issilah logo - please crit

[budafist]

Brief from client: feminine, possibly script, asian, or natural looking without going "too" Asian - whatever that means.

The client is a Korean American poet/performer who wants to set up a company for her projects. These might include shows, books and events. She is very woman, very Korean and very New York. She is branching out into writing music.

Her current website and branding features browns, golds and white and is very feminine. I didn't actually want to go too feminine because I worry that would cut out a lot of her potential audience. She specifically said she likes the soju label (http://www.yannick-daffaud.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/soju.gif) which has bamboo on it.

Let me know what you think.
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/7861/issilahlogoconceptsrn2.jpg

[GraphixNPrint]

given the project details;

1, 2, 3 and 5 look too commercial to me (at first 5 caught my eye before I read the outline of the project)

after reading;

4 has more of an entertainment/production company look - this would be my starting point

[urstwile]

4 is my favorite as well. :)

[frankster]

I like both 3 and 4 as starting points.

[budafist]

Thanks, I'm going to pass these onto her and see what she thinks. She might want "more asian" or more "woman" or something...

I personally like 3 but that might be because that was the first one I did so I've been looking at it for a little while.

It's actually interesting you guys picked 4 because that's the same font I used for her poster for Sound Off (http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24410). So she might like that one because it is familiar to her.

[vtwin_gary]

3 is my pick, keep us posted.

[DMG]

i really like no. 2

[cornfed]

I actually like no. 1. I think it makes a nice mark. 4 is actually my least favorite.

[Cyan_Ide]

I'm a fan of #3. #4 sort of looks like a video producer that you'd see in the trailers for horror/thriller/drama films to me. It might be the typeface.

[Virgo Nightingale]

My favorite is 3, though it makes me think of beauty products. I like 4 as well, but I don't really see it as all that feminine.

[ShiftMedia]

4 is a little to shaky if you ask me...I don't see an asian feel at all in that.

I think #3 has the most potential here. Try messing with the first "I" on Issilah...Try finding a similar font and capitalize this letter, and I think it'll make a big difference.

Either try that or put a dot or even more interesting...maybe a bird over it (an abstract looking bird of course to make it flow)...so it looks like it's flying away from the tree or to it...the more you mess around and get creative, the better it becomes. ;)

Good luck!

[Irine]

she wants it only black and white? i think that the find of 4 may not remind horror movies or waht the other poster said if you give it other color than black.

the otheres, like the font in 1-remind me of a perfum, cosmetics company.

and by the way- YOU POSTER IS AMAZING!!
i loved it so much!! just my sytle...

[budafist]

Thanks guys, I'll take everything on board. I agree that some of these don't have a very asian feel.

Irine, I'm only working in black and white to sort out composition/shape etc. Once given the ok I will experiment with colour. The final colour will probably be a variation of gold reproduced in CMYK so colour may make it feel more feminine.

Try messing with the first "I" on Issilah...Try finding a similar font and capitalize this letter, and I think it'll make a big difference. Here's a variation of 3 with a capital I.
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/7848/90658090fl9.jpg

[graphicsmama]

I like this version of 3 the best. I also liked #5 as well. I think what I wasn't as crazy about with the others was that the design seemed to extend a little too far from the name...(the bamboo coming off the letters....)

[ellamac]

I really liked 3 too -

but I kept looking at it, because I felt like one of the letters was facing backwards - only they're not... I have had an extremely long day, so my eyes are probably buggered, but I think if there was a little more to the 's' s (off the topics but how do you say plural of s?!?!) then it would look a little more balanced. On 2nd thought, maybe it is just the tails on the I and l that is doing it to me...

I'd also quite like to see it with the 'productions' text from umber 5, as a more 'feminine' contrast

[wez312]

I also like three, it's a simple mark and it joins the logo with the name by being the dot for the i, but it's also easily removable and able to stand alone if so needed

[Logo-Mechanix]

I'm with Corn, I actually liked number one the best and number four looks good as well.

[CkretAjint]

I really like number 3, but for some reason to me it looks like a bird doing a belly flop. :D

on #5 what if the branch was on top, and upside down (more 'u' shaped). It might make it more boxy feeling and solid :)

[1ooScreamingTrees]

Do any of these reduce?

"She won't need to go small" isn't a valid answer.

[budafist]

Do any of these reduce?

"She won't need to go small" isn't a valid answer.

Would this be acceptable this small? Issilah is more important than productions obviously. It might appear this small on flyers events that she will be organising.

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/9916/isssy3.jpg

[Virgo Nightingale]

I can barely read "Productions" there, but if printed at high resolution it will be legible at that size. I don't see much use for the logo that small on the web, but hey, I'm not a web person so I don't know.

[icekitty37]

i'm liking number 3 the best... some of the others don't look as professional or feminine. its best with the I capitalized

[budafist]

No, I doubt this would ever be used at this size for web! Just wanted to post a sample.

I think as long as "productions" doesn't go smaller than 5pt in print I should be fine.

[emmerse]

my vote goes for #3 as well. It's the most cohesive and feminine IMO

[1ooScreamingTrees]

I was more worried about the mark's line weight becoming way too thin in certain areas – making it more "blob-esque" when reduced...only one way to find out though (print!)

[starman]

I like number 2 and 4. Since she is a poet/songwriter i think handwriting would be a nice touch. Maybe calligraphy style handwriting if you wanna go a little bit "Asian", I would try the Issilah in Calligraphy and nice clean san serif for the productions below Issilah. R you going for bamboo or any type of plant? it is a little abstract. If i took number 3 out of the bunch i wouldnt know if its a leaf or plant. Anyho I think the bamboo is a nice touch.

[budafist]

Well, heard back from client - she liked 3 and 4!

Ha. Thank goodness for that. She wants me to add a dew drop. That is what Issilah means in Korean. So I'll update and repost with dew drop...however I am going to implement that...

[frankster]

Well, heard back from client - she liked 3 and 4!

Ha. Thank goodness for that. She wants me to add a dew drop. That is what Issilah means in Korean. So I'll update and repost with dew drop...however I am going to implement that...

It's good that she's happy, but doesn't it frustrate you when clients give you extremely relevant info, such as, "the company name means this" only after you have done a considerable amount of brainstorming with what turns out to be only half the info.

[budafist]

but doesn't it frustrate you when clients give you extremely relevant info, such as, "the company name means this" only after you have done a considerable amount of brainstorming with what turns out to be only half the info.

Yes it does, but it's more annoying when they do that and pick your least favourite concept.

[graphicsmama]

I'm looking forward to seeing it!

[kevincdg]

Yes it does, but it's more annoying when they do that and pick your least favourite concept.

isn't that the truth -- she picked your best two imo. let us know how they develop!

[fredrich]

I just don't get the Asian feel over the name Issilah, it constantly makes me think of something Arabian. Can't help it.

[budafist]

Well the name isn't going to change because it's her Korean name. I guess the "lah" makes it sound Arabian. Middle Eastern...? Allah Perhaps?

[mchilly]

I like no. 3 looks good to me:D