission.)

The first site (altavista.com babel fish translation) doesnt render a translation for the word rendezvous as a whole.
rendez translated to: return
vous translated to: you

I looked at a second translation site (translation-guide.com)
rendez translated to: efficiency, output, yield.
vous translated: you, yourselves.

So I thought I'd better do a 3rd translation site (freetranslation.com)
rendez translated to: return
vous translated to: you

So in conlusion on the translations, rendez means (by consistancy) return, and vous means you, (you return, I think ), however the english dictionary does NOT define rendez, and vous, BUT it does define rendezvou as: the meeting itself, that is designated by an agreement between two or more people at a specific time.

Since brew can be a cold or hot drink, the meaning of the word Rendezbrew would be: return for a drink?

With that said, and what a few of you folks, where saying the aspects of a coffee shop, is a place to meet people, socialize, and its a place to sit down and enjoy a beverage (coffee/tea/cocoa/cider). With Rendezbrew being return for a drink, and it being a social place, this image just popped in my head, one everyone knows.

http://www.click2amuse.com/fun/optical/images/tn/profile.gif

alternate smooth profile version saw (napavalleysupportservices.org)
http://www.napavalleysupportservices.org/nvsslogo.jpeg

Something to get inspiration off of. I know about the color thing. but it will have to be. I have to create a style sheet (rules for using/reproducing) for it.

Linked Dunkin donuts logo:
https://www.dunkindonuts.com/images/global/logo_main.gif

I'm again, looking at more photos of the insides of coffee shops (styles, layouts ect..), coffee cup shapes, coffee beans, more logos, and I'm even looking at the coffee plant: Coffea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffea).

You are thinking too hard.

Yes I do. Wish I can turn it off sometimes.

[Craig B]

Navian, I'm with you. When I offered you advice to think about what the whole coffee shop experience is I'm in the same boat. I hate coffee. I've never liked it and I think it's insane that people spend $6 or $7 on coffee ... but Morea gave some good advice on what it means to her.

I like how your new logos are moving away from the iconic coffee images (beans, cups, etc.), but I think you need to just sit down an sketch until your hand falls off. The one comes across as too much of a wine goblet (even though I know you were trying to show the "optical illusion" of two people facing each otehr as well.) ... and the seocnd one is a little too dreamy, make-a-wsih.

I think you're over thinking it. But I like how you're starting to break away from the expected. Keep pushing it.

[Navian]

:p Those other images (optical illusions & profile) where just inspiriational ideas to get the ideas flowing, I just found them off the internet, I'm going to use this thread as a reference when I get home to work on it more.

The reason for the optical illusion was to get an idea of how to represent meeting, in a simple way, the curve side profile was a different variation i could work with as the optical illusion, as the wine glass faces are too sharp imo.

Once I get inspiration, general shapes, curves ect.. I'll bust out the french curves again, and I do more sketches when I get home..

I started reading my

This whole coffee project is driving me crazy, and as far as thinking to much.
Well, if you dont think, how do you think ( :p ) you can think up an idea with out thinking? (theres something to think about. :) ).

I have so many ideas poping in my head, I have to weed them out. and to weed them out I need to see/feel what elements, shapes, curves/lines are associated with these coffee places. Since Im basically starting over with a new concept, I've just did: verbal research, now I'm on image research, last night we did a case study (I'll do a couple more places this weekend.)

My job is a drafter, if I dont think while I work on these CAD drawings, I'll mess them up.

Right now, I'm routing power lines over/through and under some fuel pipes. eek. details details details.

Edit* no offense to everyone, but I think some of ya are missing some details in my posts. :p

[Craig B]

power lines and fuel, I'm guessing, is probably not a good mix.

Seriosuly thoguh, good luck to you. And I don't think any of us is saying stop thinking, it's just sometimes you can sit and think about something so much that you don't even know where to start. Sometimes just sketching without really slowing down to think is a great way to get some good ideas out.

[Navian]

I understand what your saying. (just giving ya a hard time craig. ;) )

Through the design process of industrial design (product shapes ect..) you need to see the basic shapes, lines and curves. Keeping something feeling ergonomic will alot of the times be very aesthetic aswell.

Im not quite to the sketching stage (since I did kind of start over), doing it right this time, instead of jumping the gun, like I did on the first two.


*Self notes*
What Ive been seeing is alot of the majority of coffee logos are in a circle shape or a circular band (ring), I'm even looking into something related to Deefs design (2 people at a table, having coffee).

Maybe using a form of the "dreamy face" and a cup of coffee, dont know yet. Think of someone holding a cup of coffee, closing there eyes, and taking a deep smell of the fresh brew.

With what I've researched with the words and going with what Morea said, what if rendezbrew could also mean, to return for a drink to reflect in ones mind and thoughts. Instead of with other people? Something like a meditation.

[Craig B]

I like the thought of meditaiton and personal reflection. I think the name lends itself fairly well to that. I kind of like the perosn closing their eyes and taking a deep smell of the brew, I'd be curious to see how that holds up.

You'll be fine. I'm looking forward to where thsi leads.

I also think circles and ovals are fine to stick with, but don't feel like you need to.

[WannaBrie]

I read your previous post where you researched the roots of the words, while I think that sometimes this can be very effective, in this case, I think you might be overthinking it a bit. I understand how hard it can be to design something for a thing you detest (or at least have no real interest in, I did it everyday for years and still have to do a lot of things that don't interest me in the least)That said, I think you should remember that this is an assignment (correct me if I'm wrong) for a target audience that is primarily english speaking? If so, most of them will associate the (half word) rendez- with rendezvous-and if they do- they will think "meeting" or "date". Brew-they will think-coffee- (or beer, maybe, LOL) anyway, try to Keep it simple...try brainstorming...friends, meeting over coffee (although in your thoughts, since you hate coffee-think beer? ) anyway what I mean is...your original idea of the two faces was good...incorporate that with a steaming mug somehow...I know this is hard, but believe me its nothing compared to the crap I had to churn out my first 3 yrs as a designer!! Anyway, good luck and I think you are on your way to a good logo...

[Navian]

Well, we had our logo critique last night. I didnt have enough time to get a 3rd version out (I was pretty busy during the weekend with a potential first time client - for me.). So I had to turn something in. I turned the 2nd (cup) logo. I didn't think it turned out as bad. After others showed there logos I had to bite my tongue, nothing like looking at logos that looked as if a 2nd grader drew and colored them. Wish I had pictures of them, everyone here would have a good laugh.

[Exodus]

Did they design them with crayons and construction paper? ;)

[Navian]

I think so.. There where 3 people who had the logo files as a PSD files. lol

I thought it was funny cause the teacher asked "so does anyone else have any comments?". I had bit my tongue and tried to hold back what I really thought and wanted to say.

When I gave good comments to improve there logos, they shot down the idea. So I thought "good luck with a turd", however I used the Harrington font, and they shot it down, saying it was too much of a "beer" feel.

Any sugestions on a different font? people in my class where saying a thin san serif font.

Another thing I thought was wierd is I'm in my 8th term (9 terms, I was on part time classes), and most of these guys where in there 3rd term (yeah, so the school pancaked-up on the schedules). When class got out and I was walking with my wife to the car, I told her that I couldnt believe that all they had against my logo was a font that didnt work, yet they turned in piles of monkey crap.

This class is one of the advanced classes (next to production methods, and business and marketing for GD) its called: Art Direction for Advertising.

[Abagail]

Hey, I just put up a new site, eikographics.com, with plenty of cool graphics. Does anyone have a good advice about putting a video stream together with a flash player? I appreciate your comments and suggestions! Thanks a lot in advance!

Abagail

[Exodus]

Abagail, start your own thread instead of hijacking one. ;)