NSFW Logo, critique needed!

The Crit Pit
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#1

Hi guys! I did a logo design for two friends of mine and I would greatly appreciate some feedback from you!

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flux - Familie, Liebe und Sex
(english: flux - family, love and sex)

The background:
It`s going to get a bit explicit. I am sorry for this and hope to not offend anyone here!

They both met when they were working as midwifes and realized, that a lot of women and parents do have troubles with their sexuality after a child is born. And there are nearly no services that help or support people in such situations (here in Germany).

The two women want to start a workshop series for sexual education (this will be their focus), plus a sexuality counseling service.
It’s all still a bit in the process of finding and a pretty new idea. Also there are nearly no competitors.

In their work they wanna focus more on women and parenting couples (all gender). The workshops will include theoretical and practical elements but will NOT be about couple dynamics (psychological) and there will be NO explicit/sexual activities!

The Logo:
They asked for something that is not cliche, kinky or stereotype. It should look and feel as something official and professional, as they are trying to get in touch with various German institutes, through which they want to offer their services trough (for this it might even help, to have a bit of a „conservative look“).

The two women are very practical oriented and not spiritual or stereotype-women. So it should visually not go into a typical „girly“ direction (e.g.: not pink,- violett,- playful, 
)

Also what they do is something new and something brave to address (a lot of people/parents find it very hard to talk about this issue). Something that is out of the line. Something with a twist.

I found it pretty challenging to find something that implies sexuality in combination with family (including children! 
).
So I thought about pregnancy and the the belly of the mother. Also about the breast, G-Spot, and about the forbidden, difficult issue (red flag, hot topic, 
).

As they are still growing and finding themselves, I tried to keep it very simple, so that more characteristics can be added to the logo later on, if needed.

Me: I studied design, but haven`t done something like this in a longer time, so please show mercy :wink: Also this work was not a job, not paid.

I would really appreciate all kind of thoughts from you guys.
And sorry for being so explicit again!

Many thanks in advance!!!

#2

The brief you provided was well done and gets the point across without being salacious.

As far as the logo goes, I actually like the direction you’re headed. Sometimes a simple addition can give a whole new meaning. The tail on the “u” bothers me. It adds some busyness that doesn’t need to be there. Maybe the negative space above the tail is supposed to be suggestive or representative (or maybe I’m trying to hard to read something into that’s not there). Either way, I’d look at removing the tail. A few other things to consider. Try setting Familie, Liebe und Sex in italics. It might add a slight sense of playfulness — or it might not work. Try shifting the red dot a bit to make sure it’s in the best spot (not saying it necessarily isn’t in the best spot now). I also feel like the “f” is a bit narrow considering the width of the “u” and “x.” Maybe it’s just me, but I’d like to at least consider widening the f or maybe changing fonts to something with a wider “f.”

Really, all of my suggestions are just that, suggestions. And I’d put them in the camp of fine-tuning to make sure there aren’t any changes that could improve the work. Overall, I’d say this is a solid effort based on the brief.

#3

I like the idea. It’s playful enough to counteract any unwanted connotations.

Your design is heavily dependent upon the typography, which doesn’t feel quite right to me. Or maybe I should say I would have used a different typeface.

My thoughts are similar to @Steve_O’s in that the type has too many details that aren’t consistent with either the playfulness of your idea or the emotional tone of the subject matter.

Instead, the glyphs in the type are tall, skinny, pointy, sharp, cold, and mechanical. You might want to experiment with a more tightly kerned and softer sans-serif typeface — one that’s less formal, warmer, and with an emotional tone more suggestive of closeness and intimacy. I do realize, though, that the counter in the U needs to be shaped like a normal breast, which constrains your options.

1 Like
#4

Not working for me. You’ve concentrated on the breast.
Although if you decreased the kerning between the f and l it would almost look like a penis. Perhaps even at a small size, the fl could look a bit like a penis.

What does that really say about Family, Love, and Sex?

In your own words

What does the highlighted portion mean? ‘
women and parenting couples (all gender)
’

Sounds like the logo needs to be nurturing - it needs to be couples and collaboration.
Love and sex are by-products of these things. And parenting is a by-product of the couple, collaboration, love, and sex. In same-sex couples, it can be a little different.

So why focus on boobs and dick symbols?

This logo needs to be thought out fuller - and having genitalia in the logo probably is a bit cliche.

#5

Also - out of context - sounds like incest.

#6

Hi guys thank you so much for your feedback! It is very helpful!!!

#7

I agree. I also told them that this comes with difficulties, but they wanted to keep it. :woman_shrugging:

#8

Thanks a lot @Steve_O!
For me I liked the tail because it thought I could provide a bit of contrast to the pointy, sharp, cold type (as @Just-B mentioned). But I understand now that it would be better to choose a more suitable font first place, instead of using a detour :wink: Thanks for your kind feedback and the suggestions! I will definitely try them out! :pray:

#9

Thanks a lot @Just-B!
I was also thinking into the same direction before. The ladys then explicitly wanted a “not-so-soft” type. And this is where I left it. But I see now that I should be stronger about this, and probably argument better. :face_with_monocle: :weight_lifting_woman: I will definitely try some more fonts now! I had another draft in the beginning (very much “sexual organs focused”, I know 
). But do you think this might go into the right direction? The font I mean.
Also again thanks a lot for your helpful support!!!

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#10

Really good start, ccTop! You have already received some good, positive help and there is no need for me to add much to it. I really do question this (quoted) passage in your description for one simple reason—If your Target Audience is primarily women, then you need to design for women customers and that would include the consideration of colors and type faces that would appeal to a female audience. Remember, designers do not design just to please the Boss(es)—they goal is designing to draw customers, and if that means using “girly” colors and fonts, then, so be it.

#11

Hi @Smurf2, thanks a lot for your feedback!
I find it interesting that you see a penis there. I did not, but it’s very good to know and to be aware of!
Also the initial idea was to not only to show a breast but more to play with the idea of the belly of a mother (red dot could be seen as an embryo or a belly button). I then realized that some people see a breast there, which I also found to be matching the topic, because there are, on the one hand, workshops for parents and on the other hand, workshops only for women sexuality (not necessarily combined with a pregnacy).

I think I do not really understand what you are saying here (sorry, english is not my mother tongue :upside_down_face:). Also it is not only about couples. As I wrote above. And I understand the idea of sex as a by-product, I think, but in this context sex/sexuality is the focus. It is totally about sexuality and the more biological, physical context of it. What happens to the body, organs, what reacts how and when etc. I love the idea to think out fuller. But I think it should not go away from what it really is about.

Thank you very much for your support!

#12

Hi @PopsD,
thanks a lot! I totally agree. We also talked about that and I think the target group they have, is not only a girl-ish group, but coming from a more feministic, more alternative, more politically left-oriented base (of course I understand that “girlishness” could be a part of that too). And regarding the couples, where all genders are welcome, we have to speak to an non-female audience, too. We tried to avoid stereotypes and this is why I choose a blue. As blue is the color that has most acceptance amongst all groups of people :woman_mage:

#13

Just sounds like nonsense. It hasn’t hit the mark. It’s way off. And to be brutal, it is terrible.

I read the brief, it doesn’t make sense. I asked about it, which you ignored and didn’t respond to.

Not being bad. But pregnant belly/boob and unintentional penis is not really going to cut it.

But if you’re ok with it, and the client is ok with it, then I guess what does it matter what we think.

I am very disappointed there are no other iterations or ideas. Seems very lax in the thought and execution process.

But that’s just me, I guess.

#14

Says who? Blue is mostly associated with boys. It’s literally a gender colour.

#15

Hi @Smurf2,
thanks for your honest feedback!
I am sorry, but I don’t get what you are referring to here?:

I understand your point. I get that x + x = penis, vagina, boobs seems like an too easy and not well developed idea. For me it was not only about that as I said before. But of course, the final execution has to speak for it self. And who says there were no other iterations, ideas. :wink:

Thanks again!

#16

For example:

“As part of a recent study on gender norms, University of Maryland sociologist Philip Cohen asked nearly 2,000 men and women a simple question: “What’s your favorite color?” Blue turned out to be most popular across the board, followed by green for men and purple for women.”

https://www.livescience.com/34105-favorite-colors.html

#17

I saw that particular study and it is very well done. However, even though blue is the natural choice, you still have to consider the “Value” (dark to light, etc) of the color. In your case (and in spite of how much I like dark blue) I believe the color may be too dark.Just a suggestion.

#18

Hi @PopsD,
sorry for the late reply, I missed this somehow.
Thanks you for your feedback! I am already trying some lighter shades and some more “happy” shades of blue to see where this can go! I think you are right! :+1:
Thanks a lot!